Stranger Things - The Final Season thoughts

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/28/25 at 1:36am

Is anyone watching?

So many questions to be answered in the final episode and the Duffer Brothers have said they will all be answered.

Thoughts?

Updated On: 12/29/25 at 01:36 AM

[James885]

Posted: 12/29/25 at 10:33am

Haven't watched it, but reaction seems mixed thus far. One critic I follow on TikTok said it was worse than season 4 which gives me pause, since I didn't really care for a lot of season 4. I'll watch it eventually but I'm not in a hurry.

Similar to Wednesday, it seems like the long gap between seasons might have worked against the show. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/29/25 at 3:43pm

I never depend on critics' thoughts, especially on social media. (I don't do Tik-Tok, Facebook (anymore) or Instagram.)  I do read reviews and do watch the videos on YouTube with all of the speculations, for fun. I have watched it since the beginning and feel each season has had a good payoff. I found Season 4 to be one of its strongest. It answered a few big questions. Most notably who Vecna is. But to each his own.

The gap in between the 4th and 5th season was not their fault. There was the strike. They had no choice. The Duffer Brothers addressed it in an interview and suggested 4 specific episodes to watch to catch up and jog your memory. Also, the gap must not have hurt much. Netflix went down briefly when they dropped the first four episodes last month (They increased bandwidth by 30% and it still went down) and looking at the theater screenings on Wednesday and Thursday for the finale where I live, it is selling quite well. a few sold out. 

There is a lot going on in this season and a lot of questions are being answered. A new "twist" as to why the Upside Down really is has been introduced and the Duffer's said all remaining questions will be answered.

I am interested in hearing from people who have watched it to discuss it without having to use spoiler boxes.

We know one or some characters will probably die. Two things off the top of my head...Did the engagement ring get picked up and if so, who has it? Also, is Kali telling the truth. For some reason, I don't trust her. 

I am hoping that after the finale is dropped, the Duffer Brothers tell us what changes were made based on the feedback they got after Season 4. They said the feedback caused re-writes and affected the ending of the series. JMO

 

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 12/30/25 at 9:07am

"We know one or some characters will probably die. Two things off the top of my head...Did the engagement ring get picked up and if so, who has it? Also, is Kali telling the truth. For some reason, I don't trust her. "

The Duffer Brothers have already said it will not be a "bloodbath" so not expecting many characters to die. I think they will throw us a curve and not kill off somebody everyone expects like "11" or "Steve". My hunch is it will be somebody like Joyce in effort to save her son Will. I don't think Kali is telling the truth either. I did not see the ring get picked up and if it did would expect Nancy to have it.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/30/25 at 12:35pm

Zeppie2022 said: ""We know oneor some characters will probably die. Two things off the top of my head...Did the engagement ring get picked up and if so, who has it? Also, is Kali telling the truth. For some reason, I don't trust her. "

The Duffer Brothers have already said it will not be a "bloodbath" so not expecting many characters to die. I think they will throw us a curve and not kill off somebody everyone expects like "11" or "Steve". My hunch is it will be somebody like Joyce in effort to save her son Will. I don't think Kali is telling the truth either. I did not see the ring get picked up and if it did would expect Nancy to have it."

I could see Joyce dying. I think It could be one of the main 4 but maybe not. I don't know a lot about D&D but I feel the game will play into it. With that said maybe Holly will die since her piece fell off of her neck. On the flip side, she may not need it now. Also the final scene shot was with Nell Fisher (Holly). But I guess that could be anything. Also thinking that Holly possibly and Derek will help from the inside. They are no longer "weak" so it could complicate things for Vecna.

I had a few thoughts on the ring. They both survive, she has it and says yes OR she has it, he does and she wears it. That could go a few ways. Also, the Steve Dustin thing could go a few ways. I also wonder if Lt. Akers is going to turn on Dr. Kay. He seemed pissed when she snapped at him.

I am hoping they throw us a big curve again. So many possibilities. But they said they are going to tie up the story. Also, the spin-off is said not to have anything to do with this story or Hawkins. I seem to remember Finn Woolfhard saying on Fallon that he was involved in it. (I think it was Finn)

Just spending the morning reading articles over coffee about the show. Came across an article talking about the false report on Tik-Tok that 5 characters are going to die according to the Duffer Brothers. They supposedly never said this.

