Stranger Things season five has gotten a lot of criticism on the internet. People from all around the world are saying that the ending was not stable and that a lot of questions went unanswered. "It kind of ended off in a cliffhanger,” freshman Ryder Cunningham said. “El came back at the end of the episode and they just didn’t make another episode about it.”
A lot of fans are wondering why the directors, the Duffer Brothers, didn’t make another episode to tie up some loose ends with characters, such as Dr. Owens and Suzie. Some fans were also questioning why there weren't any demogorgons or bats in the final episode. “Mainly it's just that Vecna was not expecting this sneak attack on his home turf,” the Duffer brothers said on the DiscussingFilm website. “Never in a million years could he even imagine that. They’re there somewhere.” Even though Vecna being ambushed could be a possibility, it's very unlikely. Vecna has telepathy, and he saw everything in Eleven's mind, making it impossible for him to not see this plan coming.
The ending was also disappointing compared to the fan theories and speculation of what the ending could have been. A lot of people were posting all of their theories and things that they thought would happen, which raised viewers’ expectations. Even though there was a lot of hate towards Stranger Things, some people liked the ending. Some returning fans who have watched since season one felt nostalgia when watching. “I grew up with the show, because I've been watching it since it first came out,” senior Abigail Jewel said. “I think it's meaningful because it's closing off as I'm closing off in high school.”
Stranger Things’ marketing team also fell short. In an interview with Time Magazine, cast members hyped up the audience by saying that everything will change and nothing will be the same, which was not the case at all. Cast members dramatized the ending by saying things like "everything changes” and “nothing will be the same” which made people believe the ending was going to be amazing. “People didn't like the finale because I feel like it ended halfway through,” junior Katherine Anderson said. “Then it was just, those resolving things, and the final battle was really built up, and then it was really short.”
In the interviews, many cast members were crying and saying that they were “destroyed” by the ending, so many fans assumed that it was going to be very emotional, but the ending didn’t match that level. The story lines gave whiplash between the constant changes between characters and locations, making the ending feel rushed. Instead of focusing on one moment, the episode tried to do too much at the same time. Many fans thought the ending was disappointing because there were not enough consequences. Characters were put in danger, but most of them survived. This made the final battle feel less powerful than fans expected.
Overall, the ending of Stranger Things was disappointing because it didn’t live up to the expectations it created. The story felt rushed, questions were left unanswered and there were not enough consequences for the characters. While the show is still meaningful to a majority of fans, the finale did not feel as emotional and strong as it was advertised.