A start to all the things that went unanswered in the season 5 finale of Stranger Things.
By Natalie Nemunaitis
As you all should know, the closing episode of Stranger Things came out on December 31st at 8 PM. Unfortunately, I worked until 10 PM on New Year’s Eve. However, that did not stop me from powering off my phone and starting the final episode as soon as I got home. I literally watched the finale into the New Year. And based on that ending… I might be getting a concussion this year.
Personally, I loved the first 7 episodes of the fifth season. Some things definitely should have been tweaked (like the coming-out scene and the un-proposal scene), but no show is perfect. I spent hours scrolling through all of the TikTok theories for the finale, and they were all I thought of during my shift that day. The TikTok theories were complex, sickening, and distressing, and I could not wait to see which theory was right. None of them were right. But they were all mind-blowing. The finale was good. Decent. But as someone who grew up with the actors, I was disappointed. I was expecting to be jaw-dropped, in awe, not just end with a pleasant smile on my face.
Anyways, with every day that passes, I learn another fact that went forgotten in the finale. So here, I compiled a list of 5 simple plot holes that went unanswered in the finale.
Max
I know this is a sore subject, but first of all, how did Max graduate? She was comatose for 18 months. I fear that if you miss that much school, it is impossible for you to graduate at the same time as your classmates. Realistically speaking, didn’t Vecna also blind her?
Pregnant Women
Kali runs past many pregnant women strapped to hospital beds. In the finale, the Upside Down collapses. Are we to assume all the pregnant women died then, too? And if they did, why was a memorial never put up to remember them? Being treated as a lab rat is reason enough for your own memorial, I’m pretty sure.
Demogorgon
The demogorgons and demodogs became very prevalent throughout the seasons. In season 5, we find out they originate in The Abyss. And then, during the final battle against Vecna and the mind flayer, they decided it was a good time to grab coffee? Their leader is getting killed, and they still do not appear on screen.
Karen
Karen bravely defends her daughter against a demogorgon, and she has the scars to show for it during the graduation scene. And yet they completely disappear by the time she calls the kids upstairs at the end of the finale.
Nancy
Nancy has always been one of my favorite characters, and I even dressed as her for 2 Halloween’s in a row. She also murders a couple of soldiers in the finale. And faces no repercussions. Even though the soldiers weren’t the good guys, it is still murder. I guess the same town that keeps Hopper as Chief of Police, even after he spent months in a Russian prison camp, does not care for murder either.
For having impeccable writing the first 4 seasons, how did so many things simple go forgotten in the finale? Did the Duffer Brothers get a collective concussion? Again, I do recognize that the Duffer Brothers are good writers, and the acting is phenomenal. Nevertheless, good writers shouldn’t forget basic details in their finale. Especially for an intricate show like Stranger Things, where throughout the first four seasons, you learn that even a little thing can mean something big. So, when the physical color of the power level at the Squak radio station changes, fans will notice and assume that it is important. Honestly, when is Episode 9: Conformity Gate coming out?