Spoiler Alert !!!Spoilers for Stranger Things season 5, part 2, ahead!

After years of anticipation, people had high hopes for Stranger Things‘ finale, but it turned out to be the most divisive episode in the entire show. Yes, Vecna and the Mind Flayer were defeated, and most people got a happy ending, but many questions remained unanswered. However, it seemed like the creators weren’t even well-informed about the game that was at the core of their series (via Collider)

Oh, man, we did talk about a lot of them. I can’t remember. Was it Vlad? Here’s the weird thing: we grew up actually playing Magic: The Gathering. We did dabble in D&D, but my knowledge is embarrassingly low, considering how important it is to the show.

There also seemed to be plot holes or just things that made no real sense, and everyone looked to the Duffer Brothers for the answers, but the creative duo wasn’t convincing enough. So, let’s look at all the unsatisfactory and somewhat embarrassing things that Matt and Ross Duffer have said about the finale. 

The Duffer Brothers on Key Elements of Stranger Things Finale

In the post-finale interviews, the Duffer Brothers offered insight into several creative choices that previously puzzled fans. Viewers were questioning where the Upside Down creatures were in the Abyss, given it’s their home turf, and Vecna was accomplishing his final goal. 

To which Matt Duffer claimed how Vecna didn’t see it coming that he’d be attacked in the Abyss, and they didn’t want to repeat the whole demogorgon thing because the group had faced them several times before.

One of the other things we talked about was just demo fatigue. I felt like we did everything we wanted to do with them in “Sorcerer,” and wanting to keep the focus on Vecna and the Mind Flayer, who’s been absent this season.

They also answered questions about Eleven’s ambiguous ending, saying she represented the “magic of childhood,” and her character had to exit for Hawkins to move on. (via The Wrap). 

Other explanations leaned on off-screen logic, such as Will’s lack of reaction to Vecna’s death was due to the Mind Flayer already being dead and severing the connection, and Will’s struggles weren’t shown, so they could keep the focus on the final battle (via Collider). 

Joyce, Hopper, and Karen didn’t realize Vecna was Henry Creel on screen, but the conversation supposedly happened during the time jump. The military’s response to the events? They just left. And Vecna’s need for exactly 12 kids had no real logic; they just liked that it symbolized the clock. 

Why the Duffer Brothers’ Explanation Disappointed Longtime Fans

A still from Stranger Things | Credits: Netflix

Fans were disappointed because of what these answers revealed about their creative mindset for the finale. How are the demogorgons and bats absent from the final battle, when they’ve always worked for Vecna? Couldn’t they be summoned? And how could Vecna not have seen it coming when he literally entered the minds of Hopper and Eleven? He should have seen the plan and not underestimated the group that shot and burned him in the season 4 finale. 

Eleven, being the magical aspect of their childhood, is also an explanation that didn’t sit right with many, because she was a traumatized child who was exploited and created for her special abilities. She suffered the most, and nothing about her presence was magical! They didn’t bother to show us what happened with Murray, Dustin, and Suzie, and the whole connection between the Hawkins adults and Vecna.

Also, did they just chuck the whole hive mind concept out the window? How were they all breathing freely in a different dimension, and what happened to Robin and Vickie’s relationship? The Duffers had only lousy explanations to offer for important questions, as if they didn’t even write the show. How are there no consequences coming from the military? 

Wouldn’t Nancy and Hopper be in trouble for shooting down whole units? And Vecna just chose 12 kids on a whim? There were several fan theories about that specific number, yet the Duffers could only say it was symbolic to the clock. Stranger Things was once celebrated for its attention to detail, and this is not the show that fans recall watching. 

Here’s an overview of the show:

TitleStranger ThingsCreatorsThe Duffer BrothersMain castMillie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Maya HawkeJoe Keery, Cara BuonoNo. of Seasons5NetworkNetflixIMDb8.6/10Rotten Tomatoes90%

So, if you’re also a frustrated viewer, what complaint do you have about the series finale? 

Stranger Things is currently playing on Netflix (USA). 
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire