Stranger Issues Followers Divided Over Collection Finale: ‘Stunning, ‘Disappointing,’ ‘Excellent’

After almost 10 years and 5 seasons, Stranger Issues concluded with an epic, two-hour sequence finale — nevertheless, the ending left followers divided and turned social media Upside Down.

On New Yr’s Eve, Netflix dropped the sequence finale of the sci-fi horror coming-of-age drama, kicking off after the top of Quantity 2, and revealed how Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp) and the remainder of the gang’s plan to defeat Vecna/Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower) and destroy the Upside Down as soon as and for all in the end performed out.

The primary hour sees the gang teaming as much as kill Vecna and cease his plan to merge the Abyss with Hawkins and the Upside Down, with Joyce (Winona Ryder) providing the ultimate blow and beheading Vecna with an axe. Hopper (David Harbour) and Murray (Brett Gelman) then set off the bombs to explode the Upside Down, and the gang returns by the gate to Hawkins, the place they’re intercepted by Dr. Kay and the troopers, who need Eleven.

It is then that Mike notices El is now not with them, and he or she reveals her plan to sacrifice herself so Dr. Kay and the federal government will not be capable of use her. El says goodbye to Mike within the Void, with Mike and the remainder of the occasion breaking down in a devastating second. The Upside Down is destroyed — and evil has been vanquished.

The episode then quick forwards 18 months later with a 45-minute epilogue, revealing the place everybody ended up, together with Hopper and Joyce getting engaged, and Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Robin (Maya Hawke), and Steve (Joe Keery), who, after beforehand going their separate methods, reuniting for the Hawkins Excessive College commencement, and planning to fulfill up each month shifting ahead in Philadelphia. In the meantime, Steve — everybody’s favourite babysitter — is now revealed to be teaching Little League baseball.

As for the youngsters? After an epic highschool commencement ceremony — together with a shifting speech from Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) — Mike, Will, Max (Sadie Sink), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) flip down a celebration invite to play Dungeons & Dragons one final time. In the course of the marketing campaign, Mike reveals the heartwarming ending for every of them, together with that he — the storyteller — will proceed writing about their adventures. He then broadcasts there’s a “story he can by no means inform”: what actually occurred to the Mage a.okay.a Eleven. In that second, he means that El faked her demise with a secret plan, with Kali creating an phantasm that she sacrificed herself. El is then seen alive in a faraway place with waterfalls.

“How do we all know it is true?” Will asks, to which Mike replies, “We do not. Not for positive. However I select to consider that’s. I consider.”

The group emotionally agrees to consider El is alive.

Nonetheless, it is not confirmed whether or not Mike’s story is true, leaving it as much as the viewer to consider what they need about Eleven’s destiny.

The present — and sequence — ends with Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max emotionally placing their D&D binders away within the basement, earlier than Mike’s sister Holly and her buddies run down and begin enjoying the sport. The ultimate shot options the door to the basement closing.

The sequence finale in the end polarized followers on-line, with customers taking to X, previously Twitter, to react to the ending, together with their ideas on Eleven’s doable demise. Whereas many Stranger Issues followers stated the conclusion was a “stunning” and “good” ending to the present, others discovered it to be “disappointing” and “anticlimactic,” with some even evaluating it to the infamously controversial sequence finale of Sport of Thrones.

Learn to see how followers reacted on-line.

Many Stranger Issues followers applauded the conclusion of the story, describing the sequence finale as a “good” conclusion, with others even slamming those that did not take pleasure in it.

“What A Stunning Ending To An Wonderful Present. Goodbye Stranger Issues,” a fan wrote.

“NO NOTES. THAT WAS A PERFECT SERIES FINALE,” a second consumer stated.

“Simply completed the episode and I can’t consider individuals are hating on it. That was gasoline, an ideal conclusion imo. Cried a number of occasions within the epilogue,” a 3rd wrote, whereas one other famous, “This app is annoying as f–k as a result of I watch a phenomenal finale and all I see on my timeline is folks bitching.”

See extra reactions within the tweets, beneath!

The sequence finale of Stranger Issues was not successful for everybody, with many followers expressing disappointment concerning the present’s conclusion, and taking to X to name out their gripes concerning the closing episode — and the showrunners, Matt and Ross Duffer.

“important villain killed midway in, no one necessary died, no rationalization on henry creel origin story, & solely 18 month time soar. stranger issues finale was the stupidest f–king ending i’ve seen proper up there with the umbrella academy,” a consumer wrote.

“You’re telling me they simply fought a godzilla sized monster on one other planet with shotguns and flamethrowers they usually in some way all escaped with actually no accidents or casualties are they the f–king justice league or one thing?,” a second critic stated.

In the meantime, one other consumer famous, “Duffer Brothers. Please by no means write once more. Thanks prematurely. Sincerely, your EX-fan of 9 years.”

A handful of viewers even drew comparisons to the sequence finale of Sport of Thrones, with a handful of customers sharing a photograph of Millie Bobby Brown revealing her response to the ending in the course of the press tour to Emilia Clarke — who performed Daenerys Targaryen in GoT — viral purple carpet response to the ending of her character, who, after all, died.

“identical reactions, identical endings,” a consumer wrote alongside a side-by-side of Brown and Clarke’s reactions in a viral submit.

See what extra sad viewers needed to say within the posts, beneath.