Netflix’s Stranger Things has always been a show where details matter. From the neon mall signs to the cassette tapes, the 1980s setting is part of that DNA. Fans of the show don’t just watch for monsters and cliffhangers; they notice the hair, the clothes, the way every character looks like they’ve stepped out of a yearbook from 1987.
Hairstyles, in particular, have been scrutinized since Season 1, whether it was Will’s infamous bowl cut or Eleven’s buzzcut. By the time Season 5 rolled around, the spotlight on hair and wigs was brighter than ever. The problem? Season 5’s wig and styling choices are all over the place. Some characters look authentic and era-appropriate, while others are sparking memes. It’s not that fans don’t love the performances (they do), but when the hair looks off, it’s the first thing people notice.
And in this final season, the discourse has been louder than ever. So let’s break down the six worst hair and wig moments in Stranger Things Season 5 that have had fans talking more about styling than the story.
6
Millie Bobby Brown / Eleven’s Wedding Wig Woes
When you watch the training sequence in The Crawl, where Eleven is hammering away at the setup and trying to break her own record with everything she’s got, the intensity of the scene is undeniable. She’s sweating, panting, and physically exhausted, but the hair barely moves. It sits stiffly, almost like a helmet, and that disconnect is hard to ignore. Instead of adding to the realism of the moment, the wig made it feel odd and staged. Later, in “Sorcerer,” when Hopper and Eleven infiltrate the military base and fight Dr. Kay’s men, the same issue pops up again.
She’s bloodied and bruised and hurting, but the hairline looks too clean, too perfect, which breaks the flow. Millie Bobby Brown herself has admitted the hair team had a tough job this season. She revealed that she was juggling wedding prep during filming, and the stylists had to hide her wedding extensions under wigs while shooting some of the most important scenes. This explains a lot, but fans on social media have been vocal about the visible seams and are calling the shine “plastic.”
5
Will’s (Attempted) Bowl Cut Redemption
Will Byers’ hair has been a running joke since Stranger Things Season 1, and Season 5 finally tries to give him a glow-up, but the bowl cut refuses to die quietly. From the very first episode of Volume 1, you can tell the showrunners wanted to soften the edges of Will’s infamous haircut. It is longer, slightly layered, and less severe than the mushroom cap we have endured for years. In “The Crawl,” when Will is sweating through psychic visions and clutching his head in agony, the hair doesn’t move naturally, reminding us of the years of memes about his “worst haircut in Hawkins.”
The real test comes in “Sorcerer,” the cliffhanger episode where Will finally steps into power. After seasons of being the Upside Down’s victim, he channels Vecna’s infection and takes control of the Demogorgons. It’s a huge, cathartic moment, with Will standing tall, eyes rolled back, monsters breaking down under his control, but even here, the wig is distracting. Noah Schnapp has acknowledged the haircut discourse before, admitting in interviews that he begged the Duffers to change it. Season 5’s attempt is halfway there. It is less harsh and more grown-up, but it still feels like a compromise.
4
Mike Wheeler’s Flat Hair and the Hospital Horror
Episode 2, “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” sets the stage with the Wheeler house under attack. Karen is hurt, Holly disappears, and the family is suddenly swallowed by hospital corridors and urgent decisions. Mike and Nancy think fast and try to reach Karen to get answers, slipping into “blend-in” mode as they navigate the building to avoid being caught by the shady doctor. And here’s where the hair becomes the unexpected headline.
Under those unforgiving fluorescent lights, Mike’s usually floppy ’80s mop goes oddly flat. In the elevator with Nancy, and again in the hallway when they’re moving with purpose, the styling looks pressed and lifeless. The wig doesn’t have the bounce or texture you’d expect from natural hair. Fans echoed the sentiment, noting that Finn Wolfhard’s styling shifts between natural in outdoor scenes and notably wig-like indoors, especially in the hospital corridor.
3
Nancy Wheeler’s Distracting Lace Line
Nancy is everywhere in Stranger Things Season 5, and that means her hair is too. In “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” she’s front and center after the Wheeler house attack. The tension is high, but fans immediately noticed her wig line in close-ups. Later, in the hospital corridor scenes with Mike, her styling looked oddly modern for 1987, breaking period authenticity.
By “The Turnbow Trap,” Nancy is back in action mode, helping set traps with Dustin and Lucas. Here, the wig’s volume became the issue. In wide shots, her hair looked feathered and natural, but in tighter frames, it flattened out, creating continuity errors that fans were quick to call out. The discourse peaked in “Sorcerer,” where Nancy joins Steve, Jonathan, and Dustin in the Upside Down. Behind the scenes, Natalia Dyer has spoken about the challenges of maintaining continuity with wigs, especially when shooting action scenes.
2
Robin Buckley’s Shaggy Shift
Robin is the character fans expect to feel the most like a real person. She’s quick, messy, clever, and emotionally present. In Season 5, she stays largely true to the feathered, slightly shaggy texture we’ve known since Scoops Ahoy, which makes her look notably less “wiggy” than some of the cast. In the early scramble at the Squawk and the chaotic regrouping in the later episodes, Robin looks like someone who’s been running, arguing, and thinking three steps ahead.
But there are inconsistencies in her wig. In a few tighter shots, the texture shifts. It feels flatter and rougher, especially the bob. The bigger picture here is that Robin’s arc in Season 5 leans on her identity and relationship. She and Vickie are together now, and Robin’s hair choices reinforce that more confident, less performative version of her, even as the season throws her into threats she’s never faced before.
1
Lucas Sinclair’s Cartoon Hair Controversy
Lucas’s Season 5 hair has been called one of the biggest “fumbles” of the show’s styling department. Instead of looking like a natural continuation of his growth, where he’s a confident, mature teen stepping into leadership, the wig often comes across as stiff, unnaturally huge, and artificial. He’s seen sitting next to Maxine’s hospital bed and helping Dustin set up barbed‑wire traps, and the shape looks cartoonish, almost like it was lifted from a 1980s animated character.
On social media, fans complained about it, wondering why they would base his look on Vince from Recess or G.I. Joe figures. It matters because his arc in Season 5 is about maturity. He is supposed to look older, more grounded, and ready to stand firm against Vecna. Instead, the wig makes him look awkward in so many moments. It’s not the style itself that fans object to, but the way it was executed.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Writers
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Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock
