This article does provide spoilers, please do not continue reading if you haven’t watched it!

You’ve probably heard about the new Stranger Things season, specifically about the hype towards the finale. Since 2022, people have been waiting for the end of their favorite childhood series. Though, the Duffer Brothers, who write and direct the show, have received lots of backlash and complaints over the season finale. The finale currently holds a divisive 56% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, a sharp decline from the 89% of season 4, which is a huge difference when taking into consideration how much hype the show has gotten over the last decade.

Complaints have consisted of there being a short amount of plot, action and a bloated epilogue, lack of iconic monsters, like demogorgons, demodogs, demobats, ect. and the final battle felt short and surprisingly underwhelming. Most were disappointed– we were promised a suspenseful and amazing, but sad ending.

 Another complaint was the unanswered conclusion to appearing couples and character deaths. Eleven’s “death” scene, it was unclear what her fate became. Then couples like Nancy and Johnathan, Mike and Eleven, Dustin and Suzie, and Robin and Vickie, what was their outcome? Specifically the disappearance with Vickie at the end left viewers very confused. Most viewers are upset due to the fact that Robin and Vickie broke up, the relationship being the only queer representation.

This season it seemed that main characters were becoming sidelined, and stopped having a bigger role in the show. People wanted to see more of their favorite characters, including the ones who had a huge impact on the storyline and plot in the earlier seasons. However, others got even more screen time than before. For example, small characters like Holly and Kali, seemed to get bigger roles when they only had minutes of screen time in the earlier seasons.

 Some despised it so much they thought it to be a “fake ending.” This is known as the “Conformity Gate” theory. This theory trended for weeks, people were hoping for a secret ninth episode. Though the Duffer Brothers have confirmed, that was the ending, and that there are no other episodes coming out.