The Up Side Down Fandom was split by a Finale.
The long-awaited finale to Stranger Things, one of the series that has established Netflix as a dominating force over the last ten years, has just been released, and the fans have not been that excited about it. The finale of season 5, titled The Rightside Up, has caused an enormous outburst of criticism, with supporters and critics alike calling the season finale a monumental disappointment. Once supposedly the climax of the entire sci-fi saga, the episode now has the lowest audience rating in the history of Rotten Tomatoes on the show, falling to 56% dismal. Social media is swarmed with hashtags equating the ending to the notorious Game of Thrones ending, with people implying that the Duffer Brothers failed to finish this massive success off.
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The central aspect of the backlash is the sense that the show was more about safety and nostalgia than about taking narrative risks. As a series that has established its reputation based on high stakes and the 80s horror aspect, the finale has faced criticism in being surprisingly toothless. Those who had anticipated a rough, heartfelt ending where the party will incur a veritable loss were instead provided with what is being termed by many as a Disney-fied ending. The fact that the big characters are not killed, years of setup notwithstanding indicating a deadly confrontation, has resulted in the accusation that the writers were too afraid to offend the fanbase. This plot armor was previously a minor complaint, but it has now turned into the main one, and people believe the fight against Vecna was not earned and sacrificing.
The Villain Problem: Vecnas and the Weak Defeat of the Mind Flayer.
The treatment of the final enemies of the show, Vecna and the Mind Flayer, has become one of the most controversial arguments. Over the years, these organizations were set as universal dangers of boundless strength, able to demolish civilizations. But in the climax their defeat has been called as anticlimactic and hurried. The absurdity of the main cast eliminating a kaui-sized Mind Flayer with common weapons such as flare guns and slingshots has been mentioned by the fans. The reasoning which has kept the show glued appears to have broken down in the last hour, as the villains are now in a vulnerable position and it is just because the plot dictates it.
Critics have also commented that the dreadful mystery of the Upside Down was taken away and the ancient evil turned into a punchline. The origin story of Vecna, carefully designed in Season 4, was released far too easily depriving viewers of the epic psychic fight they were expecting. This has been mentioned as a significant plot gap because the Demodogs or other animals that will protect their master in the ultimate fight are missing. Many of them were of the view that the authors were in a hurry to the finish line with the tactical intricacy of past fights, such as the battle at the Starcourt Mall, being left out. The vastness of threat never appeared to correspond to the challenge of the resolution and the triumph was an empty one.
The Uncertain Destiny of Eleven: A Cop-Out or a KBD?
The most controversial part of the finale is, perhaps, the destiny of Eleven, the super-powered heart of the show. The plot decision to make her sacrifice herself to close the gate only to then blow it in the next second with a theory that she is faking her death has made viewers furious. This Schrodingers Cat ending of having Eleven be both dead and alive at the same time depending on whether or not the viewer wants to believe so is being criticized as a cowardly writing choice. Rather than devoting themselves to the demise of a tragic hero or a difficult survival, the showrunners tried to have both cakes and thus ended up with a resolution that left no one satisfied.
The many have discredited the monologue given by Mike concerning Eleven as being a survival survivalist who had fled and was living in the shadows has been pointed out by many as mere coping and poor writing. It successfully takes the emotional heavy load of her sacrifice and transforms a tear-inducing scene into a confusing puzzle. According to fans, five seasons of trauma and development led to the character being given a definite ending, be it a peaceful life with her friends or a heroic death. The show leaves it open ended and therefore the consequences of her existence in the real world, namely, the relentless pursuit of her by the government is avoided. This is more of a method of holding onto the door when it comes to spinoffs instead of giving closure to the story of the character.
Endless Problems with Mysteries and Plot Holes.
Even on top of the character arcs, the finale is tearing itself to pieces to leave the mountain of questions about lore unanswered. The essence of the Upside Down, namely, why it was frozen on the day Will disappeared, is unclear. The series never discloses entirely how the creatures originated, how the dimension X and the Mind Flayer are connected or how the stone which endowed Henry Creel with his abilities worked. To a show that boasted of its complex mythology, it is almost a betrayal to the fans who have spent years speculating about it.
The absence of punishment to the actions of the main characters is also another point of contention. The group has been devastating federal plants and killing many soldiers, but they are free to get away with it during the epilogue. This suspension of disbelief has broken down in the minds of many viewers and they cannot believe that the US government can just allow a group of teenagers to get away with such an incident of such high profile. The montage of happy endings, with engagements and college acceptances, does not seem to be connected with the reality that the trauma and law-related chaos after the events of the season should bring to life instead of being idyllic.
The Duffer Brothers Under Fire.
The makers of the show, the Duffer brothers, Matt and Ross, are already under the fire, and in interviews are seen feeling weary and on the defensive about the reception. The anger has not been suppressed by Matt Duffer when he admits that he is fried and regretting post-finale interviews. Their response of the ending being meant to be ambiguous has been read by jaded fans as them admitting that they did not know how to do it. The analogy to Lost another series that is known to be abridged in divisive and unanswered questions is getting more popular on the internet.
