The Stranger Things Series Finale Is Almost immaculate — ...

What’s Happening

Okay so The Stranger Things series finale was an insanely satisfying adventure for longtime the fandom …

Until one decision completely ruined it. Television Science Fiction Shows The Stranger Things Series Finale Is Almost immaculate — Until One Decision Ruins It By Pauli Poisuo Jan. (yes, really)

1, 2026 12:16 am EST Netflix This article contains major spoilers for “Stranger Things” season 5, episode 8 — “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up.

The Details

” The “Stranger Things” season 5 finale starts out strong. The series’ build-up to the inevitable final encounter with Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) has massive physical and emotional stakes, and a fun twist that brings the best “Stranger Things” monster — the long-sidelined Mind Flayer — back as a serious threat.

There’s a massive endgame fight that unfolds on multiple fronts. There’s death, sacrifice, tender goodbyes, and a thematically appropriate monologue about the state of Hawkins, Indiana, and the people who live there, courtesy of Robin’s (Maya Hawke) apparently final shift at the radio station.

Why This Matters

What more could anyone expect from a series finale? Yeah, that’s exactly the problem. Because if you ask “Stranger Things,” the answer is: 40 more minutes of insanely predictable character endings after the good stuff is over.

The entertainment world moves fast, and this is a prime example.

Key Takeaways

• Once Robin’s big speech is over, we get to spend the entire remaining runtime wrapping up the characters’ stories in the most -cutter of ways.
• And to be frank, the already overlong finale would have been all the better for it.

The Bottom Line

And to be frank, the already overlong finale would have been all the better for it. The Stranger Things finale takes a long time to tie up loose ends, but still misses many Netflix Understandably, the Duffer Brothers bet on the audience being so invested in their characters that no less than 40 minutes suffice to cover their fates.

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