Ten years, five seasons, and forty-two episodes. Stranger Things, the franchise that took over the world, has finally come to a close. Netflix’s biggest show has spanned over the course of a decade and garnered millions of fans with millions of theories. With each season taking more than two years to produce, there was controversy over the chosen release dates and how the series adjourned. 

Stranger Things season 1 aired July 15, 2016. Immediately, the show obtained a massive following.  By 2017, season two was released and the rest is history. More seasons were released, more beloved characters came and went, and the story continued to grow. There was one season, though, that stood out to viewers. “Season three was by far the best,” Charlotte Small, a GHS junior, claims, “the vibes were just unmatched.”

Season five came with high expectations. In eight, 90-minute long episodes, the series had to tie up all storylines. Many feel as though the show was anticlimactic and left some loose ends. GHS junior Addie Ouellette said that she was overall satisfied with the finale. “I think they definitely did a good job wrapping it up for the most part but they left out some details I wish were included,” she expressed. Others were disappointed with the characters’ ending. Charlotte verbalized that she wished for a happier ending. “The season was very good, but a little disappointing because Eleven deserved so much better.” 

When it was announced that the episodes would be released sporadically, there were several different opinions. Volume 1 was released on November 26, Volume 2 came out December 25, and the finale episode came out December 31. “While I was waiting for the first seven episodes to come out, I was frustrated with the staggered release dates,” Addie said, “However, when I was waiting for the final episode, I realized that it had given me something to look forward to.” 

Now, with the series at a close and the Duffer’s Instagram confirming spin-offs, the fandom continues to wait in anticipation. Addie stated, “I think that the way they ended wouldn’t allow for anything else to happen, but I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing what they will do with a spinoff.”