Open this photo in gallery:
The two-hour, two-part Stranger Things finale reveals the fate of El (Millie Bobby Brown).Netflix/Supplied
It may not have been the bloodbath some were hoping for, but in the end, Stranger Things said goodbye after five seasons and nine years with an all-encompassing episode that stayed true to the series.
The two-hour finale streamed on Netflix on New Year’s Eve in two distinct parts. In the first, the crew bands together to take down Vecna and the Mind Flayer with an all-hands-on-deck plan. El (Millie Bobby Brown), Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) and Max (Sadie Sink) invade the warped mind of Henry (Jamie Campbell Bower) to save the kidnapped children. Holly (Nell Fisher) uncovers the cave secret that Henry is so terrified of, and fans finally learn the truth about Vecna’s origins and his partnership with the Mind Flayer. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang returns to the Upside Down to climb the radio tower and engage in a physical fight.
Will (Noah Schnapp) uses his powers one final time, Hopper (David Harbour) has his own encounter with Vecna’s mind tricks, Kali proves herself, and Joyce (Winona Ryder) (spoiler alert!) gets to chop Vecna’s head off in a cathartic moment that left fans everywhere cheering. This guy messed with the wrong family, and she doesn’t hold back her rage.
The biggest moment, of course, comes when the military steps in and El sacrifices herself to ensure the Upside Down, a.k.a. the wormhole linking Earth and the Abyss, blows up. El was never meant to survive this world or have a happy ending, given the military’s interest in creating others like her, so she makes the same heroic sacrifice that Bob (Sean Astin), Eddie (Joseph Quinn) and Billy (Dacre Montgomery) made.
Does El actually die, though, or is her death an illusion created by Kali to stop Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) once and for all?
In the second part of the finale, fans are treated to an extended, if not borderline saccharine, catchup of the characters 18 months later. Graduations, jobs, new relationships and friendship pacts follow, giving every character one final sendoff.
Will the Stranger Things finale deliver – or be the ultimate let down?
The biggest farewell goes down where it all started, in Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) basement with a game of Dungeons & Dragons. As Mike foreshadows his friends’ futures, he also dedicates a clause to the Mage, a.k.a. El. In his theory, El is alive and seeking out waterfalls, searching for the peaceful life she’s always wanted. Then, as the campaign wraps, Holly and her friends take over the game, signalling the beginning of a new generation of players as Mike watches on from the top of the stairs.
The ending has angered some bloodthirsty viewers who were hoping the show would finally off a main character. To do so, however, would have gone against what this coming-of-age show has always been about.
In modern television, series such as Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead have desensitized viewers to the death of main characters. The new norm is that not everyone survives a series to the end, and it can feel like a cheat if each character has a happy ending. Go back a few decades, however, and killing off a main character was something a writer just didn’t do.
Open this photo in gallery:
The ending has angered some viewers hoping the show would kill a main character.Netflix/Supplied
Would The Goonies have been such a classic if Mikey (Sean Astin) died? Could the scientists have killed E.T. without serious repercussions? How many children would still be traumatized by The NeverEnding Story if Artax had actually died in the Swamp of Sadness?
There are plenty of challenges to ending a beloved series. Once a show develops a rabid fanbase and viewers begin theorizing and dissecting every scene, it’s tough for a creator to deliver a finale that satiates but stays true to the series. In the end, the Duffer Brothers managed to execute their vision without pandering to their fans, and that’s something to celebrate.
Relive the 10 best TV moments of 2025
On the other hand, Stranger Things can teach us all something about fandoms and the impossible expectations viewers tend to have. Somewhere along this journey, theories became part of the excitement, the extra buzz had people on the edge of their seats, and small Easter eggs (like Will not needing a jacket) were blown out of proportion on social media. Because of that, fans were expecting monumental twists and mind-blowing moments in the finale.
Instead, what they got was a sweet, happy ending – a retro ending, if you will. Sure, it doesn’t necessarily leave a lasting impression like some of the other twisty episodes, but it is still a full-circle and carefully curated farewell that proves that sometimes good really does overcome evil. Especially when kids are involved.
