Stranger Things - The Final Season thoughts

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

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 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

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

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

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

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, 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.

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

"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.

"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

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

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