Image credit: Stranger Things, Netflix

* Contains Spoilers! *

It took nearly a decade, but Stranger Things (2016-2026) is finally over. For many people, the ending of Stranger Things is more than just the end of a beloved TV show – we have truly grown up alongside these characters as they come of age. However, due to the extremely slow release of the five seasons, this epic conclusion has slightly snuck up on me. But just as it always happens, less than ten minutes into the new season I was utterly hooked and reminded why I loved this show so much in the first place. Nevertheless, in many ways Stranger Things 5 feels a far cry from the small-town adventure we watched in season one – is this a fitting conclusion to the series? Unfortunately, whilst the scale is impressive, I don’t think the final season quite stuck the landing.

There are many things to adore about Stranger Things 5. The show still oozes with charm and wit, the moments where the ensemble cast are bouncing off each other really shine. The excitement through the performances and direction are palpable. One thing that cannot be denied is the foundational love for these characters that has been built over the seasons, so when the more intense, heartbreaking moments come around, they feel earned. I can’t deny I was grinning like an idiot at some of the season’s epic moments. 

The ending of Episode 4, ‘The Sorcerer’, delivers all of the best elements Stranger Things has to offer – emotional journeys, an epic supernatural climax, and characters who would do anything to protect their friends. Seeing Will finally come into his own and harness his powers against the Demogorgons made me feel giddy, and the moving choice to include childhood footage gave the audience a chance to feel proud of his growth – after four seasons of Will forebodingly touching his neck, this moment was a long time coming. They even remind us of Will at his lowest in the opening of the season, as they flash back to when he was evading the Demogorgon – seeing Noah Schnapp’s face CGI-d onto a young stunt double’s body might just be creepier than anything you can find in the Upside-Down. 

The main weakness I just couldn’t ignore this season was the dialogue. Often the lines come across cheesy rather than sincere, or clunky and overly expositional – the show has so much ground to cover and somehow not enough time. Scenes sometimes feel like the writers are hurtling through as much plot as possible, and it seems this season has fallen victim to ‘Second Screen Viewing’ – adapting the writing to be more accessible to viewers who are half-watching whilst on their phones. This manifests in scenes where instead of allowing the audience to figure out what a character might be thinking, we cut to an image that explicitly shows us, or the character explains it outright. The result is Stranger Things losing a lot of its nuance. 

Many of Stranger Things 5’s weaknesses can be traced back to how it has overwhelmed itself. The narrative has become oversaturated with the amount of content they are attempting to cover with episodes the length of feature films, multiple dimensions and new characters introduced every season. It’s impossible to satisfy every character arc with this many characters – 14 cast members have main star billing this season. The result is that many characters at the heart of the show’s early seasons have been sidelined. Winona Ryder, for instance, spearheaded season one, but this season, when I was having the post-watch debrief with my friends, I struggled to remember anything that Joyce did. Yes, it was satisfying that she got to deliver the final blow to Vecna, but given that she was never in any real danger it doesn’t really make up for her being given nothing to do all season.

Given the over-saturation of characters, it feels particularly ridiculous that they spent all of last season bringing Hopper back from a fake-out death when they clearly had no idea what to do with his character, re-running his arc from seasons ago. Max is also revealed to be alive and shockingly well considering all her limbs broke and Vecna blinded her last season. They even threaten to kill Nancy and Jonathan this season, only to be inexplicably saved at the last second. As a result, it’s hard to believe the Duffers have the guts to kill any main characters. For example, when Steve was falling off the tower, I never thought he’d be anything other than perfectly fine. Though the season’s more climactic moments are exciting, I would not say they are especially suspenseful, as it’s hard to believe the characters are ever in any danger. Even when they kill Eleven, they predictably can’t resist the urge to hint she might secretly be alive. 

The handling of Eleven’s character is what has stuck with me the most. Eleven grew up isolated, abused and dehumanized, and she went on a journey of self-actualization, learning how to find love amongst her chosen family and friends and overcoming the trauma of her abusers. This season, Eleven is given little to do other than being a superhero, and her scenes that should be emotional come across quite stiff. Her arc really begins when Kali convinces Eleven the only way to end the cycle of trauma is for both of them to kill themselves so no more test subjects will be made. While I think this was meant to read as a noble, tragic, and almost empowering sacrifice, to me it sent an uncomfortable message that death is the only way to end her trauma, and that Mike and Hopper shouldn’t be intervening and they need to understand and accept her choice. Or, if you believe it was a ruse, she lives alone, free but once again with no family when that was the main thing she sought for four seasons. 

Overall, it probably comes across as though I absolutely hated Stranger Things 5, and that’s probably how much of the online discussion comes across too. Personally I didn’t hate the final season at all – at times it was a fun watch, and I actually think the final half-hour was a really lovely send-off. The show takes its time to give every major character their moment, and in particular the graduation and the final DnD game were beautifully executed. After the original party tearfully leaves, the next generation of kids rush in to play DnD, calling back to the series’ first scene. Whilst this is very cheesy, I can’t deny it made me sob – the adventure may be over for now, but for another group of kids it’s just beginning. This season was a flawed send-off, but this ending reminded viewers of the show at its best, making it all the more bittersweet to be saying goodbye to such a brilliant and influential show that just didn’t quite execute its ending.