Stranger Things fans have spotted a major wardrobe mistake in Season 5, Volume 2, and it feels like Game of Thrones Season 8 all over again. Stranger Things Season 5 continued with Volume 2 on December 25, bringing the Hawkins gang closer to their final confrontation with Vecna. Fears of the Netflix series repeating Game of Thrones’ controversial ending are strong heading into its super-sized finale on December 31. Finn Wolfhard even told TIME that the cast was worried about the show getting “torn to shreds” in the same way. It’s too early to say if that will happen. However, eagle-eyed Stranger Things fans have picked up on an error in the latest batch of episodes, which feels reminiscent of Game of Thrones‘ final outing. Warning: Minor SPOILERS ahead for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 2.
The error in question has to do with Holly Wheeler’s wardrobe, which is understandably the least of her concerns as she tries to get back to Hawkins. A video shared by X account Today Years Old points out that she’s wearing Under Armour in the scene where she breaks free of Vecna’s cocoon. The problem? The clothing company wasn’t founded until 1996 — and Stranger Things Season 5 is supposed to take place in 1987. Holly’s shirt couldn’t exist at this time.
It’s an easy flaw to miss with everything else going on, but it’s one that could have been edited out. Stranger Things‘ ’80s setting requires careful attention to detail to ensure it fits the timeline, and the Duffer Brothers typically do a good job of making it believable. This likely won’t be remembered quite as poorly as Game of Thrones Season 8’s issues, but it does feel reminiscent of them nonetheless.
Stranger Things’ Holly Mistake Is Reminiscent of Game of Thrones Season 8’s Errors
Stranger Things Season 5 and Game of Thrones Season 8 are drawing many comparisons to one another, as both are 2010s fantasy shows that turned into cultural sensations — and Stranger Things is facing similar pressure to stick the landing. There are many complaints about Game of Thrones‘ final season, background mistakes like Holly’s Under Armour among them. Most fans will recall the coffee cup gaffe from Game of Thrones Season 8, which saw a cup sitting on a table at Winterfell in “The Last of the Starks.” It led to an explosion of complaints and memes, and it wasn’t the only issue like this to arise during the final outing.
A water bottle was also visible on the floor during Game of Thrones‘ series finale (via CNBC), and an extra was caught in modern-day clothing during the Season 8 premiere (via Bustle). Issues like these made the legacy of Season 8 worse, as they could have been fixed during filming and the editing process. Of course, it’s not surprising if the creatives and actors were more concerned about nailing the ending than getting background details right. And this may be the case for Stranger Things Season 5 as well, at least if Holly’s attire is anything to judge by. Even so, hopefully it doesn’t follow in the other show’s footsteps and feature quite so many problems before taking its final bow.
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