Note: This article contains spoilers!
Netflix’s popular show Stranger Things has come to an end and has turned plenty of Union students’ grins upside down. The show’s fanbase is largely made up of youthful sci-fi lovers who have expressed distaste for the simplistic, rushed, and unanswered ending, leaving some to believe the show isn’t over.
Many viewers grew up watching the characters evolve over the course of 10 years since the start of the show in 2016. When jarring details in the finale don’t add up, you are left with fans expressing concerns and speculating about theories online.
Amanda Monteiro ’29 has expressed disapproval over how the last episode left unanswered questions. “It was disappointing, really,” she said. “I mean, it ended up with El sacrificing her life for everybody. I guess it was just expected, and plus the fight with the Mind Flayer was too fast.”
Her reflection on the show’s ending is shared among many who have grown up watching it over the years. For dedicated viewers, many of the important details that contribute to the plot must make sense or have some semblance of closure. The show fails to address various key details, leaving various questions unanswered for the public. What happened to the scars on Mrs. Wheeler? How did Max graduate with her friends even though she was in a coma for over a year? Where are all the pregnant women?
There are even various plot holes, specifically in the last season of the show. How did the U.S. government let Hopper still work as the sheriff even though he killed
various officers and soldiers of the U.S. army in the process of trying to help El defeat Vecna? Questions like these left fans puzzled.
When asked whether she believed Eleven might still be alive, Amanda added, “Possibly, but didn’t we see Kali die?” Fans were confused and divided on what the outcome of the show really is. Her uncertainty speaks to the volume of theories online struggling to come to a final conclusion. A recently popularized theory, the Conformity Theory has taken form online and is being used as a placeholder for understanding the rushed finale. First, the ending seems too perfect: almost everyone gets the ‘happy ending’ they deserve. Certain time jumps and logic get overshadowed by emotional scenes and speculation about a spin-off.
The theory suggests that the Mind Flayer won and most, if not everyone, is in a dream state that depicts their own happy fantasies coming true. It would explain the logic behind the happy ending without insulting the viewer’s intelligence.
Another student, Nagayume-Yume Skinner ’29, offered a more independent and indifferent reaction. “I didn’t watch it, but I heard the ending sucks,” she said. Even among students not part of the active fanbase, news of the show’s underwhelming conclusion and finale is being talked about widely on campus.
Despite harsh criticism, talks about a documentary following the finale could share insight into the puzzling ending. Many fans are on the edge of their seats waiting for this documentary to drop on January 12 on Netflix. The fans are relieved to see Joe Keery’s character, Steve Harrington, who is a fan favorite, still alive by the end of the show. Fans may be doubtful of the show’s ending, but they are still happy to see all of their favorite characters get closure after defeating Vecna.
