After almost a decade of demogorgons, bike rides and near-apocalyptic chaos, “Stranger Things 5” ended in a way that actually feels worth the wait–and that’s exactly why I loved it.

The final season doesn’t try to be louder or crazier than the ones before it. Instead, it focuses on emotion, character growth and giving the story a conclusion that feels genuine. But what really made this season the best for me was how personal it felt. The characters weren’t just surviving anymore–they’re changed by everything they’ve been through.

Watching the four OG characters, Mike, Will, Lucas and Dustin, face the Upside Down as older, more mature versions of themselves made the stakes feel higher and the moments hit harder. It felt like the show trusted its audience to care about the characters, not just the action of winning and killing Vecna.

But most importantly, I loved how the ending wasn’t perfect or overly happy–it had dimensions. Not everything got fixed and Hawkins didn’t magically return to normal after the big finale fight. This honestly made the ending stronger and more memorable. It shows that growing up means accepting loss and change, which fits perfectly with how the show has evolved since season one. 

According to Backstage, “Premiering in 2016, just a few years into Netflix’s major investment in original content, ‘Stranger Things’ instantly went from a quietly promoted series to a pop culture sensation,” leading to the evolution of the show itself and the characters in it. Going from middle schoolers to high school graduates shows the growth of the characters and sets the stage for character development, which is seen when you compare the season one characters to the season five characters.

Season Five felt like everything that the show has been building towards has finally come together in a way that makes sense. The story isn’t rushed and it doesn’t try to constantly shock the viewers. Instead, it takes its time showing the different characters and their growth such as Will coming out to all the people he loves, even though he had seen the disapproval from everyone by Vecna. The storyline feels complete and purposeful because it connects the past, present and the future, it keeps the focus on the characters and ends the story in a way that feels natural. That’s why I liked it so much–it felt like a conclusion and not just another season. 

Although some fans believe the “Conformity Gate” theory that “proves” that “Stranger Things” isn’t actually over, that the ending we saw wasn’t real and there’s secretly another episode coming. I don’t agree with this at all. To me, this idea feels less like a smart theory and more like fans refusing to accept that the show is truly over. I mostly don’t believe in this theory because the ending already does what a final episode is supposed to do: it gives closure. The characters’ stories feel complete, their arcs make sense and the emotional tone clearly signals a goodbye. Claiming that the ending is fake takes away from the closure and ignores the fact that not every story needs a twist or a secret continuation to be meaningful. To add to that, a massive TV production like “Stranger Things” can’t realistically hide an entire episode without leaks, announcements or credible evidence. The theory relies heavily on vague symbolism and overanalyzed details instead of real proof, which makes it hard to believe. 

“Stranger Things 5” didn’t try too hard to be perfect. It focused on emotion, character development and closure. For me, that’s what made the ending so amazing, especially for a show this big. That’s exactly the kind of ending it needed.

The “Stranger Things” franchise left me, as a fan, with so many questions. Especially for the ending of one of the main characters, Eleven, who was the one who created the alternate universe and supposedly died along with the Upside Down.

After the group defeated Vecna, the main villain of the show, they created a bomb that would erase the Upside Down. At the end of the finale, Eleven stayed back in the Upside Down so she would be taken with it. While it does make sense that she would go because she was the one who started it all. But it played out in a very confusing way.

Mike Wheeler, who was Eleven’s love interest, explained his theory that Eleven could still be alive and that her sister Kali (who was one of the children with powers that was in the lab with Eleven) created the illusion that she was upside down while it was being blown up, and Eleven had time to escape and run away.

While this ending should’ve been pleasing for viewers, knowing that one of the most valued characters that we have been rooting for the whole show was still alive, this theory cannot be correct. Kali died during the finale from being shot at by the military. There was no way for Kali to have been able to make that illusion if she were dead.

Kali told Eleven in episode five that the military leader, Dr. Kay, was looking for Eleven to take her blood to recreate the experiment they were once in with new powerful children. Eleven believed she needed to die to stop the cycle.

The creators of the show, the Duffer brothers, explained that they made the ending this way to let viewers come up with their own endings. But for me, it’s just frustrating not having a confirmed answer to Eleven’s future. I mean, this show has been filming for almost ten years. I think it would be only fair to the die-hard fans to have some sort of closure for the show without these endless “maybes.”

In an interview with  Today, co-creator Matt Duffer explained their view of the character’s end.

“If Eleven is out there, the most that they could hope for is a belief that it’s true because they can’t be in contact with her. Everything falls apart if that were the case. So if that’s the narrative, this is really the best way to keep her alive. And it’s about Mike and everyone finding a way to move past what’s happened,” Matt Duffer said.

While this response does make sense there I think there could’ve been a way to save Eleven, and maybe there still is. Hopper and Joyce talked about moving to a beach in the finale, where Hopper would take a job as the new chief of police. What if the mysterious place with the three waterfalls just so happens to be somewhere around that beach? That’s an opening that maybe or maybe not the Duffers created for that reason.

Another part of the show that I really didn’t agree with was how rushed the wormhole and the Abyss. I feel like we had so much more time with the upside down, so we were able to understand it.

According to Forbes, the Abyss is defined as “where the show’s terrifying predatory creatures, including Demodogs, Demogorgons, Demobats, as well as the Mind Flayer and Vecna, actually live.” This is why the group had trouble finding the monsters, because they were living somewhere else. This world was only introduced and built up in a couple of episodes from season five. The Abyss definitely could’ve been explored more throughout the show and maybe even hinted at the end of season four. Giving some sort of cliffhanger or hint would’ve made it even more exciting.

As for Mike, Dustin, Max and Luca’s endings, I believe they were written exactly how they should’ve been because they were all doing what they loved doing, spending time with each other and playing DND. Same for Robin, Jonathan, Nancy and Steve, the last scene of them was so perfect, and what they were doing with their lives was so fitting, but I have to admit seeing Hawkins without a giant tear in the middle did freak me out a little, like what do you mean after so long it’s finally back to a normal town? The time jump just made me completely emotional because we, as fans, love these characters so much. I just wish Eleven got her happy ending as well.

Overall, everyone’s ending had its moment, but I feel like the ending didn’t do justice to Eleven’s amazing character. Eleven represented our childhood because she’s who we grew up with. Now, most of the fans are nearing the end of high school, just like the four boys. Even though our childhood is coming to an end, I didn’t think Eleven needed to. I think we, who have been with her since 2016, deserve to see her living a normal life with the whole group; she didn’t need to be separated or killed. She deserved the life that Hopper promised her, living in peace. I feel that the finale took that away from her.