In the final months of 2025, Netflix released their fifth and final season of their original hit show: “Stranger Things” . Volume One (episodes one through four) released on Nov. 26, 2025. Then a month later, Volume Two (episodes five through seven) released on Dec. 25, 2025, and finally episode 8, the season finale, released on New Year’s Eve: Dec. 31, 2026.

What is “Stranger Things”?
“Stranger Things” is a show directed by the Duffer brothers (Matt & Ross Duffer), Shawn Levey, and Andrew Staton. This captivating and nostalgic sci-fi horror show is a record-breaking series that many individuals enjoy. Blending with supernatural mystery, government conspiracies, and coming-of-age themes as kids travel to the unknown dimension, known as the “Upside Down,” children (who over the series grow into teenagers and young adults) battle with monsters as well as deal with their own family, love, and friendship.

Beware — Spoilers Ahead! 

This show has been what could be described as a wild roller coaster. “Stranger Things”  began as more of a mystery, where the show starts off by introducing characters from the small town of Hawkins, where one of the main characters, Eleven, appears after escaping the local lab and Will, one of the main characters mysteriously disappears in the woods one day. Throughout the show’s 5 seasons, the team recovers Will, protects Eleven, works to understand the “Upside Down” and fights off the supernatural. At the end of season four, the main villain Vecna who is behind all of the trouble is revealed to be powerful by feeding off of kids’ trauma and guiltiness towards the past.

Now that the series has come to an end, students and teachers alike had mixed feelings about this show. At first, “Stranger Things” was loved by nearly all of its viewers, but building up the season finale had people feeling… upside down. The final thought on the finale is really surprising.

Some people have been watching “Stranger Things” since it first released in 2016. During COVID when it became popular, more people took an interest in this series.

Knowing this was the fifth and final season, it seemed that every fan was beyond excited for this finale season. But after watching all eight episodes, there were mixed feelings about how it all ended.

Junior James Munoz spoke about their reaction to the finale. “[I went] back and forth between my jaw dropping and crying. I wasn’t expecting much, but I wasn’t expecting that to happen.”

On the other hand, some individuals didn’t like how the story was written.

Freshman Nahara Dowd said, “I didn’t really like it. I’m glad everyone survived, but I was expecting someone to die. Seasons one through three are my favorite. I’m glad Steve is alive; I love Steve. Hashtag conformity gate.” (For context, “Conformity Gate” is a theory created by the fandom that is a happier, but false, ending of the finale where some fans like Dowd expected a secret final episode to be released on January 7th.)

As students gave their opinions on how they felt about the finale, some felt like it should have been different. “It made me cry with sad, but happy, tears so yes but no ,” said senior Jaileana Kamaunu when asked about whether or not the finale should have ended differently.

Dowd answered similarly, “I feel like it’d be so genius if it was revealed that Mike was in a trance and the ending was fake.”

Diehard Stranger Things fans had additional information to share about the show’s writing as well. Dowd mentioned “…Ross Duffer and his wife, who was writing some of the show, got a divorce.” This was rumored to be why the quality of writing went downhill in Season Five. Dowd also mentioned how they “lost the storyline” “There’s so much stuff missing and I don’t understand why Vecna needed 12 kids.”

However, Mrs. Tomimbang had an opposite reaction to the story line. She said, “I liked it a lot and it was kind of nice to have all the characters come back at the end and then they reveal what happens to them…”

Other students mentioned that they felt similarly about the plot, but that something was missing.

Seeing the characters come together in the final moments of the show, there’s always a certain someone with a huge character development. Sophomore Alyssa Amodo described “[The] character [that] had better character development was probably Steve because he went from being a jock to being a nicer guy.”

Kamaunu added, “I would say Steve Harrington because comparing him from Season One, he went from a jock to a selfless hero all the way in seasons three, four, and five.”

However, some people thought Will Byers had the most character development. Mrs. Tomimbang mentioned that in the end of Season Five, Volume One, she liked that Byers gained powers.

This shared opinion on Harrington shows how impactful his journey was to viewers of all ages. His transformation felt natural and earned, rather than forced, which made his character easy to connect with. Instead of staying stuck in his Season One role, Harrington consistently stepped up as a protector, leader, and even a caretaker or father figure for the younger characters, earning him the nickname many fans jokingly use, “the babysitter.”

Overall, the final season of Stranger Things succeeded in delivering nostalgia, emotional moments, and closure for many fans, but it wouldn’t be complete without some controversy among the fandom. While some viewers appreciated the wholesome conclusion and character arcs, others felt the show played it too safely and drifted away from the darker tone that made earlier seasons so impactful and mysterious. Whether it was loved or hated, “Stranger Things” remains a cultural phenomenon that sparked over 10 years of discussion, theories, and emotional investment. Its ending is one that will continue to be debated long after the Upside Down fades away.