Stranger Things - This Is The End

Overview

This episode provides a critical review of the final episode of Stranger Things, reflecting on its narrative choices, character arcs, and overall execution. While acknowledging its flaws, the reviewer offers a nuanced perspective on the series' conclusion, balancing its emotional resonance with its shortcomings.

Notable Quotes

- The Duffer brothers collect characters like other people collect Pokémon cards. – On the show's bloated cast and lack of character focus.

- It’s kind of earned it at this point. – On the emotional manipulation of the finale and the series' nostalgic impact.

- Did it stick the landing? Well, it definitely wobbled and maybe took a step back to steady itself, but it did at least go out on its feet. – On the finale's overall execution.

🎬 Over-the-Top Finale

- The final episode is described as overblown, overwritten, melodramatic, and self-indulgent, with comparisons to a Marvel movie featuring sky beams, portals, and giant monsters.

- The climactic battle is criticized for its reliance on spectacle over substance, with Eleven's powers reaching implausible levels and other characters given seemingly arbitrary roles to keep them involved.

- The resolution is deemed predictable and conventional, lacking the unexpected twists that initially defined the series.

🧩 Unanswered Questions and Plot Holes

- The finale raises numerous unresolved questions, such as the origins of the Mind Flayer and the Upside Down's transformation from a dangerous realm to a seemingly navigable space.

- The military's motivations and actions are left unclear, and some character arcs, like Max's resurrection, feel unnecessary or underdeveloped.

- The show struggles with the challenge of providing satisfying answers to its mysteries while inadvertently creating new, unanswered ones.

👥 Character Overload and Development Issues

- The series is criticized for its excessive number of characters, leading to many being underutilized or sidelined in the finale.

- Attempts to give every character a role in the final battle result in contrived and often illogical scenarios.

- The love triangle between Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan is resolved in an anticlimactic manner, with Nancy choosing a mundane future over either romantic option.

🎭 Emotional Manipulation and Nostalgia

- The finale leans heavily on emotional manipulation and nostalgia, which the reviewer acknowledges as effective but overly sentimental.

- The epilogue, nearly an hour long, ties up loose ends but feels overly neat and convenient, with some plot points conveniently forgotten.

- The final scene, a game of Dungeons & Dragons, serves as a bittersweet farewell, symbolizing the end of an era for both the characters and the actors.

⚖️ Final Verdict

- While the finale avoids the catastrophic missteps of other series finales (Game of Thrones is mentioned as a comparison), it is criticized for playing it too safe and failing to deliver a truly bold or innovative conclusion.

- Despite its flaws, the series is acknowledged for its cultural impact and the emotional weight of its conclusion, even if it falls short of being a triumphant ending.