Stranger Things, a renowned sci-fi horror series created by the Duffer Brothers and released on Netflix, has recently come to a complete end after the show’s nine-year runtime, with the last episode released on New Year’s Eve. With the highly anticipated and heavily marketed final season, Stranger Things had two options: come out with a bang, or end completely uneventful. And according to some fans, the season was not worth watching.
With Stranger Things releasing their final season ever, many fans had high expectations for the show’s wrap-up. These expectations resulted in, overall, mixed reviews, but many cited that it was a waste of time.
With the final episode having a runtime of over two hours, many fans felt the ending was messy and entirely fan service. The confusing plot developments and extremely short final battle– despite the monster being the biggest in the entire series– added to the disappointment viewers felt. However, most notably, a “Tell, don’t show” approach– where the audience is left hanging on to every word a character says, instead of understanding from the plot– was the greatest mistake of the season. Fans were unsatisfied with the laziness of the writing: how the entire last episode was to show how the characters were doing after the battle, rather than focusing on the battle itself. The whole plot was extremely fast-paced.
Critics also disliked the release of the episodes, saying the release of multiple volumes lowered the momentum, especially with how anticlimactic the final episode was. The last half was resolution chalked up to character moments that seem either rushed or drawn out, and mostly unnecessary. Fans criticized the writers for having cheap and lazy ideas, instead of figuring out how to make a final battle as built up and intriguing as one of the more favorable seasons, and a common fan favorite, season three.
However, some positive elements came out of this season finale, one of which was the actors’ performance. The entire cast of the show is incredibly talented and has improved as much as they have grown. Fans were extremely pleased with the emotion brought in from the cast’s performances. A star standout that left many fans touched was the portrayal of Max Mayfield and Lucas Sinclair, played by Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin.
Another positive aspect was the effects and the visuals/action. With the increased budget, extra money went into the CGI and special effects for this season, allowing for intense fight scenes, spectacular visuals containing the “upside down,” and overall more realistic-looking injuries, allowing the season to feel very real.
When capping off a show, especially as beloved as Stranger Things, it is very hard to write a finale that fans do not find underwhelming. Putting the season’s poor writing aside, the cast did an excellent job, as always, portraying their characters to the fullest. In the end, fans were still sad to see the story come to an official end, despite the reactions towards how well it ended.
