Stranger Things Review: The Finale
Image from Netflix.
Well, I’m not going to lie, I was waiting to see if there would be a surprise ninth episode coming out on the 7th, just like everyone online theorized. Unfortunately, we are stuck with the ending we were originally given, plot holes and all. I thought that a separate post was deserved for the episode that ended it all, even if it was underwhelming.
The finale was both exciting and disappointing. The Duffer Brothers said that nobody guessed the ending of Stranger Things, but I seriously think that it is purely because the ending was way too simple for the audience to think of because of how the writers have conditioned us over the years to expect major reveals and grand season finales. I was glad that the season ended with a high note, killing Vecna and saving the world, but it was more about how everything went down.
For the rest of the article, I will be displaying some of my thoughts on the finale as I rewatched it. The point of this will be pointing out some key flaws within the finale, and some thoughts that I had throughout the episode.
Spoilers start here:
Again, the group made their way through the Upside Down with almost no effort or caution, but ended up completely fine without the monsters protecting Vecna. I loved the plan for how to get into the Abyss, and it was refreshing to see that they had some sort of complication with the plan, even if it was as simple as the tower not going directly into the gates of the Abyss.
I feel like the creators need to talk more about how Eleven gained the power to infiltrate someone’s mind, like Max. She does it in Season Two with her mom, but besides that, the power has been exclusive to Vecna. They talk about how she is more powerful, but they don’t say how she has trained for this besides blowing up pumpkins.
I don’t understand why the creators felt it was necessary to almost kill Steve. They know he’s everyone’s favorite character, so the jump scare of almost losing him felt like a cheap shot at the audience.
The plan to show the kids that Henry is bad is genius, and it exemplifies the imagination of the writers. I liked the drama when Henry disappears in front of Kali, and it shows that Henry isn’t completely powerless yet.
I’m glad that Johnathan and Steve finally get over their beef, but while we’re focusing on their moment, the writers distract from how quickly they find Vecna’s lair in the Abyss. You’re telling me that out of the entire planet, the rift they happen to go in is like a mile away for them to find easily?
Derek actually makes me mad with how slow he’s being in their attempted escape from Henry. He’s basically giving the group up to Henry because of how slow he’s going, causing everyone else to fall behind and help him.
Vecna’s first interaction with Hopper is really good, using his past memories to scare him, while also revealing Kali’s plan to him. Vecna planned very well, showing Hopper that he “shot” Eleven. I will say though, why didn't Vecna recognize Hopper? They went to high school together, so the lack of recognition is confusing.
I really want to know what happened when Dr. Kay found Max and Vickie, because it didn’t flash back to their perspective until the end when everyone is in Hawkins.
I loved that Hopper tried to inspire Eleven to keep living, and it felt satisfying to see Kali realize that her life doesn’t have to be as awful as she thought.
I’m wondering why the Mind Flayer doesn’t want Henry to see what happened to him? Obviously it’s traumatic, but he’s rendered useless as soon as he steps into the cave, so I really want to know what was going on internally. Also, if he can use his powers in his mind, why doesn’t he use them on the kids when they’re running away into the desert?
Murray really came in clutch with that bomb at the helicopter, but I’m still confused what the kryptonite machine was, and how it caused Kali and Eleven's powers to deactivate?
What are all of these awful camera angles of Henry? They’re making his eyes look huge and more like a beast than a person, which doesn’t make sense because he’s no different than he was a couple of minutes ago when the kids were moving the planet.
How does everybody know where this tree is? Eleven said if she jumps the boulders she’ll be right by the tree, but how does she know that if she hasn’t been to the Abyss before?
How did this rock get found? Yes, it’s a foreign planet, possibly alien matter, but how did it end up on Earth? Why was Henry in the tunnel, and how did he find this random tunnel with a guy dying in it?
I wish that Henry would’ve fought against the Mind Flayer; it would’ve been a good redemption arc for him, and even better for Will as he would be the one credited with saving him.
I really don’t like the real version of the Mind Flayer. It’s so big that I can’t even fathom how massive it would be. Also lucky timing that Eleven got there right when they were all about to be eaten. (Lots of plot armor).
They got to Vecna way too easily. I feel like the ginormous alien would’ve been a little harder to defeat, but I guess Vecna is the one to kill?
The plan of getting the Mind Flayer to the canyon was great, but how’d the team climb up the canyon so fast? Scaling a rock wall doesn’t seem like something you do in five minutes…
Why was this battle so short? Vecna literally got killed within five minutes of the team being in the Abyss. Although it was short, the battle scene was packed full of great content, everybody fighting and Will’s tiny speech about not being afraid anymore.
How do the Mind Flayer particles just come out of Holly and the other kids? Will had to have them burned out of him. This is really bad planning, even if they just wanted Holly and the others to be safe.
I’m glad that Joyce finally got her revenge on Vecna for taking her son; it was well deserved that she got to administer the final blows.
I love the flashback scene that they give for each character, and I think that it shows how each character has grown up a lot since this all started. The finality of the moment hits hard, especially with Joyce saying “family” instead of “families”; it shows how their trauma has bonded them all together and how they will forever be one family.
Dustin says the party took a beating, yet none of them have a scratch on them…ironic.
How did Eleven go to Mike in her mind if the kryptonite was still active?
I didn’t realize that Eleven and Mike were still dating, and then they kissed goodbye? So confusing, since all of Season 3 and Season 4 they didn’t seem to like each other or get romantically involved.
I’m so happy Max and Lucas get a good ending, but how is Max graduating on time? She was in a coma for two years. This is another plot hole that the Duffer Brothers have overlooked purely to end the show on a good note, but this was a main issue on social media after the finale was first released.
I love that the show comes full circle, ending in the basement playing Dungeons and Dragons, and that Mike finally gets to tell the story of what happens to his friends, and the hopeful ending for Eleven.
I was a little sad to see Kali die, but at the same time it felt well deserved because she was being so shady, and I definitely thought she was going to betray the group. This is kind of a hole in Mike’s theory about Eleven escaping because we see that Kali dies before Hopper and Eleven leave the lab, so she couldn't have helped Eleven escape.
I love that the show ends with Holly’s friends learning how to play D&D, because it shows the hope of future generations carrying on.
The end credits are amazing, I feel like it really encapsulates the entire show, so that’s nice.
Overall, Stranger Things has left much to be desired with this finale, not giving the show the ending it deserved. While many fans clamor for any semblance of explanation of the abrupt ending, I choose to believe the Duffer Brothers got tired of writing the almost ten-year-long show. The ending was disappointing to the fans who were very invested in the show, but all of the characters got a good ending: Will finally finding himself, Lucas and Max finally getting a happy ending, and everyone else living happily ever after. Again, this is very nice, but it doesn’t solve any of the problems that weren’t addressed in the entire season.
