10 Incredible Shows That Started and Finished During ‘Stranger Things’ Five Season Run

Netflix struck retro sci-fi gold with its original series Stranger Things in 2016. With the release of each new season, binging was required to keep up with all the theories about what secrets the Upside Down hid or what type of makeup it required to make 20-year-olds pass for high school freshmen. Now that Stranger Things is nearing its series finale, it feels like the end of an era.

Although it’s been almost ten years since Stranger Things debuted, longer wait times between new episodes led the series to produce only five seasons. In that same amount of time, shows have been created, told stories with full character arcs, and wrapped up their runs with series finales. As everyone counts down the days to Stranger Things‘ last season, let’s take a look at some of those shows that lived a full life cycle while Netflix begged the Duffer Brothers for new scripts.

1

‘Barry’ (2018–2023)

The dark comedy Barry went through an entire emotional story before Stranger Things finished its run. Bill Hader starred as Barry, a socially awkward hired killer who discovers his love for acting when contracted to murder a struggling actor. Although he strives to become a skilled performer, the blood on his hands from a lifetime of death proves difficult to wash off.

Barry not only told a full story centered around its emotionally adrift main character, but the series also slowly transformed from a dark comedy to a challenging character study about a disturbed individual. Whichever genre it chose to be, Barry remained a sharply funny comedy thanks to well-acted characters like the blowhard actor turned acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler) and the nicest gangster to ever almost be killed by, NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan). However, by the end of the series, no character was recognizable from how they were introduced, all thanks to their time with Barry.

2

‘Andor’ (2022–2025)

New movies or shows set in the Star Wars universe tend to divide fans, but the Disney+ series Andor was unanimously loved. Set before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Andor followed the early years of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). Originally a thief scraping to get by, viewers saw him rise to become a heroic spy for the rebellion alliance.

Ok, so maybe it’s a cheat to include a show that was only on for two seasons, but if there’s an exception to be made, it’s for Andor. Boasting the type of special effects seen in a theatrical Star Wars release, Andor was a visual marvel, winning one of its five Emmys for Outstanding Visual Effects. The mature storytelling of Andor reminded fans that the Star Wars franchise could still offer a narrative with high stakes in a galaxy far, far away.

3

‘Atlanta’ (2016–2022)

For four seasons, Donald Glover took viewers on a surreal comedic journey in the FX series Atlanta. The show followed Earn Marks (Glover), who managed the rap career of his cousin Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles (Brian Tyree Henry). For Earn, Paper Boi’s success means he can make a better life for himself, his on-again, off-again girlfriend Van (Zazie Beetz), and their daughter Lottie.

Throughout its entire run, Atlanta was persistently exciting to watch because anything was capable of happening in an episode. Relatable struggles, such as raising children with limited funds, grounded the series, while little odd touches or eccentric characters (Teddy Perkins is one that comes to mind) never allowed viewers to feel too certain about what they were watching. Atlanta was fearless, original, and like all great comedies, just a little dangerous.

4

‘Succession’ (2018–2023)

The found family in Stranger Things believed “friends don’t lie,” but the wealthy Roy family in Succession had a different philosophy. When billionaire media tycoon Logan Roy (Brian Cox) delays his plans to retire, he ignites plans for a hostile takeover from within his own family. As the Roy family takes sides and makes boardroom alliances, betrayals and egos will undo years of established relationships.

Watching dysfunctional families on television is something viewers can traditionally agree on, and adding a few punches upward at the 1% holds extra appeal. No one on Succession could be defined as likable, and that only added to the fascination the series had with viewers who enjoyed watching an already volatile group endure greater stress. Never lacking in the soap opera twists and turns of classic family dramas like Dallas, Succession raised the stakes while coating every insult-laden interaction with acidic humor.

5

‘Killing Eve’ (2018–2022)

Killing Eve followed MI6 agent Eve (Sandra Oh) as she tried to track down the skilled and unpredictable assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer). For four seasons, viewers watched the relationship between Eve and Villanelle develop into a complex connection that blurred the lines between professional and personal. Their jobs dictated that they should be mortal enemies, but the two find one another more intriguing than threatening.

