This will include spoilers
The Final episode of Stranger Things aired on December 31st, 2025. Marking the end of an incredibly successful and lucrative series. However, after years of buildup, the finale left a lot of people wanting more.
The poor writing, weak acting, and rushed pacing made this season lackluster and broke the hold that this series had on the general public. The show lacked the previous depth, anticipation, and creativity it once had.
One of the biggest issues this show had was its bloated cast and inability to “kill” off or risk any major characters. To the point where it is actually laughable how the demogorgans, one of the major antagonists of the series, treat the main characters in comparison to random military members or other very minor characters. We know there is no genuine risk for any characters, so it gives us no anxiety or interest. Additionally, having so many characters doesn’t allow for enough story arcs to be properly portrayed. Even Will, after being given powers, had the potential to become a major figure in this series; however, he was ignored and tossed aside for the remainder of the season.
Perhaps this inability to kill off or lose any of the cast has to do with the Duffer brothers’ fear of pushback by the fandom. For instance, if they killed a fan favorite, they would have to deal with large criticism from the public.
Throughout season 5, it genuinely feels like nothing happens. There are ten hours of television in that final season, and yet there is nothing actively going on. I cannot remember any events other than Vecna’s eventual demise, the wormhole theory, and the graduation scene.
Each episode can be summarised by the fact that they try to do something to draw Vecna out of his hiding spot, Dustin is brooding and makes some revelation, and then explains a plan to everyone.
The series lacks any creativity, and they have written themselves into a paradox of plans and repetitive dialogue.
Another issue that has arisen, starting in season 4, is that the era of the eighties seems to have been forgotten, and they look too “costumey” to reasonably be in that time period. I caught myself assuming they were in the present while watching the latest season.
All of the issues with the poor writing, world-building, and acting culminated into an internet fad called “Conformity Gate.” Where fans could not believe how the series ended, and began promoting an idea of a ninth episode to solve the plot holes.
This was undeniably interesting, and the evidence was compelling. However, I was just constantly thinking, “The Duffer Brothers are not smart enough to pull this off.”
The fan endings I saw were way better thought out than the actual season finale. When the date came for the release of the secret ninth episode, there was no new episode. It just exposed how lazy the writing was for this show, and how the Duffer Brothers had no intention to explain the many plot holes that existed.
I feel that the reason Stranger Things saw such a dip in creativity and production is due to the mass attention it initially got. This show was not predicted to be as big a success as it was. This led to enormous expectations to meet and constant criticism. This also gave a sense of security, knowing that there would always be viewers, and the Duffers didn’t have to push themselves or the show as much in order to captivate audiences. The Duffers also had to deal with the reality that not everyone would be happy with their work, and instead of taking a risk, went for the safest and most predictable ending. One that left the audience wanting more, an ending that sure tied everything up, but was not reflective of the story arcs and journey of our main characters.