 

Updated On: 12/30/25 at 12:35 PM

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 1/1/26 at 9:45am

Sad to admit, I was a bit disappointed with the finale. Too predictable with Kali and Eleven dying.  Episode could have been cut by almost an hour. Did we really need all that time to see how everyone was doing 18 months later. Actually, my favorite moment was Joyce chopping the head off the monster showing all her anger that built up over time. I would have liked something like Steve and Nancy get together as a couple. In the end, it was not awful but would have like it to have been better and more shocking/surprising.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/1/26 at 6:14pm

But Eleven didn't die. Kali used her powers to cast that image of Eleven so Eleven could escape. Seeing how everyone was doing is part of a D&D game. I was a bit confused with that at first but decided we were still "in the game". Looked it up and that is how some of the games end. I feel that Mike created her, had to let her go as he moved into "adulthood" but couldn't kill her off.

The Duffers made it clear we weren't getting some slam bang ending but that all big questions would be answered. I found it to be a bit refreshing to have an ending that gave us a bit to think about regarding our time as kids. Our wishes, aspirations and reality. 

There are questions out there about what happened to Dr. Kay and the engagement ring. I just figured they were things meant to be left up to the audience's imagination.

 And yes, Joyce decapitating Vecna was a favorite moment of mine also. I think it was also a nod to Ripley's "Get away from her, you b*tch" moment in Aliens. Will was Joyce's Newt. 

I enjoyed it and glad they didn't kill off a lot of characters or go for a big shocking ending. I will most likely watch the final season a second time.  JMO 

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 1/1/26 at 8:06pm

"But Eleven didn't die. Kali used her powers to cast that image of Eleven so Eleven could escape. Seeing how everyone was doing is part of a D&D game. I was a bit confused with that at first but decided we were still "in the game". Looked it up and that is how some of the games end. I feel that Mike created her, had to let her go as he moved into "adulthood" but couldn't kill her off."

Part of my problem that with years of fighting the military, monsters and the upside down, every person still around at the end survived. It is like fighting a war and you have no casualties. That was huge explosion, and logic would be she did not survive it. She also wanted to stay so she could not be used by Dr. Kay, why have her possibly alive and run a risk of being used again by somebody in the future. Totally understand why Mike would want to believe she is still alive and the ambiguous ending is great fodder for fans to discuss.

"The Duffers made it clear we weren't getting some slam bang ending but that all big questions would be answered. I found it to be a bit refreshing to have an ending that gave us a bit to think about regarding our time as kids. Our wishes, aspirations and reality. "

Yes, they said it would not be a "bloodbath" and that was a good decision. I still think Vecna killing one of the group would have been totally plausible and not bad idea. Big scary monster does no damage to anyone, really. I understand showing what happens 18 months later, but it could have been shortened IMO. Personally, I thought the graduation ceremony bit was kind of lame.

"I will most likely watch the final season a second time.  JMO "

I agree, think a 2nd watch would be good maybe in a few weeks after the dust has settled.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/2/26 at 12:12am

I feel that those final moments with Mike putting his book on the shelf and the younger kids coming down to play D&D said that he hopes they find the books and possibly make sure that 11 stays safe. JMO

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/2/26 at 12:27am

There are a number of clues and inconsistencies in Eleven's sacrifice scene hinting at it being a deception after all. But I think it works pretty well either way.

And in a series full of homages to Stephen King, having our narrator end the story not knowing for sure if his soul mate survived and escaped, but choosing to believe they did gives us a final hat tip to Shawshank Redemption (where, similarly, we finally learn that it WAS a happy ending after all).

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/2/26 at 3:05pm

Also thinking back and also reading a ton of stuff that came out after the finale, I guess it is kind of up in the air because they all say they believe that 11 got away. Just read an interview with the Duffers where they said they wanted to kind of leave it up to the viewers.

Also, yeah they could have killed off a main character but that would have probably changed the ending. They said way back that they already knew what the last scene would be. They also said they changed the ending after season 4 due to feedback mostly from fans.

