The wait is over. The highly anticipated fifth and final season of the hit Netflix TV series “Stranger Things” aired in three parts, starting on November 26. The subsequent two parts were released on December 25 and December 31.
Set in the 1980s, “Stranger Things” follows a group of kids in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana. When Will, played by Noah Schnapp, mysteriously disappears, his friends, in the quest to discover his whereabouts, uncover secret government experiments and a parallel, dangerous world known as the Upside Down. Throughout the series, the group is aided by Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), a young girl with telekinetic powers, who ends up playing a central role in uncovering the various secrets of the Upside Down.
After a long run, this final season highlights the core group as they come together to find and defeat Vecna following the Upside Down’s rifts, which continue to terrorize and threaten the security of their world.
Yet, in the days leading up to the finale, many fans expressed mixed thoughts about the production and narrative of the new season. “I liked how it included the two sides to the ending and showed a perspective where Eleven was alive, and another where she was dead. It provided another perspective and, if you didn’t like one ending, you could choose to believe the other one.” Mady Benjamin ‘27, said.
However, some viewers have picked out significant gaps and flaws with certain scenes, discussing how several topics from earlier seasons failed to appear in this one. “The final fight scene was subpar, and it failed to add further depth to the actual episode and storyline.” Liam Johnson ‘27, said.
Originally streaming in mid-2016, the mega-hit sci-fi series has become a beloved cultural phenomenon among viewers for its blend of 1980s nostalgia and suspenseful storytelling. Created by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, and featuring just one well-known actress, Winona Ryder, “Stranger Things” became Netflix’s first homegrown mega-franchise.
While opinions on the conclusion vary, “Stranger Things” has cemented itself in television history as one of the most influential works of this century.
