I began watching Stranger Things when it debuted on Netflix in 2016. It brought back waves of nostalgia as I was part of that era that left the house in the morning, traveled endless miles with friends on our bikes, and didn’t’ return home until dinner time. No phones. No screens. Just a sense of curiosity that never ran dry.
When I see kids today aspiring to be influencers and chase “likes” on social media, it’s a grand reminder of how fortunate I was to have a childhood free from today’s digital world.
I enjoyed the first four seasons of Stranger Things and waited patiently as the fifth one materialized. I was excited when I discovered each episode of this final season would be produced like a movie with nearly two hours devoted to each one. I was puzzled when each episode concluded in an hour. After watching both groups of episodes, I felt this was my least favorite storyline, but hoped the finale would tie it all together.
I was confident the ending episode would be amazing. It was being released in movie theaters at the same time as it’s appearance on Netflix. It had to be amazing. It needed to be. I was full of questions and social media was starting to weigh-in on the entire season.
The finale that didn’t finalize
I re-watched the first four seasons on DVD prior to the release of season 5. Having done this, I was more aware of how disjointed the fifth season felt. Reminded of the meticulous attention to detail of the series, the final season didn’t resolve things as much as it introduced new characters and further expansion of the lore. The last episode was frustrating. An hour to wrap things up – sort of. And an hour-long epilogue that tried to show where the characters would go from here. I imagine many theatergoers were livid having gone out to see this special ending. Then I went online…
Fans were furious. Casual observers echoed disappointment at the lack of resolution. Social media was ablaze with negative reviews and analysis. Those who enjoyed the final episode were chastised in the comment sections. As the anger subsided over a few days, the tone shifted to confusion.
It felt a bit off. Was this intentional?
The Duffer Brothers, who created Stranger Things, crafted their tale with a level of detail seldom seen in television… until season 5. Why were there so many plot holes? Why was the epilogue so unsatisfying? Social media was demanding answers as more condemnations flew. Many accounts posted facts showing that something wasn’t quite right with season 5, especially its ending.
Some speculated that plot holes were the result of the episodes being shortened from two to one-hour lengths each. Folks began to speculate that the full duration of each two hour episode must contain the answers fans were demanding. Some felt a release of the full-length season was imminent. Others alluded to a sixth season. Then it was determined that new content was coming to Netflix on January 7th. Social media works in mysterious ways as seemingly coded elements began to arise.
For me, the satisfaction of the last episode came from seeing the boy’s D&D game end as Holly and her friends delved into their own game, keeping the tradition going. I’ve always been haunted by the stories of a group of friends who had the best day ever, not knowing it would be the last time they’d hang out together. It’s true and you don’t see it coming, nor feel it in the moment. Years later you reflect and reminisce about the good times and wonder how things moved on.
Social media is rife with speculation that’s a lot of fun to roam through when time permits. I can’t help but believe that the creators are up to something, but only time will tell. Do you think the fifth season ends it or is something afoot and we’re going to get more Stranger Things episodes?
By CapeCod.com Staff
