Spoiler warning: This review contains spoilers for “Stranger Things”

Season 5 of “Stranger Things” has been long in the making, with its three volumes released on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve on Netflix. It was highly anticipated and viewership reflected it, with 105.7 million views just a week after the finale aired, according to Variety. Immediately, complaints started rolling in all over social media, claiming the season didn’t live up to the hype and had too many plot holes. Personally, although there were definitely mistakes made, I think the Duffer Brothers ended the show beautifully, just the way it should have been. 

Volume 1 of season 5 contained some of the best episodes this show has produced. The season starts off perfectly with the whole group being back together again with the goal of defeating Vecna. This was a great change of scenery as opposed to season 4, when everyone was separated between Hawkins and California. Most of the characters’ storylines were developed really well throughout the first four episodes, and I loved the added duo of Robin and Will. The tension and hate between Steve and Dustin initially made me consider turning the TV off, but their scene together in Volume 2 made all of the hate worth it. The best part of Volume 1 was, of course, the ending, with Will channeling into the hive mind to use Vecna’s powers to save Mike, Robin and Lucas. I felt like this was the perfect change for Will’s character, especially given how little he had contributed to the group in the past.

After Will’s dramatic ending of Volume 1, I was incredibly excited for Volume 2. Given the writing in Volume 1, I couldn’t wait to see where the Duffer Brothers took the rest of the season. But after watching those three episodes, I was pretty disappointed. The only two relevant things that happened in Volume 2 were Dustin figuring out what the Upside Down really is and Max waking up from her coma. The rest of the show seemed too focused on character relationships and trying to tie up loose ends between people, instead of forwarding the plot of the show. For example, not only was Nancy and Jonathan’s “break up” long and drawn out, but it was too confusing. I didn’t realize that’s what it was until the next day when I saw a video online of the Duffer Brothers explaining it. Will’s coming out scene, though incredibly sweet, was thrown in at the most random moment as a clear attempt to develop Will’s character more, when it could’ve been a much more interesting scene that actually made sense through the arc of the story. As important as character development is throughout the show, it was a weird way to go in some of the final episodes of the series where the viewers want to see more action sequences and less monologues.

As disappointing as Volume 2 was, I think the Duffer Brothers made a comeback in the finale. The episode being cut in half between an action-packed battle sequence and a sweet epilogue really did it for me. When the kids are all fighting the mind flayer, though it did seem a little rushed considering how quickly they were able defeat it, it felt like a perfect ending to all of their troubles, everyone working together one last time. Joyce being the one to finally kill and end Vecna tops it all off given how much she has put her family through throughout the entire show.

The epilogue provided perfect closure to all of the character’s considering that this ending has been ten years in the making. Having the endings of each character be separate, with their own respective groups, felt just right. The final scene being all of the kids back together again playing Dungeons & Dragons was a great reference back to the first episode—they way they all said goodbye to the show was done perfectly. The kids put their binders away and walk upstairs, leaving their childhoods and monster-chasing behind. Admittedly, I cried, and I’m sure lots of others did as well. And on my part, I believe Eleven is alive. 

On this blog, members of the Carmel High School chapter of the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists (and the occasional guest writer) produce curations of all facets of popular culture, from TV shows to music to novels to technology. We hope our readers always leave with something new to muse over. Click here to read more from MUSE.