Stranger Things 5 Finale Review: It All Ends

The Stranger Things 5 finale utilizes great performances to bring the series to an emotional conclusion in spite of some frustrating story choices.

If you need a little catch up, Henry Creel/Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) has begun his plan to take over the world by entrancing Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) and the other children inside his mind. Our heroes have come up with a plan to stop him led by Steve (Joe Keery) and will be splitting up into two teams: one that will infiltrate the Abyss (where Vecna is keeping his physical body as well as the kids) and the other spearheaded by Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) who are going to enter Vecna’s mind to save the children and hopefully kill him. Oh, I should probably also mention that Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) and the military are hot on their tails as well. So the odds are pretty stacked against our heroes and there’s no guarantee they can save the world.

From a story standpoint, the Duffer Brothers and the writer’s room do several interesting things but give audiences the emotionally satisfying end a series like this deserves. With that said, so much of that satisfaction is tied to this cast giving it their all. Sadie Sink turns in such a fantastic performance throughout, even though Max is rarely the focus of the Stranger Things 5 finale. One of her highlights is a touching moment with Holly; those two characters obviously became close over the course of this season and you really get to see their relationship pay off in a major way.

This can be said of Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson too. He’s been put through the ringer for seven episodes, with his grief threatening to destroy his friendship with Steve Harrington and turning him into something far removed from the Dustin we know. In the Stranger Things 5 finale, Matarazzo portrays an emotional weight lifting off Dustin’s shoulders so well and as the series comes to a close, he’s able to return to what made this character so special.

What we see from Max, Holly, and Dustin, to name a few, is the perfect example of Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer being able to bring arcs from not only Season 5 but the series as a whole to a close. Even if I have my gripes with the final episode and we’ll get to them, this writer’s room does come up with a conclusion that reminds everyone of why they fell in love with this series to begin with, and you shouldn’t  be shocked if tears fall from your eyes during the epilogue. It’s the perfect wrap up and a return to a more intimate setting for a show that’s gotten so big that even some of our main characters managed to get lost in the shuffle at certain points. 

Before the epilogue, though, our heroes must face their greatest test. This final battle is extraordinary, combining elements from Season 3 and Season 4 to create some real edge of your seat action. Every character gets a shining moment and you’ll feel such pride in all of them. This is also one of the rare moments this season where your body will tense up since you don’t know who’s going to survive this rumble. 

Even though the Duffers managed to end things on a pretty good note, I’d be lying if I said getting there was easy. Henry Creel/Vecna’s arc is perplexing to say the least. All season, it seemed as if we were finally going to get a glimpse into Vecna’s past and instead we were treated to a half baked “A Wrinkle in Time” parallel and this villain who had been built up for two seasons as the ultimate foe suddenly being neutered. All season, Vecna’s brutality was missing despite his new look and talk of being stronger.

This was only made worse by the couple of flashbacks we got, which went nowhere in terms of expanding who Vecna is. Both scenes served as ads for the upcoming spin off and “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”, which is currently on Broadway. It’s a problem that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has also run into: audiences shouldn’t have to go beyond what they’re watching for further context. 

It’s such a shame, as there were plenty of chances to explore Vecna’s backstory during the season, especially if you cut the “A Wrinkle in Time” parallel and a useless military subplot that doesn’t wind up going anywhere. Even though his character gets the short end of the stick, Jamie Campbell Bower remains brilliant as Vecna. There’s something so unnerving about his performance and he takes what he’s given to greater heights even as the script tries to pull him down. 

Then you’ve got an issue that I’ve been screaming about since Season 4: Robin (Maya Hawke) and Vickie (Amybeth McNulty) just don’t work. Just when you think the pair have turned the corner, Vickie gets nothing to do in the Stranger Things 5 finale. It’s so frustrating because, at this point, it feels like Robin and Vickie only existed as a couple to help Will (Noah Schnapp) come to terms with his sexuality. I feel so bad for McNulty, a fine actress who, alongside Hawke as Robin, has been done a disservice by the writers. Little choices like that to not explore certain characters, even in the midst of the world ending, put a damper on the idea that this story is complete.

The Stranger Things 5 finale does a lot of good but there’s also a bit of bad. How you feel about it will likely depend on what you’re looking for from this last episode. It’s not going to satisfy everyone, but it packs an emotional punch thanks to a cast who is giving it their all. 

The Stranger Things 5 Finale, and all episodes of Stranger Things, are now available to stream globally on Netflix. Read our review of Stranger Things 5 Volume 1!