On the eve of the new year, at exactly 8 p.m. fans swarmed Netflix to watch the final part of “Stranger Things 5.” The hype was not overstated, as “Stranger Things 5” and its finale was a truly satisfying ending to one of the highest grossing works of all time.

It has been 10 years since the first season came out, and the show has only grown in popularity since. “Stranger Things” has delighted fans with the out-of-this-world special effects and intimidated them as they met new villains each season: first the Demogorgon, the Mind Flayer, the Demodogs, then, of course, Vecna. 

Viewers have had conflicting opinions, ranging from “Stranger Things 5” being “the best yet” to “a crushing disappointment”.

For the reviews being so scattered, season five stood out to me in many ways. There had to be a record number of plot twists. For better or for worse the world was shocked.

After bingeing the first four seasons throughout summer break and having eagerly anticipated the fifth season like the rest of the world, I found the new season strikingly different from the first four—in a good way.

While the first four seasons are more about monsters, demons, alternate dimensions and magical powers, “Stranger Things 5” is more of a thriller, with several extra action scenes—the most notable one being the MAC-Z fighting scene at the end of volume one—that keep that audience at the very edge of their seat. I liked this addition, as it moved the pace of the show forward more than ever. Additionally, it is more emotional than the other seasons, as it dove deeper into the importance of family, the risk of sacrifice and the reality of death.

However, though it might sound strange, it was very frustrating that the creators refused to kill anyone important off. There were so many instances when the characters should have died—if there was any concept of gravity in the show—yet the creators insisted on keeping them alive because they were loved by the audience. The fans would have connected better with the characters, though, if the stakes felt more real. When Steve loses his grip on a strikingly high tower, and somehow gets caught just in the knick of time to avoid sudden death, that makes us question the physics of the Upside Down.

Putting that aside, “Stranger Things,” since the very beginning, has been praised for its well-developed characters. The audience gets to journey alongside the famous “party” all the way from ages 12 years to 18. (Yes, the actors end up way older than 18, but it is evident that they also grew up with the show.) Throughout the series, there have been many great scenes that evolve the characters—like Eddie becoming the hero just before his sacrifice in season four, Steve dropping everything to support Dustin in season two and Hopper when he dedicates his whole life to Eleven and Joyce in season three. This time, more characters rise above and take a new, emotional direction. 

Eleven realizes that sacrifice for family is everything. Will learns that all of the power he needs is inside of him, both figuratively and literally. Dustin rises above his guilt and sorrow of Eddie’s death to help the party reach their goal. These arcs made me connect the characters with the audience more than ever.

Especially this season, when the emotions are tense and tears are bound to spring up, the actors each stood out in their own way, just like they have done since season one. I did not feel as though any actor slacked, and they always brought their best to each and every scene.

Jamie Campbell Bower, the actor of Vecna, really stood out. His acting sent chills down my spine every time he appeared on screen. Whether he was playing the calm, sweet, Mr. Whatsit, the dangerous One or the intense monster, Vecna, he stole the spotlight.

Nell Fisher was new to the cast this season, taking over the role of Mike’s younger sister, Holly Wheeler. For being so young, her microemotions are on point in each scene. One minute she’s screaming with fear, and the next she’s smiling at her co-star as the scene takes a happy turn. 

Finally, “Stranger Things 5” being the last season of the beloved TV show, came to a very satisfying and emotional close. After four seasons of fighting different monsters and demons, the party comes together to destroy everything once and for all–the Upside Down included. Though the final, big fighting scene was a bit short for the amount of buildup it got–only a small part of the finale–, once it was done, a weight lifted off of viewers. Everything was finished. It triggered something deep down that no other show can quite match.

This great conclusion really made “Stranger Things 5” one of the best seasons. The emotions of the ending cannot be explained in words. You are either crying or laughing or yelling. It all feels so real. 

Everyone got to see how the party matured and developed as human beings, so when Mike explains everyone’s future lives, and narrates how each of them would become happy with at least decent lives, it filled hearts with great happiness. 

“Stranger Things 5” was an amazing ending to a legendary, record-breaking TV show, and the finale created a satisfactory conclusion. It took everything to the next level—there was more raw emotion, character development, special effects and story building. 

Though fans are sad this chapter of their lives is over, at least they get to graduate with the rest of the party, and can always go back to obsessively rewatch the show for years to come. 

It is true that even though “Stranger Things” is over, there will always be a place for it in history. 

In a normal holiday season, releases like “Zootopia 2” and “Wicked: For Good” would be major releases, but they faded into the background when compared to the global anticipation associated with the release of “Stranger Things” season 5 and its finale episode entitled “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up.” Netflix’s “Stranger Things” has captivated the minds of horror and thriller fans like myself for years. The beloved show’s audience has been chewed up and spit out in a finale that was truly a two hour, eight minute flop. 

This supposed “crowning glory” of an episode was a sloppy way to end a show that has had so much craftsmanship put into it for 10 years. Filled with discontinuities and plot holes, the grand finale was less grand and more… disappointing. A final episode that felt thinly wrapped in the shadow that is the former glory of “Stranger Things”. A chart-topping, technically masterful, captivating and complex show that has had viewers in a chokehold since it aired in 2016. As the conclusion to a show that has previously had great character development, special effects, acting, costumes, plot and attention to detail, the highly anticipated finale episode entitled “The Rightside Up,” along with the rest of the season, left much to be desired. 

