This is going to be a controversial opinion…perhaps unpopular. My former secretary will absolutely disagree with my answer, but…let’s talk about the Stranger Things finale.
*Spoilers ahead, so don’t read if you’re late to the Stranger Things bandwagon and haven’t watched the last season yet.
My secretary was too in the weeds with the details, and to be fair, based on what the Duffer brothers had said in the past about paying attention to every single detail because it will all be important and make sense in the end…they did drop the ball on tying up the meaning behind some details that were noticed throughout the series, particularly in the last season.
But here’s the thing, when I watched the finale (no offense Madam Secretary), I watched with my whole heart. I didn’t pay too much attention to what details were being explained or not. I really got lost in the story and what the conclusion was for each character. This wasn’t in the 2-hour final episode, but my heart pounded and appropriately swelled when Will killed all the demogorgons that were about to kill his friends and then wiped the blood from his nose.
In the final episode, which I really need to rewatch, my stomach dropped when Steve fell off the tower and I cheered when Jonathan caught him just in time.
I cried when Joyce chopped off Vecna’s head with all the kids (not such kids anymore) watching, knowing what they all suffered because of him and how momentous it was that they got to witness his final death.
And then I cried even more when El “died” and we finally found out what song the Duffer brothers were able to get the rights to use. Never before has a Prince song been able to be used in a movie or show and not only did they get one for the finale, they got two. “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry”. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about the moment when that music started playing.
And that’s the thing about the finale. It hit right in the feels. The epilogue, after the battle was over, we see how each of the characters ultimately turn out. Well, according to Mike and what he predicts anyway. I bawled as they sat around in Mike’s basement playing Dungeons & Dragons for the last time and listened to what Mike envisioned the future would be for each of them. Of course, when they put their binders away and then his little sister and her friends come down to play and begin the next generation of the game, that was beautiful.
Personally, I think the finale wrapped up the characters with a pretty little bow. Every single character, even El. If you watched with your heart and didn’t get too analytical and hung up on the details that were not addressed from previous seasons, then the finale was perfect.
Seriously, I’m going to rewatch that finale. It was just so good and so rewarding as a fan of each season. We deserved that finale! We waited so long between each season that they really had to make the end worth it. Honestly, that’s one of the hills I’m willing to die on.
Want to help me accomplish my dream of being a paid writer? Buy me a coffee!
Leave a Reply