Review: STRANGER THINGS 5 Is an Emotional, Crowd-Pleasing Goodbye That Sticks The Landing
After nine years and five seasons, Stranger Things has officially come to an end, and walking out of the season five finale, I felt genuinely good about where it landed.
The season itself wasn’t always smooth. It had peaks, dips, and moments that felt more stretched out than they needed to be. But when it came time to close the book, the final episode pulled things together in a way that felt heartfelt, satisfying, and earned.
Watching the finale in a packed theater filled with fans absolutely changed the game for me. Experiencing it with fans laughing at the jokes, reacting to the scares, and quietly sniffle during the emotional beats made everything feel bigger and more alive.
This series has always thrived on shared emotion, and seeing it play out in a communal setting reminded me how powerful the theatrical experience can be. It turned the finale into a celebration instead of just another episode drop, and I enjoyed every second of it.
As a whole, Stranger Things remains an awesome series. I’ve enjoyed every season, grown attached to the characters, and appreciated how their journeys evolved over time. Season 5 does stumble a bit along the way.
There’s more exposition than necessary, and some dialogue scenes between characters linger longer than they should. A tighter edit could’ve helped the pacing in spots. Still, those issues don’t derail the story, and by the time the finale hits its stride, they fade into the background.
The final episode goes big in all the ways you’d expect. The Upside Down chaos, Vecna’s endgame, and the team split across multiple fronts give the story a constant sense of urgency.
Not every plot turn is airtight, and a few reveals lean more toward spectacle than logic, but the ambition is hard not to admire. The show swings for the fences, and even when it doesn’t connect perfectly, the effort is clear.
What really works is the emotional payoff. The finale gives the characters space to confront what they’ve been through and who they’ve become. Some conversations repeat familiar ground, but many of them land because of the history we share with these characters. I cared about how things ended for them, and that’s the most important thing a finale can do.
The villain arc gets a little messy, especially with the shift back toward a massive cosmic threat after spending so much time grounding the danger with Vecna himself. I would’ve preferred a cleaner, more focused approach there. Even so, the final confrontation delivers enough tension, action, and character-driven moments to keep it engaging.
Where the finale truly shines is in its ending stretch. The epilogue isn’t subtle, but it’s warm, sincere, and clearly made with fans in mind. Seeing these characters finally get moments of peace after years of trauma felt right. It left me with a smile and a sense of closure, which isn’t easy to pull off for a show this massive.
Is the finale perfect? No. It runs long, over-explains at times, it plays it super safe, there were not real stakes, and could’ve benefited from a bit more restraint. But, it honors the journey, respects the characters, and closes out the series on an emotional high note.
I went in hopeful but cautious, and I came out happy. Stranger Things said goodbye in a way that feels true to what the show has always been at its core. Messy, heartfelt, fun, and full of emotion. For a series this big, that’s a win in my book.