Since its 2016 premiere, Stranger Things has consistently been one of Netflix’s top shows, as viewers truly resonate with and appreciate its unique cast of characters, supernatural themes, and ‘80s nostalgia. Over the course of the first four seasons, the plot has exponentially grown in complexity, special effects, cast, and overall nuance. Thus, fans have been expecting an explosive series finale to conclude the story of Hawkins, Indiana, since the dramatic cliffhanger ending of Stranger Things 4 back in 2022. Stranger Things 5 was also released in three parts, with the first four episodes in Volume 1 on the day before Thanksgiving, the next three episodes in Volume 2 on Christmas Day, and the series finale in Volume 3 on New Year’s Eve. Seeing as there was over a month between the season premiere and season finale, it is no surprise that fan theories exploded as their anticipation for the next volume grew. Considering that the Duffer Brothers were given over three years and nearly $500 million to write, film, and produce the season finale, it is particularly shocking that many viewers are calling the series finale a “crushing disappointment” as referenced in The ‘Stranger Things’ Series Finale Is A Crushing Disappointment – Forbes.
Premiering on December 31, 2025, the heavily anticipated finale was, simply put, a let-down. It picked back up where Volume 2 left off, with the Party discreetly entering the Upside Down. A lot of the dialogue in this episode truly sounded like it was written by AI, especially when Will asks Mike if they could still be friends, to which Mike responds with, “Friends? No, thanks. Best friends.” In addition, the inclusion of El, Kali, and Max’s journey from the Void into Henry’s memories in Hawkins High School, 1959, felt very out of place. Viewers hadn’t been given much context regarding why this memory was so important to Henry, and no further context was given in the remainder of the season. Furthermore, it caused some confusion as well, because characters such as Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, Karen and Ted Wheeler, and many others were featured in this memory, indicating that they had some sort of relationship with Henry. Despite this, none of these characters reference knowing him in high school, even though the main Party frequently expressed their understanding of who Vecna truly is.
Upon further research, it was made clear that this subplot was explored more heavily in the Broadway prequel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow. This production, however, is simply inaccessible to those who cannot or have not travelled to New York City to watch it. It was filmed in mid-February to be streamed on Netflix, over a month after the season finale. I didn’t really see the point in including this scene, as a majority of viewers did not have the proper backstory to understand its significance. Another inconsistency I noticed was when Lucas questions the lack of Demogorgons, Demodogs, and Demobats in the Upside Down. Even though Dustin suggests that the monsters are not activated because Vecna is also inactive, the documentary, released after the finale, featured a conversation where the production team stated that it would be “crazy” if there were no monsters in the Abyss. This documentary blatantly exposed their lack of preparation for this finale and will be later discussed, but this specific instance of an inconsistency really took me out of the Stranger Things universe.
On a more positive note, one scene I really did enjoy was when Vecna caused Hopper to see drums of Agent Orange, his late daughter, and the conversation between El and Kali in the Void, in which they discussed sacrificing themselves to stop running from the government. This was really well done and successfully raised emotions of grief, shock, and overall disappointment in the end, as Hopper’s breaking of the tank sabotaged their plan. On the other hand, as El, Kali, and Hopper are attacked by members of the US government, Kali’s supposed death was shocking at first, and by the end of the episode, it seemed simply pointless. Ever since her reintroduction this season, I have been convinced that she has ulterior motives. This suspicion was heightened throughout her repeated attempts to convince El that they should commit suicide as they end the Upside Down once and for all. Because of this, I wasn’t particularly saddened by her death, but her ambiguous ending made the dramatization of this scene unnecessary, as it was not made clear whether Kali actually died.
The ultimate battle scene, where the Party fights Vecna and Mind Flayer, was by far one of the most anticipated scenes in this series finale. These monsters and villains have been building up over the last ten years, so the fact that Will’s coming-out scene was longer than this final battle is surprising. I was fairly disappointed by this comparison, as I would not have assumed that this emotional conversation, though important, would be the focal point of the finale. Although I thought it could have been longer and even more dramatic, one slightly redeeming moment of this fight was Joyce’s final words to Vecna as she decapitates him, and the memories of his trauma as they are remembered by each character. In addition, the show’s soundtrack has been constantly praised for its quality and nostalgia. This continues as Prince’s “Purple Rain” plays as the Party returns to Hawkins through the gate, but El’s suicide essentially ruined this song for me.
From this point on, the finale pretty much went downhill aside from a few notable scenes. Dustin’s Valedictorian speech was both comedic and emotional, as his references to Eddie’s wishes for his own graduation were carried out. I also enjoyed Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Robin’s reunion on top of the radio station, where viewers were able to learn about their new lives after two years. Hopper’s proposal to Joyce was also very satisfying to watch, as their slow-burning romance has been growing since Stranger Things 1. Furthermore, I thought the easter egg where Hopper reveals that he has been offered a job as a sheriff in Montauk Beach was very interesting, especially considering that the show was originally titled “Montauk” and was named after local conspiracies regarding the supposed “Montauk Project” at Camp Hero State Park. Despite my approval of these scenes, the final D&D campaign at the Wheeler house was disappointing and confusing. Mike’s theory of El’s ambiguous ending was reminiscent of the ending of the first season, where she was separated from the group and not able to achieve the normal life she truly wanted. This resulted in an unsatisfactory and repetitive ending to her story and character arc. Additionally, I strongly disliked how the episode concluded with Holly’s friends playing D&D as Mike closed the basement door. It didn’t really focus on the main characters and instead featured those who were only made important this season. This anticlimactic scene was very reflective of the finale as a whole. Overall, I thought the Duffer Brothers could have taken more risks and that they played it too safe, especially seeing as nobody in the main cast was officially killed off.
As a result of this, a fan theory, dubbed “Conformity Gate,” began to spread about a secret ninth episode. This theory explained that the finale depicted in Chapter 8: The Rightside Up was actually an illusion coming from Vecna. It also claimed that a different series finale would soon premiere to explain and justify the various easter eggs and inconsistencies featured in this season. From Lucas telling viewers that he doesn’t believe in coincidences in Stranger Things Season 5, Chapter Two: “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” to continuity mistakes made by the Duffer Brothers, such as objects changing color from episode to episode, this theory took the fanbase by storm. With the announcement of One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, a documentary about the series finale and its production set to premiere on January 12, 2026, many fans speculated that this documentary was a cover-up for the ninth episode that would instead be released. However, this was not the case, and I thought the documentary did more harm than good. It exposed the lazy writing of the Duffer Brothers and their overall unpreparedness. The fact that they voluntarily revealed to fans that they “went into production without having a finished script for the finale” is insane to me, especially considering that they had over three years to do so. Furthermore, it included conversations among production members where they acknowledged that certain elements of the Stranger Things universe should be included in various scenes, yet none of them were. This can be seen through the absence of monsters in the Abyss, as previously discussed. In addition, some fans even claimed they saw ChatGPT tabs open on producers’ computers, suggesting an explanation for why the season sounded like it was written by AI.
Overall, I thought its writing was lazy, inconsistent, and error-ridden. Aside from the few scenes I enjoyed, I was disappointed as a whole. Considering that I have been a fan for years, watching its finale be attacked by poor reviews and criticism was hard to see, despite my agreement with them. Coming from someone who grew up watching the show, I felt that, in addition to a fair and suitable ending being stolen from viewers like myself, a part of my childhood was also taken. Instead of delivering a powerful, emotional, and satisfying finale, Stranger Things 5 felt like a hollow shell of its vulnerability, heart, and originality that led it to be a global sensation.
