Worst season to exist.
I have never been much of a sci-fi person, but when a friend convinced me to try watching Stranger Things, I gave it a shot and I fell in love. I was captivated by the storylines, the warmth of the characters and the depth of understanding the show gave me of their dynamics. I binge-watched the entire series in just three weeks, and if it hadn’t been for university and other commitments, I would have finished it in a single week.
That’s why Stranger Things season five hurt so much. Fans have been waiting nearly a decade for the conclusion of a show they grew up with, a series that held its reputation over four strong seasons. However, season five’s Volume 2 and 3, felt like a betrayal, not just to long-term fans, but to the show itself.
It felt like a slap in the face. The writing was riddled with repeated errors, plot holes and inconsistent storylines, leaving the fandom in a frenzy.
One of the biggest reactions to this disappointment was Conformity Gate, a fancreated theory born out of dissatisfaction with the finale. According to the theory, the ending we saw was not the true finale, but an illusion created by Vecna, the villain. Fans pointed to details in the epilogue, explaining that characters were in strange positioning or mannerisms, unexplained changes in props and symbols that didn’t make sense. To put it simply, the theory goes to say that the real finale has yet to be released or will be revealed later, and that the characters have actually conformed to a false ending instead of breaking free.
In other words, fans are saying the show lied to us, that the happyending montage where everyone graduates and goes on with their lives is just an illusion set up by Vecna himself. Some believers even pegged a potential release date for this hypothetical “true” finale, though the series has ended. What’s funny is how many are saying, “Imagine writing a finale so bad that your fans go through a collective psychosis.”
After years of hype and massive buildup, fans just couldn’t accept that the finale might feel as underwhelming as it did. Social media exploded with speculation, memes, theories and heated debates and Netflix didn’t exactly quell it, leading many to feel like they were being trolled.
I spoke with a few fans to understand their perspectives. Yuvraj Shah said, “The ending felt off. The fight scene felt like it was five minutes. I expected way more because the show held its reputation, and it felt complete, but this was just disappointing.” Aiden Miller shared similar thoughts, “The story felt empty and left me questioning the plot holes that were not explained.”
On the other hand, some fans were more forgiving. Ajay Persad said, “You can’t complain. I felt the ending was good. Was it the best? No. But it’s just a show that’s going to have errors. People need to stop overanalyzing everything and just enjoy it.” Another fan on TikTok pointed out, “Social media makes things worse. People will complain, but it doesn’t make Stranger Things bad. People are just pissed they didn’t get the ending everyone wanted.”
I understand this perspective to some extent. But for someone like me, the finale left a sense of emptiness. Expectations were high, and the Duffer Brothers, the creators, did not deliver. With a reported $400 million budget and three years to prepare the final season, fans anticipated something monumental. Even the Duffers themselves stated in their behind the scenes documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, “We went into production without having a finished script for the finale,” which itself explains why the final season had been a shithole.
Season five didn’t just disappoint; it undermined the entire legacy of Stranger Things. For a show that captured hearts, this ending was a stark reminder that even the most beloved series can stumble.
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