Duffer brothers muddy finale waters in attempt to tie up all ‘stranger’ knots

photo courtesy of Stranger Things Instagram

As 2025 drew to a close, millions of fans worldwide braced themselves for the highly-anticipated conclusion of the Netflix original global phenomenon, Stranger Things. Official teaser trailers for the show racked up millions of views as fans tried to collect as much information as possible before the release of each volume. With a hiatus of over three years, eager fans had concocted nearly every theory under the sun to speculate what could occur in the final series as the Duffer Brothers attempt to tie together the expansive multi-dimensional world. The Duffers hinted that the ending would be “unexpected” and “bittersweet,” which only added fuel to the fire as the premiere date drew near. 

On Nov. 26, Volume 1 opened with a landslide of viewership as roughly 59.6 million streamed the series in the first week of release. This smashed previous Netflix records, placing Stranger Things Season 5 as the streaming service’s most popular English series ever. 

Season 5 begins in a version of Hawkins that is trying its best to be “normal” — as normal as it can be. Season 4 ends with the cataclysmic opening of four gates enabling Vecna’s plan for merging Hawkins and the Upside Down. Hawkins becomes the scene of what appears to be strange natural phenomena to outsiders, and citizens must live surrounded by military personnel and secret research in their midst. 

The premise follows the main characters as they band together for a final assault on Vecna, realizing that he is attempting to use the Upside Down as a gateway between Earth and a dark dimension referred to as “the Abyss.” Viewers get insight into the dark past of Henry Creel (Jamie Bower, WitchBoard) and his transformation into Vecna through the possession of the Mindflayer. New characters, such as Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly, Jakub) and Robin’s love interest, Vickie (Amybeth McNulty, Black Medicine) contribute to the nostalgic element of the original cast as they all gathered for the final Hawkins showdown. Overall, the Duffers were accurate in describing the atmosphere as crushing and ominous, effectively gluing viewers to the edge of their seats. 

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

But amidst the dark elements of the season, lightheartedness was found in themes of enduring love and fellowship. Nancy (Natalia Dyer, Yes God Yes) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard, Saturday Night) bond as siblings as they work together to rescue Holly (Nell Fisher, Bookworm) from Vecna’s hivemind. After Vecna’s defeat, viewers witness Nancy and Mike rushing to their little sister as she returns to physical consciousness, joining in a hug strong enough to crush their incompatibility from earlier seasons. Similarly, Will’s (Noah Schnapp, The Tutor) coming out, which served as an act of defiance against Vecna’s crushing mental grasp, illuminated Mike choosing his friend over social norms and helping Will overcome the hivemind permanently. Hopper (David Harbour, Hellboy) and Joyce (Winona Ryder, Beetlejuice), after years of turmoil and chaos, got engaged at long last near the end of the finale. More than ever, this season emphasizes the importance of love and connection in each character’s life, and successfully portrays the theme that love overrides other hardships in life.

However, despite protagonistic themes of love, coming-of-age, and sacrifice for the common good, many found the series’ wrap-up wasn’t as clean as it could have been. The desperately-anticipated third volume, released on New Years’ Eve, features Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown, Damsel) emotional ultimate sacrifice; allowing herself to be destroyed as the alternate dimension collapses, leaving Hawkins in a final state of rest. Though El’s dramatic sacrifice is implied on screen, Mike’s ending monologue over one final game of D&D adds a hint of uncertainty. Seeing El in a state of freedom and independence, traversing the waterfalls, muddles wishful thinking with the reality of what actually happened when the Upside Down closed. Hanging onto shreds of hope for El to experience the free-spirited life she never had could be a coping mechanism Mike is employing to feel at peace with the situation. However, many in the audience took this literally, cinematically crushing the finality of her sacrifice. 

Fans could not help but reflect on similar occasions where the Duffers created false endings for their characters, throwing viewers for a loop. Hopper’s presumed death at the end of Season 3 resurrects the feeling of deja vu fans felt when later learning that he was alive in a Russian prison camp. The same is true for Max (Sadie Sink, Dear Zoe) when she was briefly killed by Vecna at the end of Season 4, only to be brought back after a two-year coma. This creates a boy-who-cried-wolf effect within viewership, making fans question the conclusiveness of a storyline. This is especially true when it applies to the main character of the franchise, leaving an overall underwhelming and mystifying ending to a much-awaited finale. 

Wishful thinking of El’s survival and questioning of the ending’s finality reflected the mindset of many viewers. As a result, the rumor of a “secret season finale” began trending, inducing a sense of hopefulness into fans. This ninth episode, fabricated by wishful thinking and viewers left unsatisfied, was confirmed to be imaginary by Matt and Ross Duffer.

Though many fans found the ending disappointing, with the episode scoring significantly lower than all previous season finales, the entirety of the season provided many opportunities to wrap things up in a coherent fashion. Much of the season alludes to Hawkins’ past and provides undeniable outlets of hope, victory, and much-needed closure. For instance, the graduation scene in the finale provided a perfect backdrop to end the franchise. Reminiscent of previous seasons, viewers witness as Dustin takes the stage to bridge divisions, reconcile differences, and claim with triumph: “Even though there was a lot of bad, there was so much good too.” As it pans to the main cast, solemn and silently triumphant, viewers see that despite all that has changed, Hawkins prevailed beyond the evils, supernatural and man-made, that had left it plagued with shadows. The scene closes, in a quintessential ode to ‘80s metal, with Dustin commemorating the deceased Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) by revealing his Hellfire Club t-shirt and giving Principal Higgins “the bird” to the soundtrack of Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper.” 

Though evil and chaos are prevalent throughout the iconic series, Stranger Things displays the power of unbeatable love, resistance against evil, and hope in the depths of darkness. Encapsulating the retro spirit and nostalgic essence of the 80s, the finale bridges former seasons and reinforces the in-depth bonds the characters have developed over five successful seasons. Despite fans’ criticism that the ambiguous ending seemed weak and disappointing for a show of such drama and magnitude, the show was able to simultaneously pull the characters together to reflect on the past and hope for a better future.

Grade: B

Stranger Things proves it still knows how to crank up the nostalgia, horror, and heart up to eleven.

by Phoebe Fletcher and Genna Blustin

Published February 9, 2026

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