Stranger Things Season 5’s “Full Circle” Story Means A Beloved OG Character Must Return After Missing Season 4

As the series draws to a close, Stranger Things season 5 has been described as bringing the story “full circle,” meaning many of season 1’s most beloved elements will be revived. With the primary narrative back in Hawkins, Stranger Things’ “core” characters united as the main focus, the original Party being a key grouping, and another “vanishing” a la Will Byers, the final season is teased to have plenty of bookend parallels to how the series started. Hopefully, that also means Stranger Things season 5 will bring back some season 1 characters who were absent from Hawkins’ more recent conflicts.

As the popularity of Stranger Things has grown, so has the scope and scale of its narrative. When that happens, it’s understandable that some recurring characters who played bigger roles earlier in the story may lose screen time – or disappear from the show altogether. That’s already the case for season 5, with Eduardo Franco’s Argyle confirmed to not be returning after Stranger Things’ season 4 finale. However, while it’s expected that some of the California, Russia, and Nevada figures may not return, truly bringing Stranger Things season 5 full circle still requires bringing back some forgotten original Hawkins characters.

Mr. Clarke Needs To Help The Party In Stranger Things Season 5 To Repeat His Season 1 Role

Mr. Clarke Was Crucial To The Party Contacting Will In Season 1

Randy Havens’ Scott Clarke is an important missing piece of the puzzle to bring Stranger Things’ story full circle. Alongside Joyce, Hopper, Karen, and Hawkins Lab’s Dr. Brenner, Mr. Clarke was among the more important adult characters back in Stranger Things season 1, and (unknowingly) played a significant part in Lucas, Dustin, Mike, and El’s search for Will via his scientific lessons and AV Club guidance. Mr. Clarke played a smaller role in season 2 after his timely lesson about fear and defense mechanisms at school, then briefly returned in season 3 to help Joyce understand the reason for her fallen magnets.

However, Mr. Clarke was entirely absent from Stranger Things season 4, despite the teens still being in school for a few episodes. Mr. Clarke wasn’t the only recurring season 1 character who didn’t return for season 4, as that category also includes figures like Steve’s friends Tommy H. and Carol, Becky Ives, and Flo from the police station, but the teens’ science teacher was arguably the most influential of that group. Though his absence from season 4 made sense due to its expansive story, Mr. Clarke’s presence in season 5 is more warranted to recapture the feeling of season 1.

Bringing Stranger Things season 5 “full circle” already includes ensuring that the Party (Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Eleven, and a hopefully no-longer-comatose Max) are united as a core character grouping, but they tend to still require the help of an adult or older figure in their subplots each season. In the show’s later seasons, they looked to the older teens (Steve, Jonathan, Nancy, Robin, and Eddie), but the person the Party went to for assistance back in season 1 was Mr. Clarke.

Therefore, bringing their fight against the Upside Down full circle would mean sending the teens to Mr. Clarke for scientific guidance. Thankfully, there already seems to be some precedence set for his involvement based on some location teases for Stranger Things season 5. It’s already been revealed that the local radio station will play an important role in the final season, and who better to help out with radio technology conflicts than AV Club advisor Scott Clarke? Hopefully, there’s at least one scene of Mr. Clarke’s intellect unknowingly helping the main characters in their climactic battle against Vecna.

Why Mr. Clarke Was Absent From Stranger Things Season 4

Mr. Clarke Was The Middle School Teacher, But The Teens Were Now In High School

There was no official reason given for Mr. Clarke’s absence in Stranger Things season 4, but the decision to leave him out ultimately makes sense. Mr. Clarke was the middle school science teacher, but Stranger Things season 4’s time jump meant the Party was now in high school. They’d have new science teachers and, if they still did AV Club outside of Hellfire Club at Hawkins High, a new advisor. Mr. Clarke is still an influential figure in their upbringing as he fostered their scientific and tech-based passions, but there weren’t many opportunities to include him in season 4’s story.

Season 4 didn’t have much narrative room to include him, given how spread out the characters and their subplots were, but that shouldn’t be the case in season 5 as the central story remains in Hawkins. It’s difficult to say what the landscape of Hawkins’ school system will look like after the town’s destruction by Vecna, but it’s still possible that Mr. Clarke will have been moved up to teaching science at Hawkins High after Stranger Things season 5’s time jump. Alternatively, he could end up being Erica’s science teacher at the middle school in Stranger Things’ final season.

Stranger Things

8/10

Release Date

2016 – 2025-00-00

Showrunner

Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

Directors

Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

Writers

Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Paul Dichter, Kate Trefry