On December 25 and January 1, the second and third volumes of “Stranger Things Season 5” were released. After the release of the first volume, these were highly anticipated by the show’s fan base. As a huge fan of the series, I sat down on the days each volume was released and watched them completely through. I could not wait to see how the show was going to be wrapped up, and I had very high hopes for the finale.
To my disappointment, Volumes 2 and 3 were quite flawed, and the plot was severely lacking compared to how much the season was hyped-up.
My biggest gripe with these episodes is that they felt like nothing happened in them. In Volume 2, the characters figured out their plan for defeating the main villain, Vecna, and destroying the Upside Down. However, that is pretty much the only thing they did. While there were a few plot twists, none of them were groundbreaking, and they did not provide any real intensity or entertainment to the story.
Additionally, the way the season was written did not have the original “Stranger Things” charm like previous seasons. Many of the main characters, notably Mike Wheeler, Will Byers and Eleven seemed to be mischaracterized and different. Characters felt flat and uninteresting compared to the beginning of the show, and the interactions between them were just as off.
Directly after watching the final episode, I thought the ending was decent. However, after putting more thought into it, and having the magic of the show wear off, I believe it was a truly awful way to finish such an amazing show. The main villains were defeated in less than five minutes, and the suspense given in volume one fizzled out very quickly. There were no major character deaths, except those that most of the audience guessed would happen.
The one thing I do think was done well was the epilogue in the final episode. While some fans believe it dragged on for too long, I think it was a beautiful and emotional way to wrap the story up. I really enjoyed seeing the characters grown up, and how their plotlines stayed connected despite moving away from Hawkins.
I suppose it was not the worst way to end “Stranger Things,” but as someone who had been waiting for the ending for many years, it was disappointing and upsetting. It left me wanting more, instead of giving me the closure that a great show’s ending should.