Stranger Things Finale

The Finale

Like a lot of other nerds, I watched the series finale of Stranger Things on New Year’s Eve. I didn’t go to any public screenings; I watched it on a personalized screening using a borrowed Quest 3. I enjoyed most of it, unlike the majority of people commenting online. This final season wasn’t the best, but the lengthy epilogue was strong enough to make up for it. The prevailing thought for me was that it stuck the landing.

I didn’t mind the climactic foray into Dimension X. Its canyons and Golden Hour were a good contrast to the perpertual decay and gloom of the Upside Down. I learned about and saw Dimension X in the Stranger Things VR game; I played it before the release of Season 5’s Volume 2. I liked the wide-angle shots showing the massive scale of the kaiju Mind Flayer. The final battle between Henry aka Vecna aka One aka Mr Whatsit served its purpose.

It wasn’t epic in the classic sense, but it did lead to a definitive end to the Big Bad of the series. Joyce landing the fatal blows using the same axe that she wielded in Season 1 was fitting. The later sacrifice of Jane aka Elle aka Eleven was unsurprising. Mike’s revelation that it might’ve been a ruse to escape and hide was somehow both a copout rehash and a bold move.

Elle being alive, yet dead to the world at large, would mirror the end of Season 1. Her being dead would realize the common prediction of viewers before the finale. Her fate being ambiguous is so timid, as a creative decision, that it’s actually the opposite. Like the entire Five Alive crew (Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, Max), I believe. I also believe that a post-1980s spin-off featuring Elle is more likely to happen than not.

The time-skip to 1989 was effective. It moved the party to the true end of their childhoods. It also let their actors dress and groom like sensible people, for a change. Seeing them more like the young adults whom they became in real-life was emotional. The only part that I didn’t like was Dustin being an ass at the graduation ceremony. I later learned that his antics had been Eddie’s vow, but Dustin’s homage could’ve been more mature.

Everyone got hopeful outcomes, not quite happy ones. As in real-life, there was an element of uncertainty. (Will Jonathan, Nancy, Robin, and Steve actually meet every month in Philly?). The final scene that ended the series as it started, with a D&D game in Mike’s basement, was amazing. The thematic allusions to the party members was well done. The final credits sequence was great; the art and Bowie’s “Heroes” playing were perfect.

The Season

Likes

Despite the finale, Season 5 was a mixed bag. I liked the focus on Holly, whose pigtails I recognized. I never forgot that she was Mike and Nancy’s sister, though played by much young twins in the early seasons. I also liked the heel-to-hero turn of Derek, an all-new character. This season needed kids to be at the forefront because that’s the essence of the show. If nothing else, their coming-together set up the final scene.

I liked the re-introduction of Kali aka Eight aka The Lost Sister. I had the same reaction as everyone else to that Season 2 episode featuing her. I appreciated that the Brothers Duffer doubled-down on their alleged ‘soft pilot.’ They made her power essential to the outcome and her motivation for it believable. The best scene either Dustin and Steve’s makeup and Nancy and Johnathan’s breakup. Both were memorable.

Dislikes

Throughout this season, the military personnel were cartoonish. One viewer commented somewhere that they were like a 12-year-old’s conception of villains. I was expecting Linda Hamilton’s character to become a female counterpart to Hopper. My hope of her allying with the party faded as the season progressed. She was another, more unhinged Dr Brenner from start to finish.

Her fate and the fate of the government’s operations weren’t addressed. A news report of the Cold War nearing its end would’ve been better than nothing. Joyce and Hopper’s connection to Vecna as former schoolmates wasn’t mentioned either. Spinoffs might explain these noteworthy points, but my experience ended with this show. Despite some people’s speculation, there’s been no extra episode released today.

The Series

I didn’t start watching this show until a few months before the airing of Season 3. I watched the first episode on a whim and then binge-watched the rest of the episodes that were available. That spring in 2019 was stressful for me, but Stranger Things was my digital comforter. That summer was a period of relief, and having eight new episodes to watch was a much-welcomed treat.

The next spring was even more stressful, in part because of the pandemic. Once again, this series was my go-to de-stressor. In hindsight, the buildup to Season 3 was the peak of the show’s popularity. The pandemic delaying production of Season 4 no doubt grounded its momentum. Another three-year gap, including a writers’ strike, grounded things further. Its cast somewhat aged-out over its 10-year existence, but to me, that worked in its favor.

Stranger Things, as evident in the hype for its finale, belongs with the likes of MASH. I doubt that another show will be as popular in my lifetime. Streaming has minimized traditional schedules. The irony is that services use more traditional schedules for the most popular shows. The staggered release of Season 5 has worked, but it’s time to cancel my Netflix subscription … until I need to rewatch the series.