After 5 seasons, the successful series Stranger Things ended on December 31, 2025. Despite a rather mixed reception to the previous season, the finale managed to convince fans and left hardly a dry eye.
This article is kept as spoiler-free as possible and mainly reflects the mood of the community. So if you haven’t seen the finale yet, you don’t need to worry about encountering significant spoilers.
How has Season 5 been received so far? While critics rated the season mostly positively, the community’s rating was much more muted (see e.g. Rotten Tomatoes). Many fans found the season overloaded and simultaneously stretched too thin in terms of content. A common criticism was the pacing, the narrative tempo, which was perceived as unbalanced due to the splitting of the season and very long episode runtimes.
Additionally, there was controversy surrounding specific plot lines, particularly concerning Will Byers. His character development and the explicit discussion of his sexuality in Episode 7 led to heated debates and a wave of negative reviews.
On December 31, 2025, it was finally time, and the series concluded with Episode 8. This finale was received much better by the community than the previous episodes and resonated deeply with many viewers.
“It felt like the last day of school when your friends leave you forever.”
What does the community say about the series finale? On social media platforms like Reddit or YouTube, viewers exchange thoughts on the last episode of the series. Overall, the ending is well-received, even though there are some open questions that the finale couldn’t address.
For instance, Reddit user LeoDiCristio opens his thread with a meme stating that Stranger Things offered a much better finale than Game of Thrones did at the time. Over 31,000 likes and more than 6,800 comments overwhelmingly agree with him, and even among the critiques of the episode by film YouTuber Robert Hoffmann, many enthusiastic voices are found, although some perceive the ending as too “safe”:
- Privateinvestigat0r describes in a comment below the ending with a school metaphor that touches the heart: “It felt like the last day of school when friends leave forever. I watched the last episode hours ago, but I still don’t know why I feel so down and sad. It touches me personally.”
- @Jaskiir comments under the video: “The whole epilogue, with all its real emotions, a farewell from the characters and the series, for us as well as for the actors, was so convincing and beautiful. For me, it’s full circle and a peak ending for Stranger Things. In the end, everyone put down their player book, I had to cry just as truly as the actors. Outstanding!”
- @dirkschulz7282 particularly enjoys a recurring element: “Well, all those who didn’t like it, I really feel sorry for them. The final battle was grand because it was again about solidarity and friendship; we don’t need 30 minutes of gore-splatter for that. People who were emotionally touched enjoyed this finale and cried tears. It ended like it began: friendship and team spirit, which reflects again in Dungeons & Dragons (aka the ‘party’) as the characters complete their circle. Perfect. (FOR EDDY!)”
- Sephonik writes on Reddit: “My criticisms are that it was too safe and predictable, too fast-paced to really settle into a moment, and very explanatory. Still: They successfully landed the ship, and I enjoyed it nonetheless!”
However, even though there are some mild criticisms regarding the “safety” of the ending and some open questions, the majority of viewers seem to have enjoyed the last episode. Many commentators compare the ending to other series like Game of Thrones, Lucifer, and The Umbrella Academy, ultimately concluding each time that Stranger Things delivered a significantly better finale.
However, the open questions could be addressed in the announced spinoff titled Tales from ’85, which is set to be released in 2026 – although there is no specific date yet (see Moviepilot).
Anyone looking back nostalgically at the past 5 seasons of Stranger Things will likely soon be on the prowl for new soul food. Therefore, we have gathered some series that have a similar vibe and you shouldn’t miss if you enjoyed Stranger Things: 9 series like Stranger Things
