Netflix wrapped up their hit sci-fi drama Stranger Things with a two-hour long finale on New Year’s Eve. There has been immense anticipation for the 2016 series, as the finale pulled in over 30 million viewers.
The final season of Stranger Things first released over Thanksgiving break. This is when the first four episodes of season five were released, the first sight of beloved characters that we have not seen on the screen together in years.
(SPOILERS BELOW)
One notable part of the season’s second part was Will’s coming out scene. Throughout the series, Will’s journey discovering his identity, and his relationship with Mike has been important thematic topics, building up to Will’s eventual coming out scene in the second to last episode. Although this scene was necessary for his character arc, fans have been upset about how out of place it feels considering the time period (the 1980’s) and placement in the story.
There were mixed opinions on the final moments of the show, the original group (Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, with the addition of Max) sits in Mike’s basement where everything first began. It is here where Mike proposes a theory surrounding Eleven’s death, theorizing she secretly escaped with the help of Kali. However, El’s fate is not confirmed and is left up for the viewer to decide.
However, this ending is not collectively appreciated among fans. Many fans believe that the finale was anti-climatic, as the epilogue spanned over 40 minutes, while the final battle between Vecna (which fans had been waiting for since season one) felt rushed, and too easy. Fans also point out many loose ends and plot holes, such as how it had been previously stated that demogorgons live in the Abyss, yet there appeared to be none present during the final fight with Vecna.
Another complaint fans had was how much real time has elapsed since the last season. However, the show running for so long has helped many viewers grow up with their favorite characters. The main cast, who began working on the show at 12 years old, is now fully grown, along with their characters.
While the finale does have its flaws, it left a satisfying ending for the characters many of us have grown with for the past ten years, each pursuing future endeavors that completed their stories.
