😱 STRANGER THINGS JUST ENDED… And It’s Officially The Biggest TV Letdown Since Game of Thrones?!

You invested a DECADE in Hawkins’ heroes – fighting Demogorgons, surviving the Mind Flayer, watching Eleven bleed for the world… all building to THIS epic finale?!

But the 2+ hour “The Rightside Up” dropped on NYE, and fans are EXPLODING: “Safe Disney ending!” “No stakes, no deaths!” “Vecna hyped as god – defeated in minutes?!” “Eleven’s ‘sacrifice’ feels cheap!” “Endless epilogue, zero consequences!”

Rotten Tomatoes audience score CRASHED to series low ~56%… petitions brewing… queerbaiting accusations flying… production slammed as “sloppy CGI mess”…

Did the Duffer Brothers deliver a tearful, nostalgic goodbye – or totally botch the legacy with a rushed, predictable flop that played it WAY too safe?

The backlash is BRUTAL – tears, rage, memes everywhere. Read more 👇🔥💔

Netflix closed out its flagship series Stranger Things on New Year’s Eve with the release of the supersized finale, “The Rightside Up,” but the much-hyped conclusion has sparked intense backlash, with many viewers and reviewers declaring it a major disappointment that failed to live up to the show’s massive buildup.

The episode, clocking in at over two hours and screened theatrically in select markets, aimed to wrap the saga of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Will (Noah Schnapp), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and the rest of the Hawkins crew in their battle against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and the Upside Down threats. Yet, post-release reactions have been sharply divided, with audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes plummeting to around 56% – the lowest in the series’ history – amid accusations of review-bombing tied to specific character moments.

Critics have been somewhat kinder, holding the season at an 85% approval rating, but even positive reviews often note shortcomings in execution. One outlet described the finale as having “the scope but not quite the visual language” of the show’s peak seasons, citing cluttered CGI and uneven pacing. Others called it “mediocre,” “flat and cliched,” or a “shallow” conceit that prioritized nostalgia over bold risks.

Central to the discontent is the perceived lack of stakes. After seasons portraying Vecna as an omnipotent, god-like villain and the Upside Down as an apocalyptic force, his defeat – involving gunfire, flames, and a decapitation by Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) – felt anticlimactic and overly swift to many. “They built this unbeatable monster for years, only to take him down in minutes with basic weapons,” echoed complaints across social media. The absence of a massive Demogorgon army or prolonged battle further fueled perceptions of a “safe” resolution, with no major fan-favorite deaths despite teases of high consequences.

Eleven’s fate proved another flashpoint. In a apparent sacrifice to destroy the Upside Down wormhole and end government experiments, she stays behind as a bomb detonates. However, the ending leaves her status ambiguous – Mike narrates a hopeful theory involving her sister Kali’s (Linnea Berthelsen) powers, ending on a shot of Eleven near a waterfall. The Duffer Brothers have explained this open-ended approach as thematic, tying to growth and letting go, but detractors called it evasive and unsatisfying, robbing the moment of emotional weight.

The finale’s structure also drew criticism: a packed first hour of action followed by an extended epilogue set 18 months later, focusing on graduations, relationships, and a final Dungeons & Dragons game. While some praised the nostalgic needle drops (including David Bowie’s “Heroes”) and emotional farewells – Hopper (David Harbour) proposing to Joyce, the group vowing to stay connected – others found it bloated and low-stakes. “Too much fan service, not enough payoff,” one review summarized.

Broader issues compounded the frustration. Production delays from strikes and the pandemic led to visible aging and time jumps, with reports of “sloppy” visual effects, amateurish sets, and anachronisms. Supporting characters like Linda Hamilton’s addition felt underutilized, and plot threads – including deeper Upside Down origins – went unresolved.

Fan reactions exploded online, with hashtags trending and Netflix briefly crashing under demand. Some hailed emotional arcs, particularly Will’s journey, but many labeled it “predictable,” “cringey,” or a “complete letdown.” Comparisons to Game of Thrones Season 8 were rampant, with debates over whether Stranger Things now holds the crown for most fumbled finale. Accusations of queerbaiting surfaced regarding Will’s storyline, overlapping with earlier Volume 2 backlash over his coming-out scene.

Defenders argued the restraint avoided gratuitous shocks, focusing on character growth over horror bloodbath. The Duffer Brothers emphasized intentional ambiguity and themes of moving on, noting pre-release fears of divisive reception but confidence in their vision.

Viewership shattered records nonetheless, cementing Stranger Things as a cultural juggernaut that launched stars and revived ’80s nostalgia. Planned spinoffs, including an animated series, promise more from the universe, but the core story ends here amid heated debate.

As forums dissect every choice, one consensus emerges: the finale ensured Stranger Things will be argued over for years, whether as a heartfelt sendoff or a cautionary tale of playing it too safe.

All episodes are streaming on Netflix.