'Stranger Things' Season 5 Finale Review
Image Source: ComicBook
After forty-two jam-packed episodes… after nearly a decade… after attracting a blend of generations (from those nostalgic of the 80s to Gen Z who grew up on this show) … after being the throbbing heart of the cultural zeitgeist, Stranger Things is over. Many fans will start off 2026 lost and a bit perplexed by the unraveling plot of this very episode, which is like a blockbuster event-film.
The final episode of this horror epic leads to a long-expected battle. There are a few last decisions that will surprise audiences, but as mysteries go, most of the pieces are already in place, leaving only the endgame. "The Rightside Up" functions like many other last chapters: the main characters get on the same wavelength to defeat the lone mastermind just when the ticking clock strikes zero. This crowd-pleasing formula has been made many times before, and it will be made many times after.
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Image Source: Mashable
Even though the runtime is over two hours, the finale’s pacing encapsulates the best of the season. It does not rush, even if it holds just long enough to stave off boredom at times. While the editing in previous episodes occasionally interrupts the flow, that is a non-issue for the first half of this one.
Another criticism from the second part of this release schedule, forgotten in the previous review, is the lackluster performance from Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard (Eleven and Mike Wheeler). Stranger Things starts with these two, and yet it seemed like they were being sidelined. Fortunately, those problems are rectified in the finale.
As for facing The Monster one last time, it follows along the lines of previous season finales, where these everyday heroes congregate around Eleven so she can strike the final blow. It’s only in season four that ends with the villain winning, so a lot of this is familiar ground… Just one last time…
Image Source: Fandom
A lot of screentime this season has gone toward Vecna’s memories, which has a payoff. Maybe in hindsight, the show would have been better written if these additional, relevant memories were in season four, the season that focuses the most on Vecna’s past. However, it is also prescient to have the antagonist’s life flash before his eyes, right until he meets his destiny.
As if the visual effects are Vecna’s mind-prison, there is a lot that looks deceptively real, but with a few holes. At times, the bright lighting makes it obvious there is a greenscreen behind the actors. Regardless, the lighting here is preferable to many other shows that dim the screen so dark that it forces the eyes to squint. Even though Stranger Things is threatened by a dark Upside-Down setting, modern tech issues (uncommon from 80s movies, to be frank) are not a problem here. In short, at least it’s not the Battle of Winterfell from Game of Thrones.
Image Source: Wallpapers Den
With the entire show now in the rearview, it is necessary to note that there are a few lingering holes when it comes to explaining certain plot details. Nothing that will remove the emotional pendulum of the story, but it will force some to have to shrug it off. For example, the lengthy epilogue has a time jump, and yet it does not wrap up what happens to the remaining military occupation. However, anything else about the military has to do with Eleven, and this, being a spoiler-free review, will not go into THAT MOMENT.
Suffice to say, a ton of fan theories just before the final season centered around who would die. Inevitably, most theories had to be ignored. Since many fans are committed to specific theories and a story solution was revealed halfway through season 5, many going into this finale will get exactly what they are expecting. Maybe that’s just what any show must do to uphold its promise. This one does, all while closing the door on a remarkable mystery box of a TV show… with three inches left open.
CultureSlate: Made by humans, for humans
Rating: 8/10
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Sources: ComicBook, Wallpapers Den, Mashable, Fandom
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