Man Who Made 'Stranger Things' His Entire Personality Furious Show is Ending
His 1,213-word Reddit critique was written 27 minutes into episode one.
Season 5 'A Betrayal of Everything' Series Stood For, Says Superfan
UTRECHT — Netherlands resident Daan Vermeer, 27, who has built his entire identity around Netflix's Stranger Things since its 2016 premiere, is devastated that the show's final season fails to meet the impossibly high standards he established by making it the cornerstone of his existence, sources confirmed.
"They completely butchered the Creel House mythology. Vecna's connection to the Mind Flayer was already established in the season four finale when we saw the shadow particles forming his silhouette, and now they're just ignoring that entire thread," said Vermeer, gesturing toward a living room decorated with an Eleven poster and a custom neon sign reading "Friends Don't Lie" above his TV. "It's like the Duffers forgot their lore."
Vermeer, whose dating profile listed "Stranger Things enthusiast" as a primary personality trait since 2017, spent the three-year gap between seasons rewatching the series about 14 times and moderating two fan subreddits. He also systematically alienated friends who failed to appreciate the show's cultural significance.
"He used to be into other things," noted longtime friend Bram Hoekstra, attempting to recall what Vermeer discussed before the show's premiere. "Football, maybe? Ajax? I genuinely don't remember anymore. It's been almost a decade."
The criticism, according to those close to Vermeer, masks a deeper psychological crisis as he confronts the imminent end of a show that has structured his online and offline identity for his entire adult life.
"When Stranger Things ends, what's he supposed to do? Just be some schmuck who works as a compliance officer at a bank?" asked Vermeer's sister, Lotte. "He's not equipped for that. None of us is equipped to meet that version of Daan."
Vermeer has begun hedging his bets by describing the final season as "a betrayal of everything the show stood for," a framing that allows him to maintain his superfan status while preemptively distancing himself from an ending he cannot control.
"The Duffers said in a 2017 Nerdist interview that they had a five-season arc mapped out. Five seasons. And now they're rushing the Hawkins Lab backstory that should have been explored in season three instead of wasting time on the Starcourt Mall subplot," Vermeer explained, pulling up a 1,213-word Reddit post he authored titled "How the Duffer Brothers have abandoned their vision." The post, which received 4,200 upvotes, was written about 27 minutes into the first episode.
"I'll still watch the rest, obviously," Vermeer added. "Someone has to hold them accountable."
At press time, Vermeer was seen on the Wednesday subreddit, insisting to no one in particular that he was just browsing. ■
