Stranger Things (2016-2025) Part 4

One of the most notable aspects of the second part was the rise of a newly discovered Hollywood talent. First seen in Evil Dead Rise (2023), the young actress Nell Fisher—who brings the character of Holly Wheeler to life in the series—proved to audiences that she possesses remarkable potential. As one of the actors with the most screen time in the final season, Fisher delivered a highly convincing performance. Considering her current showing, it seems inevitable that she will secure roles in many future Hollywood projects and eventually become a familiar name during award seasons.

Another standout alternative star of the season was young actor Jake Connelly, who portrayed the character “Dipshit Derek.” Leaving a strong mark on the fifth season with his abrasive sense of humor, this character can easily be counted among the season’s positive elements. Another performance worthy of praise belongs to Jamie Campbell Bower, who portrays the series’ main antagonist, Vecna. Since joining Stranger Things in its fourth season, the charismatic British actor has been responsible for many of the show’s most striking acting moments.

The three episodes leading up to the finale generally lowered expectations and signaled the possibility that the series might not conclude in a fully satisfying manner. This evoked memories of the disappointments experienced by audiences during the final seasons of major productions such as Game of Thrones and Lost. The finale itself—becoming the focal point of widespread criticism—stood out with its nearly 120-minute runtime and was even screened in select movie theaters across the United States. This “grand finale,” which caused Netflix’s servers to crash once again and symbolized the end of an era, will be examined in detail in this section of the article.

Approached with the belief that every strong beginning inevitably comes to an end, the highly anticipated final episode was once again constructed on a cinematic scale. The Duffer Brothers chose to build the episode around two distinct structures. While the first 80 minutes focused on the great battle of the heroes of Hawkins, the final 40 minutes transported the audience to 18 months after the resolution of events—specifically, the beginning of the summer of 1989. This period coincided with the release of the final film in the Indiana Jones series.

In the great battle, Eleven and Will joined forces and fully demonstrated their telekinetic abilities in the process of defeating Vecna. However, it can be argued that the “Braveheart”-style confrontations involving the rest of the group against Vecna and the Mind Flayer in the Abyss remained narratively more superficial. The absence of Demogorgons at this stage was surprising. The fact that the two primary sources of evil were neutralized so quickly and easily reinforced the impression that the Duffer Brothers’ pre-finale promise of “major surprises” had been overstated. Given the scale of the show’s success, expectations for a more shocking and unpredictable ending were inevitable. The use of Prince’s classic “Purple Rain” before Eleven’s disappearance at the end of the battle significantly heightened the emotional impact of the scene.

Nevertheless, despite occasionally losing momentum and feeling somewhat drawn out, the final 40 minutes of the episode offered a satisfying sense of closure for viewers who were primarily invested in the emotional core of the series. The closing of a chapter in the heroes’ lives and the gathering of a new generation around a Dungeons & Dragons table served as a meaningful tribute to the show’s legacy.

The controversial ending written for Eleven can be regarded as the best possible option among the available alternatives. After all, both killing the character and keeping her alive would have inevitably sparked different waves of criticism.

Bringing the story of Jane Ives—much like the series itself—to a “strange” conclusion was, ultimately, deeply satisfying. For this season, which oscillated between extremes and offered both an outstanding episode like “Sorcerer” and several notably weak ones, my final score falls between 6.5 and 7. One final note worth mentioning: the end credits sequence following the last scene—featuring comic-book versions of our heroes and crowned by David Bowie’s magnificent “Heroes”—was extraordinary, delivering a powerful emotional farewell that reinforced the series’ legacy. It allowed us to sorrowfully realize that the tabletop RPG written by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things, had slipped from our hands and disappeared into the darkness.

This long and impactful journey, which lasted nine years, came to an end in early 2026 and left a profound sense of emptiness in millions of viewers. At present, there is simply no other series capable of filling the void it left behind. Time will tell what comes next, but once again, as a beloved show reached its conclusion, we found ourselves watching the final scenes with tears in our eyes. With these remarkable projects that have touched our lives, the Duffer Brothers made their mark on the world and shared their beautiful, archive-worthy stories with millions of people across the globe.

Author: Volkan Çağlayan

Editor: Zehra Eda Sert