The “Stranger Things” fandom has been left grappling with this letdown. To cope, many have clung to the conspiracy that a secret “Conformity Gate,” the ninth episode, that was supposed to come out Jan. 7, in which all plot holes and deficiencies would be once again resolved by the writing of Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of the show, and the crew. In fact, this is not the case. It has been confirmed across numerous sources that this is simply a fan theory born out of sheer desperation for a truly satisfying end to the legendary series. 

Looking back at previous season finales, season 5’s pales like a Cullen in comparison. Season one’s finale established an expectation for the dramatic, emotional series of finales throughout the first four seasons that both tugged on heartstrings and dominated the twisted little minds of thriller and horror series fans forever. Audiences could feel the emotional and physical strain along with the characters, as if viewers were right there with them. This connection, a bond between the core cast and audiences through the magic of the screen is one of the things that made the show so compelling and addictive. Seasons two and three kept the emotional and mind-bending finale tradition going, and brought the heat (sometimes literally) to a whole new level. Season four on the other hand, brought action like “Stranger Things” fans had never seen before. A shining blaze of glory wrapped up into a neat two hour and 22 minute package. 

While the finale fell short, the rest of the season was not the very worst it could be. Of course, something in the world could always be worse; however, it really is not worthy of the top three seasons. Nothing in this season hit the heights of season three, with its quintessential 80s summer vibes, complexity of the storyline as they slowly unravel the mystery, and depth of the characters and just the plain old thought-through writing makes the entire season an absolute chef’s kiss. Unlike this season, in which only one character really changed, the characters evolved and grew throughout. 

Usually, characters grow in a way that will help them in the future, but most of season 5’s overall evolution was either nonexistent, repetitive or useless. Several characters mirrored developments from other characters in previous seasons. Tacky love triangles making a comeback, a broken member of the main cast due to a death, or actions that felt like they undid all previous character development. Callbacks can be a fun way to reminisce, but at times it felt like a spoof of the original, as if it was just in a new font. Yes, characters grow and change because well… life happens, but sometimes there are still things that are out of character for them. 

The plot overall was not as bleak of an existence as it could have been. There were even some developments that had fans bargaining with Hades for the secrets before it was released. That being said, if it was bad enough to make millions froth after a conspiracy of a better ending for the town of Hawkins, Indiana, it cannot get much worse. 

The episodes released preceding the finale were slightly better than that sad excuse for a tie off episode, but they still had flaws showing. From the disappearance of characters to unresolved storylines to callbacks to previous seasons, even these episodes had viewers screaming at the screen with the rage of a thousand suns. Bringing back Max Mayfield’s “Running Up That Hill” montage. This is a slight exaggeration, but any horror movie fan knows this feeling well. RUN! Run like your life depends on it, because it probably does. Meanwhile, characters stop to have a 10-minute heart-to-heart. It just defeats all sense of urgency within the situation. Also, the writers are usually clever about certain details, especially small ones, being a big deal by the end, but many details that were thought to be important were simply a lead dropped by the show. 

Emotionally, season 5 is a rollercoaster. Visually, it is stunning. Acting… honestly, some of the actors were underwhelming . Before the whole fanbase comes for me, just know it was only one, one SINGULAR person whose acting threw off the season; Millie Bobby Brown threw me off. Something about the fact that she made the same face the entire season broke the superfan within me. It felt as though the actors are aging and moving on in their lives, but unfortunately the show is struggling to keep up with them. She has not confirmed any cosmetic alterations, and any cosmetic decision is up to her, but the sad fact is that this season was emotional, and her face was not. 

This season is one that may age well, like Karen Wheeler, or it may be something that just is meant to live under the shadow of the glory that is the other seasons. I suspect the latter. (Although Karen is a great mother and one of the strongest and best-written women to ever grace my screen.) It seems that the older seasons will always overshadow it. 

Although “Stranger Things” seems to be dead and buried, the fans are not the only thing keeping its memory alive (yes, it is still streaming, do not worry). Several spin-offs are planned for the future, including “Stranger Things: Tales From ’85” which is an animated series, and a currently untitled live-action project that is said to be set in an alternate time period. It warms my twisted heart that my favorite show is not only being kept alive by the fans who also live and breathe it, but that it promises new adventures to come.

All in all, I am more than a bit disappointed by this fiasco, and as a devoted fan, know that this had so much potential. But this finale? As a final product? This may have been okay in the first stages of planning, but it feels more like a rough draft than the end to an era, and the storyline and complexity were not up to par with the quality that audiences have grown accustomed to. 

All in all, for one of the most anticipated cinematic events of 2025, “Stranger Things” season 5 gets a big Thumbs Upside-Down from someone who has been a longtime fan. The show went running downhill from season four and hit the bottom of the Abyss when the finale dropped. A disappointing and heartbreaking end to a 10-year running, legendary show. The question is, Will pop-culture recover?