RAW AND HONEST, WITH A NOTE OF HOPE

The finale sets the stage for the long-awaited war between Eleven and Vecna — a confrontation that arguably should have arrived earlier

- By Lakshana N. Palat Assistant Features Editor

A still from Stranger Things Season 5.

After an uneven, rushed run of episodes, Stranger Things Season 5 finally does the one thing it should have trusted all along: its audience. The finale may not be the ending most fans were hoping for, but it leans decisively into what made the series such a phenomenon in the first place - friendship and love. Emotion bursts through the seams here, largely without contrivance, reminding us why this story mattered even when it faltered.

The finale finally sets the stage for the long-awaited war between Eleven and Vecna — a confrontation that arguably should have arrived much earlier. In doing so, the show returns to what works best: keeping Eleven as its emotional heartbeat. There are still a few splashes of clichéd dialogue, but far fewer than in the rest of the season, and at this point, you take what you get.

(A wild thought: Stranger Things might have worked better if Season 5 were simply a 2.5-hour finale, sparing us several unnecessary episodes.) For a fleeting moment, the series even tempts us into believing Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) may retain a trace of humanity. But Stranger Things has always been clear — it's about the choices you make.