I love that they gave us a lot to discuss.

Updated On: 1/2/26 at 03:05 PM

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 1/3/26 at 12:05am

I agree with article below written before finale, see link.

'Stranger Things': Do Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers Die? Do Nancy and Jonathan Break Up In Season 5?

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 1/3/26 at 11:15am

I loved the whole final season from start to finish.

I have some minor complaints, sure, but overall I am very satisfied.

With all the special effects, high production values etc. the most special scenes for me were the "best friends" scenes between Will and Mike, and Dustin and Steve. Also Will's coming out speech. I love that they tied his relatable torment about his orientation into his vulnerability which attracted Henry to him in the first place. I wonder if that was always the plan, or if they were emboldened to do it because they happened to cast a gay kid in the role.

I'm unclear if Eleven did or did not die. Mike's theory is nice, but the fact it was supported by flashbacks he could never have possibly seen kinda suggests that El did indeed fake her death. I guess I like that we the viewers are also invited to "believe" or not.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/3/26 at 1:06pm

I have actually read so much stuff on the show that it is beginning to blurry together! lol  But I think Will was gay from the beginning. Earlier in the series there was mention of him not liking girls. Noah came out kind of midway through the series. I remember the Duffers saying somewhere that they had always planned to address it but just didn't know how or when they were going to do it until they settled on when it happened.

I definitely had thoughts on who they would kill off. Steve was just too "obvious" and I knew he wasn't going anywhere. As far as Nancy and Jonathan, I think that room "reflected" their relationship. Had he proposed and she accepted, I think they would have died in that room. 

Also, I realized Max was at the table and playing at the end. So did we must have come out of the game when her character was introduced. 

I had my short list of who I thought might die in the final season. But in the end, even though some characters made it out of situations that I thought they wouldn't (Jonathan and Nancy especially), I realized what they were going for. So it is interesting that so many people are out there upset that certain people didn't die. I feel they are looking at/still in "the game" but this was about kids playing a game, and thinking about it more, a lot of the game represents what they were going through, or felt like they were going through, as kids and realizing near and at the end of the game they are going into the real world. I think many of us have had a core group of friends like this. I did. I have not seen all but one after graduation. That one is now my nieces husband. But I remember having a moment like Mike when he puts his book away. A This is it moment and what's to come? So much of what happened in our youth was the MOST important thing in the world. And then we hit the adult world.

So with that said..(Sorry, but thoughts have been flowing in my head since watching the finale)...I can see where some characters could have died "in the game". Not everyone some of us knew in their youth went on to be successful or even just make it through. I have thought that maybe Billy was that person who didn't. Now seeing that Max was real, what happened to Billy? Was he made up? Was he real? 

Just my random thoughts!

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 1/3/26 at 1:41pm

uncageg, I'm not sure what you mean. Are you suggesting that the whole five seasons were just a pretend game of D&D all along...? That never even occurred to me. I thought the final scene was just one last reunion on the night of their graduation instead of going to the party. Like, you mean there was never any Vecna or Will never disappeared? Maybe I'm just stupid, but I don't think that was it at all.

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/3/26 at 2:04pm

The “nothing happened, it’s all a game” thing has been pretty well debunked: the implication I got instead is that Mike “the storyteller,” sitting at his typewriter in the epilogue, is working on writing the Stranger Things D&D campaign module we see over the end credits, based on the events in his life.

Also, I’m not sure that final gameplay scene is the night of graduation. I assumed it was the end of summer, a last hurrah.  

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/3/26 at 5:49pm

Or is he writing a novel based on their campaign or creating the Stranger Things manual that we see at the end based on the game they played and all of the players books left on the shelf. Maybe that is what is coming to mind when he pauses at the shelf?

Yeah, It is unclear if that is graduation night. And I would agree it may be a last hurrah. And based on their clothing it had to take place in warm weather. Also the sprinklers were on at the house if I remember correctly. 

I am hoping we get some sort of special with the Duffers and the cast discussing the series and answering all of the questions. Although it seems that some of it they just wanted to be left up to the viewers to decide. And that's fine, but it would be interesting to know why they chose those things for us to decide. But until that happens, if it does, I am enjoying bouncing our thoughts around here!

