It's no secret that sticking the landing for long-running TV shows can be a difficult task. While some shows have good endings, there have been a ton of bad finales, especially in recent years. Game of Thrones' controversial finale is still a sore point years later, and most recently, those with a Netflix subscription were treated to the Stranger Things series finale. And I've got to address the hate that's been coming at The Duffer Brothers since its release.
There was a ton of expectations ahead of Stranger Things' final episode, which included a long epilogue that provided closure for its beloved cast of characters. But some fans still had problems, leading to a fan theory about a bonus episode. I was personally very satisfied with how the show ended, and think that we need to remember some of the actual bad finales we've gotten in recent years.
Stranger Things's Series Finale Is Getting Too Much Hate
Since Stranger Things is one of the best Netflix shows to binge-watch and has been the streamer's flagship series for years, it was going to be impossible to please everyone. Some folks complained that the final battle against Vecna went too quickly, with others wanting to see Demogorgons involved. And others were bummed about Eleven's fate, particularly those who didn't believe Mike's story and think she actually perished when The Upside Down was destroyed.
But despite how you might feel about Eleven's apparent sacrifice, I think that Stranger Things' epilogue offered a ton of closure. Joyce and Hopper got engaged, The Party graduated from high school and moved on from Hawkins, and the older teen characters were shown coming into their adulthood. And seeing the full cast unite in order to kill Vecna once and for all was thrilling.
Personally, I think that folks out there who are hating on Stranger Things' finale online need to be reminded of some of the terrible TV endings we've gotten. Game of Thrones is a big example of this, particularly Bran becoming King and Dany and Jon's fates. But that's far from the only example.
Dexter's finale was similarly disappointing when it aired in 2013, especially since it was airing at the same time as Breaking Bad's triumphant final season. I also recently watched True Blood, and was reminded how bad the entire seventh season was, including its last episode. Fans hated the How I Met Your Mother finale, and it hasn't gotten better with time. With all that history, I think it's safe to say that Stranger Things' finale doesn't belong on a list with those disappointing entries.
While you can't please everyone, Stranger Things offered a finale that I think will get more love as time goes on. The entire series is streaming now on Netflix, and a BTS documentary about its final season is set to debut January 12th as part of the 2026 TV schedule.
