Posted in: Netflix, Sports, TV, WWE | Tagged: stranger things, wwe

Stranger Things 5 Unleashes the Upside Down on WWE Raw (HIGHLIGHTS)

Here's a look at just how far into the Upside Down WWE Raw went as part of tonight's Stranger Things 5-themed show on Netflix.

Just because the final episode of Netflix and series creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer's Stranger Things 5 has hit streaming screens, wrapping up the hit series after five seasons, doesn't mean the big promotional push is over quite yet. The streaming service has a behind-the-scenes documentary dropping on Jan. 12th, and Finn Wolfhard is hosting NBC's Saturday Night Live on Jan. 17th. And then there's tonight, with WWE Raw engaging in a bit of "corporate synergy" with the global phenomenon – and we have some highlights showcasing just how all-in the WWE went to bring the Upside Down to the squared circle.

With hosts Corey Graves and Michael Cole kicking off the festivities, tonight's card includes Bron Breakker challenging CM Punk for his first World Title. In addition, Maxxine Dupri defends against Becky Lynch, Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY look to capture the WWE Women's Tag Team Title from The Kabuki Warriors, Gunther is expected to appear, and Women's World Champion Stephanie Vaquer is set for a special interview. Here's a look at some of the highlights from tonight's WWE Raw and it's one-night trip into the Upside Down:

Stranger Things 5: Duffer Brothers Address Deleted Scenes Controversy

Now that the finale of Stranger Things 5 has hit screens and the Netflix series has wrapped up its run after five seasons, the Duffers have had a chance to tackle a recent (and unnecessary) "controversy" that sprang up about the second volume of the final season. Some believe that the second volume of Stranger Things 5 was meant to be approximately two hours longer than what was eventually released. More than that, the implication behind the petition drive is that those scenes were removed by either Netflix or the Duffers – or both – for some questionable (and possibly nefarious) reasons. The evidence was based on a "reliable source" and a Google Doc that listed several alleged deleted scenes.

Speaking with Variety, Matt Duffer noted that someone had sent them the Google Doc, making it clear that, regarding the claims being made and what was allegedly deleted, "Obviously, that's not a real thing." When told of the Change.org petition that was in play, Ross Duffer said that he hadn't seen it, adding, "I don't think there's a single cut scene in the entire season." From there, Matt Duffer offered a broader perspective on the downside of being a series loved by so many, adding that there was "no interference or direction at all" from Netflix to impose changes, not this season, nor during the previous four seasons.

"The show has just grown so massive. Online, there's just so much misinformation. Just tons of it. We would be here for hours trying to bat down the stuff that was not true. But at the end of the day, hopefully the work speaks for itself, and it is the show that Ross and I wanted to make," Matt Duffer explained. "Netflix was, and has always been, incredible. I mean, there's no interference or direction at all from them on us. They really trust us, and that's been true from Season 1 on. It's never changed, even though the show and the size of the audience have grown."

The Duffers continued to drive home the point that the rumblings of massive changes to storylines and deleted scenes were nothing more than noise. "There were no deleted scenes," Matt Duffer shared with Collider, going on to push back on deleted scenes claims two additional times. "I mean, the only thing that got trimmed down a little bit was the teens on the rooftop scene, because there was so much kind of improvising going on. It was one of my favorite scenes, but I think it was five minutes longer, so that got [cut] down. So there's an extended version of that," he added. In fact, Matt Duffer would go on to share that there has only been one deleted scene in the streaming series' five-season run. "But no, throughout the course of 'Stranger Things,' there's been only one scene that's been deleted, all the way back in Season 1. Which was a scene Netflix had us write that we didn't want to write, so we just shot it and deleted it, and they forgot we shot it. It was kind of amazing."

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