Are The Boroughs and Stranger Things Linked? The Creator Finally Sets the Record Straight

The internet loves a crossover theory, and lately the rumor mill has been grinding over a supposed link between Netflix 's Stranger Things and the new series The Boroughs. Yes, both shows play in the supernatural sandbox and wear their throwback influences on their sleeves. But after a week of fan-dot-connecting, the person who would actually know just shut it down.

So... are Stranger Things and The Boroughs connected?

Nope. In an interview with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan, The Boroughs co-creator Jeffrey Addiss was crystal clear that his show is not secretly part of Hawkins lore.

'Entirely separate worlds. I know there are some theories out there that we are a thing. We are not. Matt and Ross [Duffer] and all of them who make Stranger Things, that is Stranger Things. We are not playing in their playground. They have an awesome playground, but we are building over here.'

That probably will not stop the Reddit threads, but there you go — straight from the guy who made it.

Why people thought there was a connection in the first place

A few easy dots to connect: The Boroughs is a supernatural mystery about residents in a retirement community banding together when something otherworldly shows up. That team-up-to-fight-the-weird structure can feel very Stranger Things. Add in the fact that the Duffer Brothers are executive producers on The Boroughs, and you can see how the crossover speculation got traction.

What The Boroughs actually is

The Boroughs comes from creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews and is executive produced by the Duffer Brothers. The show centers on seniors in a quiet retirement village who get swept into a string of bizarre events. The sci-fi hook has a nasty twist: the threat is messing with their most precious commodity — time — which is a pretty sharp angle for a genre show anchored by older heroes.

Addiss and Matthews told Netflix's Tudum that they set out to make something that hits scary, mysterious, exciting, and emotional all at once, and working with the Duffers helped them balance the heart-with-horror vibe. Translation: expect the tonal cocktail you know, but in a new bottle.

How it differs from Stranger Things

This is where the theory falls apart. The creatures and mythology in The Boroughs have nothing to do with the Upside Down — no secret portals, no Hawkins overlap, no cheeky backdoor pilot energy. Also, scope-wise, Stranger Things mostly locks into one small town; The Boroughs plays wider, with a more global-feeling scale baked into its story. Similar stripes on the jersey, totally different team.

Who is in it and when it drops

• Premiere: May 21 on Netflix
• Creators: Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews
• Executive producers: The Duffer Brothers (alongside Addiss and Matthews)
• Main cast: Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Bill Pullman, Clarke Peters, and Denis O'Hare
• Premise snapshot: A band of retirement-community misfits faces an otherworldly threat that wants to steal their time

Bottom line: The Boroughs might scratch a similar itch, but it is not a Stranger Things side quest. It is carving out its own weird world, with a killer cast and a hook that could actually set it apart. We will see if it becomes Netflix's next big supernatural binge when it lands May 21.