Stranger Things has drawn to an epic and emotional close, with a dramatic two-hour finale that briefly jammed Netflix’s servers as fans rushed to witness the end of an era, per bbc.com
The sci-fi horror series, which first aired in 2016, concluded its 10-year run at 01:00 GMT. The surge in global viewership caused temporary technical glitches, with many subscribers reporting error messages before the streaming giant restored service.
Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the finale, titled Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up, delivered a cinematic scale typically reserved for the big screen. In the US and Canada, many fans attended special cinema screenings, joined by stars including Finn Wolfhard and Brett Gelman.
The finale saw the core cast, led by Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour and Winona Ryder, engage in a final stand against Vecna and the Mind Flayer. While the core group survived the onslaught, the episode was not without sacrifice, featuring the death of Kali (Eight) and a divisive, open-ended fate for Eleven.
After an 18-month time jump, the story provided closure for many, showing Joyce and Hopper engaged and the younger cast transitioning into adulthood. However, the fate of Eleven remains a point of intense debate. A poignant epilogue suggests she may have survived by using illusion powers, escaping to a “land with three waterfalls,” a conclusion the Dungeons & Dragons party chooses to believe.
Outside The Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, fans braved the rain to celebrate the series. Liv Valdez, dressed in the iconic “Scoops Ahoy” uniform, told the BBC: “The Duffer Brothers did a good job of giving the audience what we needed, maybe not necessarily what we wanted.”
While some critics noted minor plot holes and anachronisms, such as a modern sportswear logo appearing in the 1980s setting, the general consensus among the “Hawkins faithful” was one of tearful satisfaction.
“It was an emotional roller-coaster,” said Alina Valdez. “There was no better way to end this.”
•Featured image: Millie Bobby Brown, who has starred in Stranger Things since its launch in 2016/BBC
