After ten years of fandom, nostalgia and thrilling adventures in the Upside Down, the 2016 Netflix series Stranger Things concluded its season finale in its three-part fifth series that left viewers with mixed feelings of disappointment, satisfaction and outrage. With a reported budget of 400 to 480 billion dollars, season five was anticipated to be the most high-end production yet, composed of extensive visual effects, massive sets, movie-length episodes and an iconic music selection. However, despite its blockbuster reputation, many fans were underwhelmed by the long-awaited ending, identifying significant plot holes that led to a lack of closure and lingering questions.
Most notably, the military’s sudden departure from Hawkins after protagonist Eleven’s alleged death felt absurd and unrealistic, especially since there were no consequences for the protagonists who had repeatedly sabotaged government operations. Additionally, many complained that Dr. Kay’s storyline failed to have a proper resolution, leaving her experimentation on pregnant women unexplained. Equally as confusing was Hopper’s reunion with Max and Mr. Clark, which the show overlooked despite both characters having believed he was dead. Viewers were also surprised by the absence of previously-included demodogs and demobats, relatives of the notorious demogorgons; they would have added greater intensity and stakes in the final battle. Lastly, although the ‘Hive Mind’ between evil species and phenomena in the series, extends to all connected victims as well, notably Will, the damage inflicted on Venca and the Mind Flayer had no effect on Will. This undermines a major aspect of the show’s premise.
However, the Duffer Brothers’ response to the backlash was perhaps an even greater disappointment to fans. In recent interviews, the Brothers have failed to provide clarity for fans; rather, they have added to the confusion, stating that many plot holes have been left up to interpretation and using phrases such as “I suppose”, “My guess is”, and “I don’t know” when asked about the unresolved storylines.
Rather than accepting the show’s controversial ending, the fandom created a theory called ‘Conformity Gate’ that circulated around social media and caused immense speculation about the show’s true ending. Supported by subtle visual symbolism in the final season, the theory claimed that the seemingly happy-ending is a mere illusion created by Vecna in which the characters have been trapped in a false reality and still remain in danger. In order to predict the show’s ultimate resolution, fans anticipated the release of a final ninth episode on January 7, 2026, alluding to when Will rolled a number 7 in Dungeons & Dragons at the beginning of season one, which failed to defeat the Demogorgon. However, this extensive speculation has been disproven, tremendously disappointing to fans who hoped for a more satisfying conclusion.
Ultimately, while Stranger Things has delivered a thrilling, emotional series over the past decade, many argue its finale left too many ambiguous questions to fully uphold its iconic reputation.
