By Layla Tiell, Newswire Intern

Rarely has a television show been able to weave its way into the hearts of a generation the way the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things” has over the past decade. Creating such a beloved series comes with the difficult task of wrapping it up in a way that is emotional, compelling and ties everything up in a satisfying way. The latest debate between fans has been whether the finale was able to do that.

 For young adults like myself, the series has grown up alongside us, mirroring our own transitions from childhood innocence to the complexity of early adulthood. However, the fan base has not been limited to just one age group; viewers of all ages and from different parts of the world tuned into the latest season.

The season opened strongly with the release of its first four episodes on Nov. 26, with episode four, “The Sorcerer,” becoming the show’s third-highest rated episode on IMDb. The season was receiving what was a well-deserved level of praise, reflecting its strong storytelling and emotional depth. 

One could argue that this same care and attention to detail was lost in volume two, released on Dec. 25. Many new plots and storylines were introduced and it felt like there was no possible way for the finale to wrap up everything. Main characters had been sidelined, simply because there was not enough time to explore every character’s journey, since the cast has nearly tripled in size since the first season. 

The writing was often messy, focusing too much on certain plotlines that did not contribute to what the show needed to focus on. Some emotions and dynamics were overexplained and others were not explored nearly enough. It is hard to believe that characters with a deeper purpose were diluted down to things such as a love interest or filler role. 

To conclude the series, the final episode was released on Dec. 31. Prior to its release, fan theories flooded the internet, taking a close look at smaller details and reaching back to earlier seasons in search of connections and narrative foreshadowing. 

The creators of the show had mentioned before its release that no one was able to guess the ending as far as they knew. To me, that was because it was a basic and predictable ending, whereas fans were thinking outside of the box. This left me questioning if the three years since season four’s release had been used wisely. 

The final battle felt rushed and much bigger than the small town mystery of Hawkins, Ind. that made me fall in love with the show in the first place. However, it is hard to deem the entire episode bad when the epilogue combines emotional value and a sense of closure for characters the audience has grown up with. 

It is cleaner and corresponds more with what the show has always been good at: being a piece of media about nerds and freaks, for nerds and freaks. It was nice to see the friend group play one last game of Dungeons & Dragons, not forgetting what makes them who they are. Yet it is questionable whether or not, outside of the epilogue, the creators forgot the show’s true purpose. 

As “Stranger Things” gained more attention globally, it seemed as though the final season was more focused on pleasing general audiences. This could be the reason why the final battle was so close in scale to an “Avengers” movie, differing completely from the show’s first season. 

As if the creators wanted to make things worse for themselves, a documentary was released on the behind-the-scenes creation of season five. To make sense of the rushed and messy ending, we now know that filming for the final episode had begun before the script was even finished. 

Some fans noticed what appeared to be a tab resembling the ChatGPT logo on a writer’s computer screen. Also, actors Maya Hawke and Jamie Campbell Bower were seen reminding the creators of important details of the show during filming, ones they should know. Referring back to IMDb rankings, every other season finale has earned a spot in the top 10, whereas the series finale, “The Rightside Up,” is ranked at No. 40. 

While the finale may have fallen short, “Stranger Things” will always be remembered for the emotional connection it built with its fans.