Stranger Things Season 5 Finale

Hawkins, 6 November 1983.

That's when and where it all began for the fictional characters. For those of us sitting in front of our TVs, it was the summer of 2016, and that means we've been keeping up with them for almost ten years. But now, after 42 episodes, it's over. It therefore felt more sad than in a long time to sit down in front of the screen tonight for the very last episode entitled "The Rightside Up".

After seven episodes, divided into two volumes released a month apart, the wait was thankfully not as long this time for the eighth and final one. The Duffer brothers have had all season to set the pieces in place for the final battle. Because that's where we are now - no threads to be left loose, no cliff-hangers (or...?) for a new season to be set up as a final scene. Now it's the gang against the monster Vecna, and so the beginning of episode eight starts shortly after most of them have gone through the portal to The Upside Down. As you know, they had a tower to climb up and there try to prevent the fact that Vecna will make another world crash land with theirs. I'm not going to reveal more than that, and this is where this final, two-hour episode becomes incredibly difficult to review. But I will of course do everything in my power.

Season 5 has been shaky at times. I have enjoyed much of it - but had my complaints. Perhaps the main one is that much of the mystery and creepiness of the show's earlier seasons has now been transformed into something else entirely. Of course, you could see it as a natural progression - as the kids grow, so does everything around them. To me, it feels a bit more like it's become clear that Netflix has given the Duffer brothers the opportunity to create and show what they want. So, there's none of that creepy and edgy stuff anymore. Everything is as spectacular as it can possibly be. This does not mean, however, that it is not entertaining. Because it is, still. The finale is of course no exception to what the rest of the season has been in terms of ambition and size. It often feels like you're watching a feature film, and that's where these two hours really work best. Because the finale is given enough time. In really every way you could wish for. Where I thought that large moments of volume 2 stood and trampled, the content of the final episode feels incredibly well balanced. There are some unnecessary flashbacks to remind us of what has been. What everyone has been through. There are also a lot of prepared speeches and without really revealing anything, I also wish that the stakes and consequences had been a little higher in the end.

But during its generous running time, it manages to give us a spectacular ending that sometimes feels astonishing. But it's actually what happens after the gunpowder smoke has cleared that is most moving. When Stranger Things finds its soul again. When it's more about friendship and the coming-of-age story that has always been glimpsed under the supernatural is allowed to shine. Because the most important thing for me wasn't really that I thought what was happening was cool and grand. The most important thing was that I felt emotionally satisfied. That loose ends would be tied up and that once I left Eleven, Will, Dustin, Lucas, Mike, Max, Joyce, Jim and the rest of the characters, I left them without feeling the least bit frustrated.

The final episode manages to do this. Mainly because we get an epilogue that doesn't feel the least bit rushed. You take your time to really wrap everything up when the battle is over. It also feels natural in terms of what happens - and even though the cards are played a little too safe and it's basically pretty predictable, I still felt satisfied. There are definitely things to moan about, though. If I thought Eleven was sidelined in the second half of the season, thankfully they do a good job of giving her role more space here. However, it still feels like the cast of characters has grown a little too large. Dr Kay (Linda Hamilton), who appeared at regular intervals during the season, feels completely neglected as a whole. Apart from some action and weight in some earlier episodes, she has now become a character who stays in front of the camera and looks grim. There are also some other question marks about some other things and some others that are perhaps on the whole trifles but which nevertheless highlight the problem that an ever-increasing number of roles has nevertheless brought.

In retrospect, I think perhaps the final battle against Vecna would have been more natural already last season. That it had been made a little longer and tied up there. Because perhaps the biggest problem with the fifth season is the fact that we've seen so much of it before and that, to be a little critical, it was mostly seven episodes that were about preparing for the final battle. At the same time, it's hard not to like much of what we've seen. And yes, the last episode is the best of the season. Despite having by far the longest running time of all eight, it still manages to engage and also have a well-balanced pace.

Ending a TV series must be one of the hardest things there is and not everyone will be satisfied. But for me, it felt like a nice farewell to something that had been very entertaining for five seasons. Was it all I hoped for now that the credits have rolled? No, maybe not. But the finale, as an individual episode, feels strong, very entertaining and above all, it ends in a finely tuned and incredibly well-written way. Even if the story of these characters ends, we will have reasons to come back to the world that has been created. Maybe a future spin-off can find a little more of the mystery that once existed? We shall see. Until then, thanks for everything, Stranger Things. It has, as a whole, been fantastic.