Updated On: 1/3/26 at 05:49 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/3/26 at 7:19pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "uncageg, I'm not sure what you mean. Are you suggesting that the whole five seasons were just a pretend game of D&D all along...? That never even occurred to me. I thought the final scene was just one last reunion on the night of their graduation instead of going to the party. Like, you mean there was never any Vecna or Will never disappeared? Maybe I'm just stupid, but I don't think that was it at all."

 

Yes. Or at least most of it because along the way, Max joined the group in the real world.

You also bring up a good point that darquegk and I commented on. I think it was Mike that said he had a better idea than going to the party. So that kind of makes things even more confusing if his idea was what we saw of them finishing the game. My take was that we were still in "the game" up to the end of the graduation.  

 

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 1/3/26 at 11:29pm

"So it is interesting that so many people are out there upset that certain people didn't die."

Not upset but it defies logic that with all the dangers of the "upside down", the monsters having many opportunities to kill them for years and the military after them at times, everyone basically survived.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/4/26 at 12:54am

And the Duffers had these kids defy logic, and win. Sometimes you have to think outside of the box. I did 17 years ago and the world opened up to me in ways I had always wished for but didn't expect would at that point in my life.

Updated On: 1/4/26 at 12:54 AM

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 1/4/26 at 9:50am

"And the Duffers had these kids defy logic, and win. Sometimes you have to think outside of the box."

You can have the kids win but still be realistic that it came with a major cost. JMO

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/4/26 at 1:22pm

Zeppie2022 said: ""And the Duffers had these kids defylogic, and win. Sometimes you have to think outside of the box."

You can have the kids win but still be realistic that it came with a major cost. JMO"

That is possible also. And a life lesson.

It could have gone both ways. I did fully expect a main character to die and leading up to the season, they told us there would be a death. I think we just all thought it would be a main character.

 

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 1/4/26 at 8:17pm

Zeppie2022 said: ""And the Duffers had these kids defylogic, and win. Sometimes you have to think outside of the box."

You can have the kids win but still be realistic that it came with a major cost. JMO"

 

Poor Barb got a rawer deal than we even realized :)

There were other victims too, like Eddie, to be fair

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 1/4/26 at 8:20pm

darquek said
"
Also, I’m not sure that final gameplay scene is the night of graduation. I assumed it was the end of summer, a last hurrah."

If not the final D and D game, then what was Mike's "better idea" after the hot girl invited Dustin to her house party?

Uncageg, do Dungeons and Dragons games really last six years? I've never p[layed, I genuinely have no idea. 1983 to 1989 seems a bit of a stretch. Would young children really include tragic losses such as Hopper's daughter, or ship
him with Joyce?

I hadn't considered that it was all fantasy, but actually I kinda want to believe that was the intent. That would be a great ending, in a NeverEnding Story kinda way.

Updated On: 1/4/26 at 08:20 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/4/26 at 9:49pm

Yes, D&D games can last for years. There is a game that reportedly started in 1982 and is still going on with players having changed over the years. That's what makes me think that Mike hopes the kids may find the books on the shelf and possibly "save" Eleven.

Yeah, I am still a bit confused over Mike's better idea. I thought it was finishing the D&D game. Maybe it was both "in" the game and in real life?

As far as it being all fantasy, as mentioned, I am wanting to go back to see if there was something indicating that we were "out of the game" when Max joined the group. She was not part of the original 4 game players.

As far as Hopper, it may have been something the town knew about him and they incorporated it into the game. Just speculation!

I think my only slight disappointment is that the Duffer Brothers said that all questions would be answered but they kind of bailed on that with Eleven. I wonder if they said that just to throw us off. But even with that, I still loved the finale and the idea that they wanted to put forth with it about youth and adulthood.

Just my thoughts and opinions!

Evidently the Duffer Brothers did a few interviews right after the finale aired. I found one they did after those immediate interviews....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoyIdbhGg-E&t=2192s

 

 

Updated On: 1/4/26 at 09:49 PM