The fifth and final season of Netflix’s hit sci-fi horror show “Stranger Things” has been all the rage since its segmented releases throughout December.  

Expectations for the season were extremely high following the success of the show so far as one of Netflix’s most popular original series. With the first season released back in 2016, it’s rounding off a show filled with childhood memories for students.

Yet it has also been met with criticism following the release of the season finale, with some critics and fans arguing that the show’s ending feels rushed and filled with plot holes.

(SPOILER ALERT) Volume one of the season takes place a little over a year after season 4, showing how the town of Hawkins, Indiana, has changed since the earthquake.  Beloved characters who we’ve watched progress since season 1 are shown adapting to their now militarized and barricaded town.

In episode two, Holly Wheeler is taken by a Demogorgon to the Upside Down, a dark mirror of Hawkins that has been the center of conflict for the entire series.  

Holly’s disappearance was conducted by Vecna, the character revealed in season 4 to be the main perpetrator of all things evil in Hawkins.  The disappearance of Holly, along with 11 other children, later on sets up the main plot of the season. 

The cast begins to set upon a mission to find and defeat Vecna, ending the reign of terror that he has held over the town.

In episode 4, as the group becomes caught up in a confrontation with the military, Vecna arrives in the real world to capture the other children.  In a huge plot twist, it is revealed that Will Byers weilds his own psychic powers, suspending 3 demogorgons midair and killing them before they can harm the rest of the group. 

In volume two when season begins to near its climax, Dustin discovers a bizarre truth: the Upside Down isn’t just a twisted snapshot of Hawkins.  Instead, it serves as a bridge or a “wormhole” connecting the real world to Dimension X, the domain where Vecna honed his powers.  

We later learn that Vecna plans to merge the two dimensions, with the children being used as “vessels” to complete his plan.

However, the military poses yet another problem for our cast, as the Upside Down is completely fortified and defended by them.  It is also revealed that a new character, Dr. Kay, is set on a mission to find and harvest the blood of Eleven to reproduce her psychic abilities.

Other sideplots take place throughout the season as well.  Jonathan and Nancy have an (albeit confusingly written) breakup, and Will Byers finally comes out as gay to the group right before the season finale.   We are also reintroduced to Kali, a character who has not made an appearance in the show since season 2.

After 7 episodes filled with plot twists and suspenseful buildup, the season finale was released on New Year’s Eve on Netflix and in theatres to great fanfare – yet reactions were mixed. 

The finale kicks off with the cast making their way into the Upside Down, planning on using the WSQK radio tower to make it into Dimension X before the worlds completely merge. 

Despite a brief scare between Hopper and Eleven, the fight with Vecna and the Mind Flayer goes flawlessly.  Despite the battle being hyped up over 5 seasons, it only lasts around 6 minutes.  The children are saved, and Vecna is defeated for good.  “I do think it was kind of anti-climactic at the same time because they killed Vecna really fast,” said Grace Rosato, a Sophomore.

After they escape, Murray sets off bombs at the Hawkins lab inside the Upside Down.  This explosion collapses the wormhole, ending their saga of supernatural encounters.  Yet, in a final sacrifice, Eleven stays in the Upside Down, dying to escape the constant persecution she faces by the military.

The finale brought about loads of controversy from fans and critics.  While some fans enjoyed the emotional goodbye from their favorite characters, other fans have pointed out how the ending felt “rushed” and was filled with numerous plot holes.  “I thought it was awful, incomplete, it felt like the season was missing a bunch of things, and there are so many different (plot)holes which still haven’t been addressed,” said Ethan Engelson, senior.

One of the biggest issues people have complained about is the lack of stakes, or “plot armour,” especially during the final boss fight.  Despite the death of Kali, all of the show’s main characters survived, robbing the show of any real tension. 

Now, fans have analyzed the epilogue intently, coming up with a theory called “conformity gate,” suspecting that a 9th episode is still in the works by the creators of the show.  Fans theorized that the “real” finale would release on January 9th; however, as of that date, nothing has been revealed.All in all, it’s sad to see Stranger Things go, as it’s played a huge part in many of our childhoods.