Story by Lucy Coffey and Lillie Nhep
Illustration by Emilia Lis
The Tali Toss Up is a series dedicated to our staff voicing their opinions on why something is better than the other. In this case, Talisman website writing editor Lillie Nhep and copy editor Lucy Coffey argue to establish whether or not the Stranger Things finale was good or bad. This article contains spoilers for any viewer who has not seen the show’s final episode.
The critically acclaimed show “Stranger Things” debuted on Netflix on July 15, 2016. It was created by brothers Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer, according to Stranger Things Wiki. The storyline takes place in the 1980s and revolves around a group of kids who encounter a strange world, later called the Upside Down, in Hawkins, Indiana.
The season finale aired on Dec. 31, 2025, following seven other episodes that were released from Nov. 26 to Dec. 25, according to Stranger Things Wiki. The finale was met with mixed reviews from audiences and the internet, with some arguing that the finale was lackluster while others argued that it was a good way to wrap up the show.
Why I didn’t like the “Stranger Things” Finale – Lillie Nhep
I wouldn’t say that I have the best critical lens when watching a movie or a show. Nonetheless, I do know that the finale of “Stranger Things” was not up to the usual standards of a critically acclaimed show.
The “Stranger Things” finale felt rushed and unfulfilling. The characters get their happy ending, but what about the repercussions? Are they not reaching for the corners of their sanity after beating several flesh-eating monsters?
I was recently on TikTok scrolling through several edits of the “Stranger Things” cast when I came across a video that talked about how the show’s finale left a gaping hole of questions.
Fans across several platforms spread the viral conspiracy theory known as “Conformity Gate.” The theory suggests that the happy ending of the final season is, in fact, an illusion crafted by Vecna, the series’ antagonist. Some of their theories included: Vecna’s mind control on everyone to fake a peaceful reality, cryptic messages about the other dimension being fake and the significance of the dice roll of seven.
I am not a true fan of the show. However, I can’t help but side with the team that says that the final season is a hoax. Where did the mystery wrapped in nostalgia go? The show’s glamour comes from 80s nostalgia and pop culture references. Did that get lost in the Upside Down, too?
Some of my close friends and I watched the last episode as it was released right on New Year’s Eve. We all agreed that it would be sad to see a chapter of our lives end. Especially, with the great battle between the families of Hawkins and the inner fantastical realm that is the Upside Down.
I even shed one tear when I realized that this show came out when I was in middle school. Now, I’m watching it as a college student, with my college friends. “Stranger Things” has been integrated into mainstream culture. In a way, the show has always been there in the background of my life.
From playing Dungeons and Dragons in Mike Wheeler’s basement to fighting the Mind Flayer in another dimension, the whole idea of friendship and coming of age seemed relevant and, at times, relatable.
However, with each build-up of every episode, I expected more than a bunch of storylines that never filled out. To me, it felt like the Duffer brothers couldn’t make up their minds about what stories they wanted to develop. The storylines ranged from saving every character to using dumb plot armors to cater to an audience who aren’t die-hard fans.
What happened to the government? No one questioned Sheriff Jim Hopper’s return from the dead? Did Eleven, commonly known as “El,” actually find the three waterfalls? Ambiguity plays a larger role in the finale. I’ve seen “Stranger Things,” but it’s even more strange that a show that started off so strong could end on such a weak note.
One of my friends joked about how the incorporation of nostalgic tunes like “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac or “Purple Rain” by Prince was to distract us from the glaring plot holes of the show.
I can’t help but feel that this sentiment is true. One can only imagine that slapping Prince on a very traumatic event in their life would somehow magically fix their heart.
Why I liked the “Stranger Things” Finale – Lucy Coffey
When I first started watching “Stranger Things,” I didn’t think that I would become as obsessed as I did.
Like any other young adult, I was hooked on the eerie world of 1980s Hawkins, Indiana. I didn’t even care for the sci-fi genre that much, but “Stranger Things” quickly became an exception. I followed the show through the 10-year-long run and was ready to finally see what would happen to my favorite characters, such as Joyce Byers and Dustin Henderson.
As I sat down with my family for the final episode, I prepared myself for a character death or last-minute plot twist. I have to say, I think that the final fight with the Mind Flayer was lame, and that it was all over way too soon. I also think that at least one character should’ve died, and I think it should’ve been someone not as vital to the plot, such as Jonathan Byers or Robin Buckley. However, I digress.
Overall, I felt that the finale was underwhelming in all aspects, and I wasn’t impressed. That was until the scene where our heroes leave the Upside Down and set off the bomb to destroy the Upside Down once and for all.
A fun fact about me is that I am obsessed with Prince Rogers Nelson. He was a musician widely known for his album and movie of the same name, “Purple Rain.” The album was released in 1984 and features nine songs. Hits such as “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Take me with U” are on the album, as well as the iconic rock ballad “Purple Rain.”
I had seen the Prince Instagram account post a teaser of the “Purple Rain” title card behind a stormy background from the Upside Down. I knew then that the Prince estate had collaborated with “Stranger Things” and that a song would be featured.
This was exciting for me, because Prince was known to have been notoriously picky with how his music was sampled and licensed. This would be one of the rare times that his music was featured in a piece of main-stream media.
As Murray Bauman set the record on the bomb, the synths of the classic and dramatic hit “When Doves Cry” from the “Purple Rain” soundtrack kicked in. Tears immediately welled up in my eyes, and I smiled as I watched the characters ride out of the Upside Down and into the real world again.
To say I wasn’t prepared for the next few minutes of the episode would be an understatement.
I watched as the gang was ambushed by the military as soon as they passed through the portal from the Upside Down. The main boys, Mike, Dustin, Will Byers and Lucas Sinclair were held back by soldiers as one of the main antagonists Dr. Kay searched for El in the van. The camera panned to El, who was standing in the portal. Mike saw El in the portal, and as he was tackled by a soldier he was transported into El’s mind.
The two embraced each other as Mike begged El to stay in the real world. It was about this time that a couple familiar guitar chords started to play, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up as Will’s did when he encountered Vecna.
As “Purple Rain” started, a montage of a young Mike and El played onto the screen. At this point, I was sobbing. We saw the scene where Mike first found El in the woods in season one, to the scene in season four where he confesses his love to her.
It was gut wrenching, especially with Prince’s epic rock ballad playing in the background. The lyrics of the song seemed to perfectly pair up with the situation. The first lyric reads “I never meant to cause you any sorrow/I never meant to cause you any pain,” which I felt matched up with El’s situation. She never meant to cause any pain to Mike.
I believe that this scene saved the finale, and after watching that scene, I was left with a new perspective. Sure, the ending of the show seemed underwhelming, but maybe that was what the series needed.
Prince once said in an interview that “…purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain.”
Maybe the show needed calm after the storm, with everyone continuing on with daily life after the horrors of the Upside Down and Vecna’s reign, or the “Purple Rain.”