Recently, the show “Stranger Things” came to an end. For some, the finale was like saying goodbye to our childhood because, in a way, it was a show that grew up with us. It all began with just four boys Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair and Will Byers playing dungeons and dragons in Mike’s parents’ basement. From that moment on, “Stranger Things” became more than just a show, it became a shared experience with inspiration from the iconic 1980’s.
Each time a new season was released, it brought fans together and gave them something to bond over, from the main friendship theme to character struggles people could relate to.
“The thing I’ll miss the most is that every time a new season came out I feel like it brought a lot of people together because it gave so many people a thing to bond over. I feel as though it’s so popular because of the themes it covers such as friendship, adolescence, and overcoming challenges. The characters feel very authentic and each have their own development. Each one is endearing and represents different, relatable struggles that you feel connected to,” senior Serenity Miller said.
One of the best scenes is where Jim Hopper was giving Eleven a pep talk to get ready to go fight Vecna/Henry/01/Mr.Whatsit was inspirational because many fans connected to it and felt like in a way, Hopper was talking to the fans too.
“Make mistakes. Learn from them, and when life hurts you, because it will, remember the hurt. The hurt is good. It means you’re out of that cave. Life has been so unfair to you, so cruel. But you never let it break you. And I need you to fight, kid. I just need you to fight one last time. Fight for the happy days on the other side of this,” quote from Jim Hopper, “Stranger Things” season five finale.
While, overall, I enjoyed watching the cast come together again, there were some major plot holes that the directors left unsaid. It was really baffling that in the final season of the show the main character was Holly Wheeler and her friends, when before we didn’t really know much about her and she was rarely featured and the main characters didn’t get much screen time compared to Holly. Though, that’s not saying that delightful Derek wasn’t one of the funniest, best characters in the show.
Some fans share the same opinion that the finale was rushed and sloppy compared to other seasons where now we’re left with unanswered questions.
“The finale was not what I expected at all. The whole show feels very carefully thought out, personal and the last season felt very rushed and sloppy. A lot of it didn’t make sense and a lot of the characters were poorly written in my opinion. There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered,” Miller said.
Among our generation, this show has proven to be extremely popular for a possibility that maybe it could be real and it’s the plot that always brings fans back in for more.
“Growing up with this show helps keep your mind occupied with the possibilities of what’s really out there, and if any of this is real. It’s impactful. I think it’s very popular because of the possibility that this could be remotely real, and all of the action and adventure the kids encounter is just entertaining in a way. Everyone has something they are going through, whether it’s fighting the bad guy or even fighting something inside themselves; there will always be people around you who will make such an impact in your life. You are not alone,” senior Allison Flinn said.
As seniors graduating soon in 2026, when we watched the graduation scene of the original characters, it was very sentimental and signifies closing a chapter of our lives.
“The graduation scene impacted me the most. I cried ALOT when it played. ‘Stranger Things’ is a show I grew up with and it just feels like I’m closing this chapter in my life and entering a new one. It made me very sad. As graduation fast approaches, I feel like I’m losing my grip on my childhood and seeing these characters I’ve watched since we were both little also graduating made me very emotional,” Miller said.
