“Stranger Things” Finale Faces Backlash as Fans Cry Foul Online

When Stranger Things dropped its long-awaited finale on New Year’s Eve, it was supposed to be a moment. The kind fans count down to, stay up late for, and talk about for years. Instead, for a lot of viewers, it became something else entirely—a frustrating ending to a show that once felt unstoppable.

The final episode landed globally at different times and stretched beyond two hours, promising a massive send-off to the story that’s been building since season one. After months of hype from the cast and creators, expectations were sky-high. Unfortunately, not everyone felt the payoff matched the buildup.

Spoilers Ahead

The episode revolves around one last showdown with Vecna. Along the way, the story delivers several major turns: Kali dies, Eleven finally defeats Vecna, and Henry is taken down with him.

The biggest emotional moment comes when Eleven chooses to remain in the Upside Down, believing her death is the only way to stop it all for good.

By the end, however, there’s a reveal—Eleven survived and is now living far away, while her friends mourn the loss they think they’ve suffered. It’s an emotional close, filled with tears and reflection, but for many fans, it wasn’t enough.

Almost immediately after the episode aired, reactions started flooding social media. Viewers who stayed up late to watch the finale didn’t hold back, especially those who felt the story played things too safe after five seasons of escalating stakes.

Some of the Comments Were Harsh

“I see the ‘Can’t write an ending to our show’ club has welcomed new members!”

“Stayed up till 3am for that s***y ending that could’ve been an email,”

“they could at least have someone seriously injured like the great villain for 5 seasons did nothing”

“had the best foundation and somehow fumbled the ending completely.”

“Stranger things is equally worse ending tied with game of thrones ending,”

For a finale that was heavily promoted as emotional and unforgettable, that kind of response says a lot.

What seems to bother fans most isn’t the idea of closure, but how it was handled. Many viewers actually enjoyed the first half of the episode, calling it intense and engaging. The problem, according to critics, was the extended ending. Some felt the episode dragged, especially with the long look into the future, and questioned whether such a lengthy runtime was necessary.

That said, not everyone hated it. Some fans appreciated the emotional resolution and felt the characters got the send-off they deserved. Still, the divide is impossible to ignore.

In the end, the Stranger Things finale may be remembered less for how it ended and more for how split the audience became. For a show that once felt universally loved, that’s a bittersweet way to say goodbye.

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