Cast: Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, David Harbour, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Linda Hamilton, and Jamie Campbell Bower.

Crew:

Showrunners: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
Written by The Duffer Brothers, Frank Darabont, Shawn Levy
Music Composed by Michael Stein, Kyle Dixon
Cinematography by Tim Ives, Tod Campbell, Lachlan Milne, David Franco, Ricardo Diaz, Caleb Heymann, Brett Jutkiewicz
Edited by Dean Zimmerman, Kevin D. Ross, Nat Fuller, Katheryn Naranjo, Casey Cichocki
Directed by Caitlin Schneiderhan, Paul Dichter, Curtis Gwinn, Kate Trefry, The Duffer Brothers

Genre: Horror, Science fiction, Mystery, Drama
No: of Episodes: 08 Season 5, 42 - Whole Series
Available on NETFLIX OTT platform

Stranger Things has become one of the most successful ever web series in the history of OTT platforms. The series has finally come to an end with series finale releasing on the beginning day of 2026, as New Year Gift. While everyone is discussing about what happened and how it made them feel, we would like to share our outlook on the entire series along with the finale. Let's dive into the discussion further.

Plot:

Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Kali have to run away from Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) and find a way to defeat Mindflayer and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) try to help Eleven to finally defeat and blast away Upside Down. In this final battle, how will these friends come together and what changes will it bring in everyone's lives? Watch the series on the whole for understanding the stakes.

Analysis:

While it is true that it is hard to please everyone but Duffer Brothers seem to have not planned the finale in proper advance and they figured out where to take the characters as they got the material for fifth and final season ready. There are a lot of gaping holes in their vision as it feels like not the perfect kind of set-up and pay-off that the same creators have shown us in previous seasons. Many callbacks and elements that are tend to be seen as easter eggs seem to have taken over their writing style.

The execution wise too, it feels rushed and underwhelming to see the characters randomly growing conscience and finding solutions. Mainly, Vecna's arc and similarities with Will Byers character doesn't pay out with same sentimental value like the makers have anticipated them to. It feels like they needed some sort of a connect with all the main characters to fight against Mindflayer trying to stay away from completely centering it around Eleven and Mike.

Still, the most powerful moments of emotion come from their sacrifice and the kind of aftermath life they have scrape through. None of the elements have similar emotional value that on paper might sound perfect. Mike and Eleven being the biggest crux of the story in the first two seasons, them being sidelined for next seasons and then even in Season 5, not really, giving the similar high as the first seasons, resemble the writers fault than the actors.

Performances wise everyone did deliver their best and they seem to be on their best foot when it comes to emotional beats. David Harbour and Winona Ryder scenes do have a progression but they do not compensate for Mike and Eleven scenes. Even the penchant to use all characters and give them a perfect send-off feels rushed at many places rather than earned. VFX and visuals are again good. Max, Lucas, Dustin, Steve and all other characters have been played well by the actors to keep audiences invested in them while writing is not as powerful as the previous seasons.

Overall, the nostalgia factor that the series touched and balanced in the season 1 and season 2 started dipping big time in season 3 and season 4. Now, the season 5 feels like the writers wanted to try out the shock value factor as well and keep ambiguity alive so that the spin-offs and continuations can be planned in future with major characters. But the problem lies it being too safer an option and pay-check guarantee scheme than a proper finale to one of the most popular and widely lover series.

Bottomline:

Series Finale is almost a movie runtime long but it underwhelms with too many deviations.

Rating: 2.75/5

Disclaimer: The views/opinions expressed in this review are personal views/opinions shared by the writer and organisation does not hold a liability to them. Viewers' discretion is advised before reacting to them.