While the final season disappointed viewers who expected a more substantial resolution regarding Eve and Villanelle’s relationship, the rest of Killing Eve was an addictive watch. Comer helped craft a unique and one-of-a-kind killer in Villanelle, and Oh perfectly balanced her enigmatic energy with clear-eyed intelligence. Darkly witty with memorable setpieces, Killing Eve subverted the spy thriller genre in more ways than its female-led cast.

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6

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (2017–2025)

Scarier than the parallel world of The Upside Down is the dystopic future of The Handmaid’s Tale. In a world where fertility rates have plummeted, an oppressive rule enslaved women into servitude as Handmaids. One such woman, under the new name of Offred (Elisabeth Moss), continued to fight for her freedom and the destruction of the ruling class.

Based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale was a tense and often horrifying drama. Offred faced seemingly impossible obstacles to escaping her predicament, and the greater the difficulty, the more viewers wanted to see the hero succeed. The Handmaid’s Tale could be a challenging watch, partly due to its relevance within the current social climate, and partly due to the things Offred was made to endure, but people continued to tune in for all six seasons with the hope of a happy ending.

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7

‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (2019–2024)

The rare supernatural comedy to enjoy an extended run, What We Do in the Shadows maintained a high bar of excellence over six seasons. A spin-off from the 2014 comedy of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows followed a group of vampires living together on Long Island. Although they were originally sent to conquer New York, the vampires have since settled into a comfortable rhythm of annoying one another to pass the time.

What We Do in the Shadows was a perfect spin-off that captured the tone of the cult favorite comedy while carving out a path for itself with original ideas. New additions to the lore, such as an energy vampire Colin (Mark Proksch), expanded the directions the show could take the characters into. The cast’s chemistry continued to evolve in unexpected directions, and the witty writing made every episode a must-watch until viewers had to unfortunately say goodbye to their favorite bloodsuckers.

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8

‘The Righteous Gemstones’ (2019–2025)

Danny McBride brought his signature brand of humor to the divine HBO series The Righteous Gemstones. The four-season comedy followed the spoiled members of the Gemstones, a family who made their fortune as televangelists. When the eldest son, Jesse (McBride), is pulled into a blackmail scheme, his out-of-touch siblings Judy (Edi Patterson) and Kelvin (Adam DeVine) help him find the culprits behind it.

A comedy that was as epic as the Gemstones themselves, The Righteous Gemstones was a lavish and silly exploration into excess.Every member of the Gemstone family could be a candidate for best character on the show, but when they’re all in the same scene, comedic magic is guaranteed. By the fourth and final season, the Gemstones hadn’t necessarily completely changed as people, but their bonds as a family were stronger, and it was the perfect time to close the good book on their adventures.

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9

‘The Good Place’ (2016–2020)

Stranger Things features some epic storytelling, but The Good Place was able to examine the nature of existence within four seasons. Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) is surprised to find out she has died, but absolutely floored that she made it to “the good place.” Through some form of afterlife clerical error, Eleanor, who lived a less-than-pious life, was mistakenly placed in eternal paradise, and now she’s in a personal hell trying to keep it a secret.

The Good Place was an unconventional sitcom because, unlike other half-hour comedies that are designed to be self-contained stories, Eleanor’s story built in tension week to week. Using broad, absurdist comedy, The Good Place explored what it meant to be a good person and how that factored into a morally sound life that served a community. Those are heavy topics, and despite the significance of those themes, The Good Place remained a light and entertaining comedy until its tear-jerker of a finale.

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10

‘Yellowstone’ (2018–2024)

While the Hellfire Club was trying to save Hawkins, the Dutton family spent their time conquering Montana on Yellowstone. John Dutton (Kevin Costner) built a cattle ranching empire from his Yellowstone Ranch, but power brings numerous claims to his land. John and his children would have to put aside their differences if they wanted to protect their land from ambitious developers and a nearby reservation.

The idea of a family fighting over power was nothing new (see Succession), but Yellowstone‘s writing, the romanticism of the Old West, and the ideals of its time, set the show apart. Every member of the Dutton family, from the free-spirited Kayce (Luke Grimes) to the Machiavellian Beth (Kelly Reilly), made the series enthralling from the first episode. With multiple Yellowstone spin-offs set to premiere, there’s no end in sight for Yellowstone‘s impact on television and the dramas that try to fill its shoes.