“Stranger Things” is a Netflix series created by Matt and Ross Duffer, commonly referred to as The Duffer Brothers. Set in the 1980s, the series centers on the town of Hawkins, Indiana. A group of kids led by Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, and Dustin Henderson, uncover supernatural events after their friend, Will Byers, vanished. This leads them to discover another dimension called The Upside Down and a psychokinetic girl named Eleven. Meanwhile Will’s mother, Joyce, and police chief, Jim Hopper, investigate his disappearance.
The final season of “Stranger Things” was highly anticipated, as it had been three years since the last season had come out. The final season resolved the battle with Vecna, leaving fans with a bittersweet farewell to the show that’s been on for nine years, as season one came out in 2016 and the final episode was released in 2025. Some found the finale perfect, while others felt it was too rushed, confusing, or below the standard of the previous season. The final season came out in three parts. Volume One, which was four episodes, was released on November 26, 2025. Volume Two, which was three episodes, was released on December 25, 2025. Finally, Volume Three was the finale episode and was released on December 31, 2025.
Students at South Oldham High School (SOHS) have very strong opinions about the ending to this epic franchise. Dustin Knorr (9) said he liked the idea of the season being broken into three parts because “it gave people more time to watch everything if they are not caught up, and gave people something to talk about for weeks.”
While many students had similar responses to Knorr, lots of students also felt the three parts were unnecessary and a lot to take in. Alexis Shinn (11) said, “They should have released them closer to each other because I had to re-watch the past episodes from the previous part because I forgot what had happened.” The first two parts being released almost a month apart played a factor in multiple students’ opinions, with some people being impatient, wanting to watch it all at once, while others liked it because it is easier to watch four episodes in a row than nine all at one time, before others would spoil the show.
In a survey of 133 SOHS students, 34.1% of students rated the finale a 3 out of 5, with 5 being the best. The second most popular vote was 27.3%, rating it a 1. Students also gave their opinions about why they rated the final episode the way they did.
Violet Anderson (10) rated the ending a three and claimed that the ending “was very rushed and had a ton of loose ends.” Charlotte Sidwell (9) made a similar statement after rating the finale a three as well, saying there “should’ve been more deaths as the ending was predictable” and overall ended with “a lot of flaws.”
While many expressed their disappointment with the ending, some SOHS students liked the ending. Gabe Donnelly (10) gave the finale four stars, saying, “The ending is not given credit for what it is worth. There were a lot of plot holes, but the overall theme of the show focuses on friendship, and they captured that part well.”
Another student, Bailey Dunn (10), rated the finale a four as well, saying she “really enjoyed the ending.” Dunn elaborates, explaining, “I thought it gave good closure to most of the characters, and while some scenes could be explained more, I think it was on purpose to get people talking and promote The Duffer Brothers ‘Stranger Things’ spin-off show.”
Ultimately, many students had very different views on the finale, from saying it was rushed and had too many characters, to noting a less focused narrative which struggled to balance its cast. However, many people did appreciate the ending because it was a bittersweet farewell to one of the biggest shows this past decade.
