SPOILERS AHEAD
On December 31, “Stranger Things” released its series finale on Netflix, and not only is this season the lowest rated season of all five, this season had the biggest build-up for the worst result.
The show had everything set in place to make television history; between the talented cast, the amazing soundtrack and the promises made by show-creators Matt and Ross Duffer, fans were ecstatic to see how the 10-year story would close. Fans speculated how it would end and what little details would finally be given an explanation. However, once the 2 – hour episode was released to fans, the reviews were negative. Some complained that it was too rushed with overdramatic, underwhelming fight scenes, others complained that it was too idyllic and not realistic enough for this world’s brutal subject matter and most came to the agreement that they were disappointed.
The season was not all poor storytelling mixed with CGI creatures; there were a few highlights of the season overall, the biggest being the exceptional performances put on by the main cast, specifically Gaten Matarazzo, who delivers a heartbreaking monologue as Dustin Henderson in the season’s second volume. In the scene, Dustin breaks down crying to fan-favorite Steve Harrington, played by Joe Keery, that he “can’t handle” losing another friend in the Upside Down, referring to Season 4’s Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn, who in the show was an inspiration to Dustin. Matarazzo carries this performance with the maturity and emotional timing that hasn’t been seen from him in this series before, with his Broadway background being on full display throughout the entire 40-second speech. Alongside Matarazzo’s performance, Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas Sinclair, continues to show why he has been garnering more positive attention in recent years.
McLaughlin was allowed to shine in Season 4 with the now iconic “Erica, help” scene, which McLaughlin improvised on the spot. He pleads with his sister Erica, played by Priah Ferguson, to get help as he watches Max, played by Sadie Sink, “die” in his arms. Like Matarazzo, McLaughlin comes from Broadway, and it becomes clearer with how he plays Lucas in the most recent season. Although this season doesn’t have as much character development past his relationship with Max, every time McLaughlin is on screen, he uses physical acting to his fullest advantage, telling a better story than what could have been portrayed by any other actor. Unfortunately, even with these two standouts, the season still suffered greatly at the hands of the executives left in charge.
The biggest complaint levied at this season is the dialogue. It is no secret that due to the pandemic, the actors aged faster than the characters, making the characters ages unclear. When it came down to poor dialogue decisions, fans assumed this was a creative choice to make the story easier to understand for audiences. However, when a show has been running for 10 years and that same audience has grown up, having characters lay out plans as though they wouldn’t be understood without the over-explaining is insulting, especially in comparison to earlier seasons where the showrunners treated the audience with respect, allowing the conversations to be complex and forcing the viewer to think.
Another criticism among fans is the lack of consequences in the finale. “Stranger Things” has killed a character per season since the start, usually one that wasn’t popular to keep the main cast safe. Since this was the final season, fans speculated that the plot armor that had been protecting characters would be removed. This coupled with the fact that the Duffers, in multiple interviews, stated there would be at least five deaths this season had fans prepared to lose several of their favorite characters. Theories on social media about who would die were everywhere, so when the episode ended and there were only three deaths – none being fan favorites – and one ambiguous ending, fans were confused, especially since the climatic battle that had been built up since the Season 4 finale ends in the middle of the episode. The latter half of the episode serving as a 40-minute epilogue feels like a slap in the face – all possible consequences that could have been present throughout the episode are thrown away in favor of showing characters living peacefully with little to no explanation for what happened in between the second time jump of the season.
What makes this writing worse is that during their postseason press tour, when asking the Duffers important questions, with the intent being that they could clarify some plot points that weren’t concluded, their answers boiled down to a blank “we don’t know” or “it’s up to interpretation.” Normally this could be expected of a show if there were one or two plot points that didn’t have a clear ending, but the “Stranger Things” finale left at least seven questions unanswered, such as the absence of Demogorgon’s in the finale and the focus on November 6, the day that Will, played by Noah Schnapp, went missing being minor examples. Alongside the Duffer’s evasive answers in some interviews they allude to the stage play, The First Shadow, which gives more explanation on Vecna’s, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, origins. The issue with this play being part of the canon “Stranger Things” universe is that there is no way to watch it unless you travel to New York or London. Having a play that isn’t easily accessible to the majority of your audience play a vital role in the series finale is ridiculous and a cash grab.
One thing that was clear to everyone was the fact “Stranger Things” was always going to make history, but what no one could have predicted was that it would be an iconic ending for all the wrong reasons. Making this one of the biggest fails in recent television history.
