On July 15, 2016, Netflix released their first season of Stranger Things, a story set in the 1980s about a group of teens in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, who discover an alternate dimension coined “The Upside Down.” One of the friends is taken to this alternate reality, and alongside a mysterious, superpowered girl, they fight against otherworldly beings to save their friend.
Written by two brothers, Matt and Ross Duffer, the story has taken its many twists and turns, but has finally come to a close after 10 long years of waiting. The show wrapped up with its fifth season, but fans’ opinions are split on the ending. To showcase the ending of this project, the Duffer brothers and Netflix divided the episodes into three different release dates. On Nov. 26, the first four episodes were released. Christmas day saw the next three, and the conclusion to the 10-year project came on New Years Eve.
The first four episodes were widely considered to be a great success. The story picks up some time after the ending of season four. It starts with Robin reporting the conditions of Hawkins from her radio station, WSQK, or “The Squawk,” which is based on WPTF, a former radio station in Cary, NC. The exterior of the Squawk is inspired directly by this station, located only 10 miles from the Duffer brothers’ childhood home, showing the impact that their personal experiences had on the show.
Robin explains how the military has taken over Hawkins, isolating the small town from the rest of the world, and discusses how much things have changed. The group is going on with their lives as normally as possible, blending in as well as they can. However, they are still searching for Vecna, the main villain, in secret, slipping past the grasp of the military in their search.
Vecna quickly introduces a new danger to the group and the fourth episode ends with a major plot twist that shocked and excited fans: Will Byers, one of the main characters, receives powers from his connection to Vecna, saving his friends and changing the whole dynamic of the show. The next three episodes, however, were considered a bit of a letdown for fans. The first two episodes of this set were widely loved, but the last one quickly became the lowest rated episode on IMDb, sinking past “The Lost Sister,” a widely-hated filler episode from season two.
At the end of episode seven, there was an incredibly important scene that has split fans, leading to the low rating. Will Byers, the biggest star of the season, revealed to his friends and family that he is gay. This was known by the fans and hinted at throughout the season, but it was the first time he revealed this to his family and friends. The scene was considered corny and drawn-out, and overall fell short of expectations, especially compared to Robin’s coming out scene earlier in the show, which was widely loved by fans and cemented her as one of the most iconic and loved characters in the show.
After this episode, fans were quite disappointed and were hoping for a finale that successfully wrapped up the whole season and all of its various plot twists. When it finally dropped, fans eagerly watched, and while some loved the episode, some found it to be underwhelming. The group starts a final siege against Vecna, traveling to his dimension to fight him. After some buildup, it is revealed that Vecna was never the main villain, but was instead being used by the Mind Flayer, an enormous spider-shaped creature who fed off of children’s minds.
In a huge final fight, built up for five seasons, the group defeated Vecna and the Mind Flayer in about 45 minutes. While the fight was well done, it felt short and incredibly underwhelming. The Duffer brothers had stated in interviews that some of the main characters were going to die, and that it was going to be a “dark Christmas.” However, none of the characters were even injured in the fight, and many of the fans were left confused and wondering what the Duffer brothers had meant. After their victory, the group went back to Hawkins, and tragedy struck. The military, who had been in pursuit of Eleven – the aforementioned superpowered girl – the entire season, had caught up to them and captured the group. Eleven escaped, destroying the Upside Down and cutting off the connection to the Mind Flayer’s dimension, but sacrificing herself in the process.
For the entire rest of the episode, the drama was over and the show focused on the recovery and life of the group a year and a half later. The kids graduated high school while Joyce and Hopper got married, and in a final Dungeons and Dragons campaign, Mike reveals his theory that Eleven is actually alive, kept safe by an illusion made by her sister Kali. While it isn’t confirmed and isn’t the strongest theory, it is up to the fans to decide what they believe.
While some fans loved the finale, some felt like the final fight was short and rushed, poorly wrapping up what had been a phenomenal story up until then. The Duffer brothers wrapped up many of the plot holes and questions in interviews rather than the show, which annoyed fans, as they felt it was a fake and improper way to finish many of the show’s larger details.
Over 10 years, Stranger Things captivated fans and drew attention for its powerful casting, interesting story, and continued success. The finale had its highs and lows, and fans are divided on how they feel about how the story ended. While the last season had great scenes and powerful plot twists, it did indeed feel rushed and seems like it could have been done better, even if it required more time and wait.
