Netflix ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Finale Review - Closes with Fire, But Seems Unfinished

We start the new year by bringing an end to our beloved show Stranger Things, and it couldn’t get any better with this final episode. The finale gives us what we expected: characters got the character development that was required to show their journey right from the first season. Here is what happens this time in the episode: Vecna’s curse brings Hawkins to its near end, and the town is on the verge of collapse. The group realizes that Vecna’s body is hiding in Upside Down. Simultaneously, his mind is attacking victims in Hawkins. The group then splits into teams to tackle the situation. Back in California, Eleven realizes that Vecna’s psych reach and the only way to stop that from happening is by entering Max’s mind. In Upside Down, the team locates Vecna’s body, but due to the lack of weapons, they are not able to kill it immediately. Vecna has progressed further than Eleven expected, and as a result, Max’s body is under attack. Will they succeed and restore Hawkins to peace?

The performance delivered this time is very power-packed. For example, Lucas has one of the best plots ever. Not only this, but even Max (played by Saddie Sink) gives an amazing performance as there is a full-blown confrontation between her and Vecna. However, even as the entire episode is full of power, there are moments that fill our hearts with affection for other characters. Dustin goes to honor Eddie’s memories, and Robin finally reunites with her love interest. Such moments are needed to break the monotony in a sci-fi where there are lots of visuals involved. Even the final confrontations with Vecna are a visual treat, which finally brings a full stop to this battle that spanned three seasons.

However, there are some issues that continued from volume 2. For example, the makers are trying hard to bring a full end to every character’s chapter by closing all the subplots. Max, Lucas, Eleven, and the rest of the characters all have other side stories apart from the one main united one, which is to protect the town and fight against Vecna. Now, this is fine, but in a rush to close everything once and for all, the episode drags on and leaves us with little grasp of what exactly is going on.  There is too much going on in very little time, and we have to see what the endgame is for all the characters. This also creates connectivity issues as the subplots don’t relate much to the main plot. The result is us trying to join the dots and figure out what exactly led to this moment for the character to take such a step. Even the ending is confusing due to the status of Vecna.

Other than that, as I mentioned before, the visuals are worth a watch. The way the makers have used visuals in the show, be it for fighting Vecna or using their powers, there is pure magic created on screen. This does sometimes give us chills down our spines as the makers try to create an eerie environment of an impending battlefield. What stands out the most is Vecna and his powers. That is truly a cinematic experience with the way the voice has been used. However, I still feel that Vecna’s defeat, story-wise, could have been much better. It doesn’t give us the thrill that we might have experienced in the previous seasons. And that is crucial, given how important Vecna is for the show.

The theme of friendship and love, and how it is explored in the show, is what I loved the most. Everyone ended up finding the love of their lives and stood united to fight Vecna. This arch is beautifully shown, and it is something we have also witnessed the star cast share off-screen. Such themes have been beautifully written and incorporated in the whole season, and particularly in the final episode.

However, even with all the minuses of this episode, we all might feel heavy as the show is finally coming to an end. For some of us, this became a trend we followed for the last decade, and seeing all the actors grow up and show ending is a bit difficult to digest. But nonetheless, the makers did manage to give us what we wanted the most: a great ending and a happily ever after for our dear characters.

Final Score- [8/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Ch
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times