Stranger Things’ Perfect Netflix Replacement Already Avoided its Biggest Problem

You know those great shows that unexpectedly start to get worse over time? That’s what happened with Game of Thrones, The Boys, and Stranger Things, for example. But with the latter, it wasn’t just the plot holes that hurt the show over time — it also started playing things way too safe. Netflix‘s biggest series was always spectacular, but as the seasons went on, it became predictable in one very important way: almost nobody important actually died. The more the story tried to convince viewers that Hawkins was on the verge of complete collapse, the less it felt like there were any real consequences for the main characters. And not even the final season managed to fix that.

And the problem was never a lack of threats, since Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) was ruthless; the Upside Down becoming a wormhole had all the potential in the world to kill someone; and the Mind Flayer was far too massive not to leave permanent damage behind. But by the end of the story, it was painfully obvious that the core cast would always survive while supporting characters paid the price instead. The Duffer Brothers were criticized for that issue, but their newest project completely changes that approach.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Boroughs.

The Boroughs Takes Bigger Risks With Its Characters Than Stranger Things Ever Did

The new series produced by the Duffer Brothers follows a group of elderly residents living in a retirement community in New Mexico who begin experiencing strange supernatural events inside their condominium complex. The premise and even the structure of the show itself feel very similar to Stranger Things, especially since it also blends mystery, horror, and sci-fi elements together. However, The Boroughs makes one very important decision early on: nobody is protected just because they matter to the story. The show hasn’t officially been renewed for Season 2 yet, but across eight episodes, it already throws its cast into extremely dangerous situations and delivers two major deaths.

Right at the beginning, Grace’s (Dee Wallace) death already sets the tone for the entire series and gives the audience a clear idea of what to expect. But at first, that’s easy to brush off because she isn’t one of the protagonists. Then the episode continues, and we meet the main group of characters — or at least, that’s what we think. Jack (Bill Pullman), one of the most charismatic figures, suddenly dies. It’s genuinely shocking, and while the characters try to process the loss (especially Sam (Alfred Molina), who witnesses his friend’s death), the audience slowly starts understanding what kind of show this really is. Then, in episode 4, Edward (Ed Begley Jr.) is officially declared dead. And sure, he wasn’t part of the main group, but he was still a crucial piece of the mystery.

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And that completely changes the way you watch the rest of the season — not because tragic fates automatically make a show better, but because they create unpredictability. A great example of that is Game of Thrones, which, despite all its flaws, immediately grabbed people’s attention because of how willing it was to kill major characters. And when you compare The Boroughs to Stranger Things, that difference becomes very obvious. With Stranger Things, audiences eventually figured out the formula: beloved characters could suffer, get beaten up, almost die, and go through emotionally devastating moments, but the show would rarely cross certain lines.

If we focus only on the final season, there was still some fear that someone major could die simply because it was the end of the show. But as the episodes continued, it was increasingly obvious that everyone would survive (the clearest example is Steve’s (Joe Keery) near-death moment). The show just wanted to scare viewers without actually following through, to the point that it even left Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) fate ambiguous. And Max (Sadie Sink) is another perfect example, considering her entire Season 4 storyline practically felt like a goodbye arc. But instead of committing to that, the series introduced characters like Eddie (Joseph Quinn) specifically so someone could die without making the story feel unrealistic. Looking back at the show as a whole, you realize how many new characters were introduced only to be killed off shortly after.

It’s understandable if Stranger Things ultimately wanted to focus more on nostalgia and hope rather than trauma, but considering the big scale and end-of-the-world tone of the series, it was impossible to believe everyone would make it out alive. And The Boroughs understands that it weakens any horror narrative. Once the show starts killing important characters early on, it creates a genuine sense of vulnerability and forces the audience to stop watching on autopilot. You naturally become more invested, more intrigued, and more emotionally involved. Dangerous scenes carry real weight because it feels like the show is actually willing to go somewhere uncomfortable if it has to. And that makes a huge difference in a genre like this.

The Boroughs Feels Like a More Mature Version of Stranger Things

Overall, both shows are extremely entertaining. But the comparisons are unavoidable, to the point where many viewers already describe The Boroughs as basically “Stranger Things with old people.” One of the showrunners, Jeffrey Addiss, even had to clarify after fan speculation that both series take place in completely separate universes. But that only gives more room to start comparing the details. And once you do, it becomes clear why The Boroughs works better.

To start with, the way The Boroughs handles death feels much more restrained. There’s no overly dramatized farewell sequence designed purely to force an emotional reaction out of the audience. The consequences just happen, and the story keeps moving. That makes everything feel heavier in a much more natural way instead of turning every tragedy into a giant emotional spectacle. Plus, the deaths actually connect to the themes of the series. In Stranger Things, losses often feel more like temporary shock value than an essential part of the narrative itself. In The Boroughs, however, the characters are elderly people dealing directly with aging, loneliness, and mortality, which makes every loss feel far more meaningful and reflective.

At the same time, Stranger Things eventually started feeling too dependent on ’80s references, pop culture callbacks, and big moments. And while that’s undeniably one of the most fun parts of the show, it also became a creative crutch over time that started hurting the story. This isn’t about trashing the series, because that would be impossible, but when you look at The Boroughs, it’s easier to see how the Duffer Brothers could have handled their biggest hit much better in certain areas. The new show is far more focused on its characters before worrying about nostalgia or spectacle. The fears, insecurities, and emotional fragility of this elderly group matter more than always trying to create iconic scenes.

So in the end, The Boroughs‘ biggest strength is understanding something very simple that Stranger Things eventually forgot: threats need to feel believable. There’s no point in creating giant monsters, apocalyptic scenarios, and terrifying villains if the main characters are always going to survive anyway. That completely hurts the tension of the story, especially when the tone of the show constantly screams maximum danger. Once viewers stop believing consequences are possible, they also stop emotionally investing the way it was supposed to. So eventually, the show starts being remembered more for that problem than for its actual strengths.

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