After nearly four years of waiting, Netflix delivered one of its greatest letdowns yet: “Stranger Things” season five.
In July 2022, the end of season four left fans with three major questions: Is Vecna alive? Did Kate Bush save Max? And when is season five coming out?
The Duffer Brothers’ answers to those questions left diehard fans confused and questioning whether their Netflix subscription had been worth it. But was the disappointing finale really the Duffer Brothers’ fault?
Rotten Tomatoes gave season five a respectable 83 percent critics score.
That raises an uncomfortable possibility: was the finale truly that bad, or were fans simply victims of their own overhyped expectations?
Since 2016, the mystery of the Upside Down, and the children terrorized by its monsters, has gripped our attention because of what we didn’t know.
What is the Upside Down? Why was Will taken? The uncertainty fueled our imagination and kept the story compelling.
Now, that mystery is gone. We know the Upside Down’s purpose, layout and rules. With nothing left to imagine, the thrill has evaporated.
And let’s be honest, the kids aren’t cute anymore.
Once adorable middle schoolers playing Dungeons & Dragons, the cast has grown into adults sporting questionable mullets that do them no favors.
Nostalgia can only stretch so far.
Fan expectations also played a major role in the season’s failure.
After four strong seasons and years of anticipation, viewers expected the finale to be extraordinary.
But four years of hype set the bar impossibly high, virtually guaranteeing disappointment.
Diehard fans reject that explanation.
A glance at online reviews reveals countless complaints about plot holes, unanswered questions, and inconsistent writing.
The loudest criticism centers on the final battle.
Rather than an army of Demogorgons or the long feared Mind Flayer, viewers were given a generic giant spider rendered with unconvincing CGI, an enemy that felt disconnected from the season’s narrative.
The Mind Flayer, arguably the most iconic villain of the entire series, was inexplicably absent from the finale.
Another major point of contention was the introduction of the Abyss.
Instead of the Upside Down being the ultimate malevolent realm, it was reframed as a mere bridge between Earth and this new dimension.
Fans found the addition unnecessary and inconsistent with the show’s established lore.
Demogorgons are known to thrive in cold, damp environments, so why would their supposed homeworld be a lifeless desert?
The danger of the Upside Down has also been diluted.
In season one, entering it required a hazmat suit.
By season five, the main characters and even the military stroll through it as if it were a theme park.
The stakes feel lower, and the threat no longer commands fear.
So was season five’s failure Netflix’s fault?
Given the weak writing, uninspired CGI and transparent money grab of releasing the season over three holidays, the answer is yes.
While the franchise technically reached its conclusion, it was not a satisfying one.
The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, reflects this sitting at a disappointing 53%.
What should have been a heartfelt goodbye to beloved characters instead left a bitter aftertaste.
“Stranger Things” didn’t end with wonder or joy, it ended with disappointment.
