Stranger Things Season 5 Finale Review: Is It As Bad As People Say?
Last updated: July 2026. Scores may shift as more audience ratings come in, this page will get updated if that happens.
Quick Verdict, No Spoilers
🟡 7/10.
The end of the show is a little sweet, but it's also a little predictable, with
a couple of knock-out performances. If you've seen the entire series, you will
most likely be satisfied. If you're looking for an ending that will define the
genre, it's not there.
Final Verdict: 🟡 If you've made it this far, watch it; not
the ending some fans wanted.
Pros and Cons
Pros: that the emotional payoffs are strong for Hopper, Eleven, and Mike; it's actually quite a good ending for the main three; Jamie Campbell Bower does a fine job of Vecna.
cons: The whole cast survives, so there's no real stakes
and an epilogue which is quite too long to fit into an 18-month time jump is as
the final confrontation with the Mind Flayer is supposed to be so much more
dangerous than it actually is.
Scorecard
Emotional payoff: 🟢 8/10
Villain and final battle: 🟡 6/10
Pacing: 🟡 5/10
Character arcs: 🟢 8/10
Ending closure: 🟡 6/10
Overall: 🟡 7/10
The Critic and Audience Divide
This really does explain how this finale was received, and
it is well to know before watching the show. The season garnered plenty of
praise, with critics rating it at about 85 percent, based on over 140 reviews.
This is the lowest viewing score it has ever had (and the highest rating from
the critics), with regular viewers giving it an average of just about 55
percent.
Stranger thing season 5 trailer
Why Are Fans Divided on the Ending?
What people were looking for was different, which accounts
for the majority of this gap.
Others fans did not want higher stakes or actual character
deaths, a darker ending, and more answers about the Upside Down itself.
Others appreciated the emotional parting, character
reunions, nostalgia and a neat tidy finish to the main characters.
Both sides are right. The finale just had to close without
taking any chances, and this is how the ends turn out on different
expectations.
Show Information
Show: Stranger Things
Season: 5, Final Episode "The Rightside Up"
Release: New Year's Eve, streamed on Netflix and shown in over 620 theaters
Runtime: Approximately 2 hours 8 minutes
Created by: Matt and Ross Duffer
Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie
Sink, Noah Schnapp, Jamie Campbell Bower, Maya Hawke.
Spoiler Warning Starts Here
All below this point is discussion of the actual ending in
detail. If you've not seen it, then that's all you need to know - the verdict
is above.
What The Finale Gets Right
It is the character work in the rear half that really
impresses. Hopper and Eleven's moments are where they belong and Mike finally
gets a genuine shot after missing much of the previous two seasons. The best
Vecna he has played in the series has been in this final arc, which is done by
Jamie Campbell Bower.
Where It Falls Short
The end never kills off a big character, which makes for a
tension-less show kill-off of an already big fight. The fate of Eleven is never
entirely clear Mike provides a theory that she survived, but this doesn't
sound like much of a bold wager; it sounds like a way of keeping everyone
happy. After Vecna, the Mind Flayer, the final threat is included, but is
easily defeated – never as dangerous as the build-up would have made it here.
The epilogue of almost all of the characters, which is 18 months later, is also
rather long, presenting a review of their respective lives just after the main
events.
My Take
I came to the show with the impression that there was going
to be a real risk with the conclusion, but that wasn't the case. The scenes
involving emotion are effective and the cast is definitely doing their bit to
ensure that these characters get a proper send-off. But, for a finale this big,
it was too cheap to gamble with such a score which is much lower than the
critics.
Is It Worth Watching?
Yes, even if it has its flaws, having this closure when
you've watched the previous four seasons is something you'll want. If you're
new to the show, this isn't the season to judge it by, start from season one.
What's Next for Stranger Things
It's not over yet. There is also an animated spin-off,
Stranger Things: Tales from '85, due to be released later in 2026 and a
separate live-action spin-off set in a different time period is also under
development.
Similar shows to watch:
- Dark
- The OA
- Fear Street
- Where To Watch
- Stranger Things Season 5 is now on Netflix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stranger Things Season 5 bad?
No, it was quite good, about 85 percent positive. The
pacing and no real stakes in the end were the reasons that audience scores were
lower with them at about 55 percent.
Does anyone die in the finale?
No one is killed
outright in the show. The fate of eleven is left up to interpretation either
way.
Is there a spoiler-free version of this review?
Yes, everything up until the spoiler warning is relevant to
the verdict, but not plot specific.
Will there be more Stranger Things?
The spinoff has been confirmed, with both an animated and a
live-action version.
Final Verdict
🟡 7/10.
Worth watching for the closure, not the
ending riskier fans wanted.
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