The day before Thanksgiving, the first volume of the highly-anticipated fifth season of Stranger Things was released to the public, followed by a second volume on Christmas Day and the series finale on New Year’s Eve. The show has been rising in popularity since its first season, and has since become one of the most popular Netflix TV shows across America.
The reviews were mixed, though critics were quick to give it high ratings, resulting in an 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience ratings, however, dropped to a mere 53 percent with the release of the finale.
During an interview with the Duffer brothers for On Demand Entertainment, they explained that all the character arcs would be resolved in the final season. It was meant to reveal every answer to questions posed in earlier seasons about the Upside Down, Vecna’s origins and the history of Hawkins. Overall, this season was meant to tie together all the loose ends and put a cap on the universe of Stranger Things, but did they pull it off?
A ninth-grade student at Tualatin High School, Kynzie McNeil, said she’s been a long-time fan of the show. However, this season left a lot to be desired.
“At the end of the last episode, the concept of comfort and happiness was a great conclusion; however, it feels like an entire season is missing. It’s dragged on for too long and yet it still feels like they left everything out. It’s no wonder people are theorising about a new episode.”
The theory she mentioned, known as Conformity Gate, caused widespread confusion about what fans thought would be a secret ninth episode released on Jan. 7. This only escalated, and as the day came and went with no new releases, dissatisfaction stung all the believers. Even positive reviews harboured scepticism about the ending. Matthew Otto, a Tualatin High School senior, felt the season was great up until the finale.
“I did enjoy the finale, especially the epilogue, but I don’t think it lived up to expectations because there were a lot of plot holes, and I felt like the final fight was way too rushed and anticlimactic.”
The general consensus from viewers across America seems to be that the ending was messily thrown together, and with the release of the Netflix documentary, these concerns have only increased amongst fans. Whether you’ve been following since the beginning or are just now tuning in, the viewers warn you to expect a bit of disappointment.
“It’s no wonder people are theorising about a new episode.”
– Kynzie McNeil, freshman
