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Stranger Things has finally come to an end after almost ten years of the supernatural world, interdimensional terrors, and the friendships that lasted forever. And the iconic finale, two hours long, is presented with Hawkins again as the battlefield for the supernatural forces.
Vecna and the Mind Flayer are about to merge the Abyss and the real world, while the gang is going to the ultimate test of courage, loyalty, and strategy. The episode takes the audience by the hand straight into the chaos, action, and suspense, and rewards them emotionally as the kids of Hawkins, now young adults, prepare for a final, do-or-die mission to save their town, friends, and the world.
Now more than ever, the situation is really hard. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), and Max (Sadie Sink) go into Vecna's mind and have to deal with memories, illusions, and the horrible Abyss. On the other hand, Hopper (David Harbour) and Murray (Brett Gelman) prepare a bomb that is intended to destroy the Upside Down for good.
The rest of the gang, which consists of Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin, is carrying out their bold attack from the real world, facing the Squawk radio tower and the monstrous Pain Tree, which is now revealed to be the Mind Flayer itself.
The finale has been prepared to link every aspect of the series' lore to the emotion, laughter, and camaraderie that have always been at its core.
The abyss and the battle against Vecna
The group was divided into two parties: one was penetrating Vecna's consciousness, and the other was climbing the Squawk radio tower to penetrate the Abyss.
Eleven fought against her sibling, Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower), who had completely become one with the Mind Flayer while Max and Kali created illusions and manipulated memories to confuse him. Max's telepathic connection made it possible for Holly Wheeler and other kids caught in the trap to come out, but the Abyss itself was going to crush the whole thing.
In the classic Stranger Things style, little emotional moments are found during the turmoil. The radio tower serves as the site for a silent conversation between Will and Mike, who are talking about identity and bravery amidst an apocalypse, while Steve and Jonathan meet in a tense yet affectionate moment, which highlights the series' continuous messages of friendship and loyalty.
The confrontation is a noisy spectacle of guns, flamethrowers, spears, and psychic powers, a melange that requires every character to bring out their distinctive skill in the fight against the giant foe.
The final chapter of the Mind Flayer
The participation by the Pain Tree in the finale, which turns out to be the Mind Flayer, raises the stakes even more.
Will, in a battle of the minds, however, joins Eleven, and this not only helps to destabilise Vecna but also paves the way for the final attack. To the delight of the viewers, the iconic character Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) is the one who delivers the final blow, cutting off Vecna's head with her axe.
This is a poetic end: the first person to ever truly see the danger Hawkins posed and to act is the one who finishes it, thus underlining the theme of human bravery as well as the supernatural power throughout the series.
The sin of Eleven, and her deliverance
During the calamity of the Upside Down, Eleven is thought to be giving up. Eleven and the rest are in the Upside Down during the final explosion, and just like that, the bridge between the dimensions is collapsed by Hopper and Murray. Merging one last time, she and Mike experience their last psychic moment, and then she is pulled away.
The others grieve their friend's death, and Hawkins is preparing for a future without the strongest protector. But a surprising turn of events gives a reason for hope: Kali performs her last trick to produce a copy, and hence, Eleven lives, now being the mistress of her powers and not the victim.
The Stranger Things finale is designed to keep her destiny ambiguous, thus giving the viewers the freedom to picture her in an unknown and peaceful place, away from Hawkins, wearing the cloak of freedom.
Kali’s tragic fate and the military chaos
In Stranger Things, not every confrontation leads to a happy ending. Lieutenant Robert Akers (Alex Breaux) ends Kali's life with his shot during the unfortunate event at Hawkins Lab, and even though Hopper heroically tries, she succumbs, illustrating that with victory comes suffering.
Eleven takes revenge, killing the rest of the military personnel and compelling Akers to end his life, thus exterminating the threat at once but also keeping the long-standing tension between the common man and government forces alive in the series.
Henry Creel and the Mind Flayer connection
Henry Creel's origin in Stranger Things is made completely known, thereby providing insight into Vecna's motives and the Mind Flayer's power. As a boy, Henry unlocks a case that has Mind Flayer residue in it, and the particles of the Mind Flayer take control of him, thus leading to a path of total destruction.
The grand finale makes it evident that, although the Mind Flayer turned Henry into an instrument, he still chooses evil, accepting the dark force that will eventually be a threat to Hawkins. His story comes to an end when Eleven and Will face him, illustrating the series's immortal theme of decision-making and the conflict between good and evil.
Post-battle epilogue: Life in Hawkins
Hawkins seems almost like a paradise eighteen months after the great battle. The characters' lifestyles have changed significantly by the end of the show, but they still maintain a strong friendship. Max and Lucas are a couple together; Mike is trying his luck at writing; Dustin is in college but still going on adventures with Steve; and Will is exploring his new and better self in the city.
Through the proposal from Hopper to Joyce, the mature ones also end up with a happy ending, followed by them looking forward to a new life in Montauk. Nancy works as a reporter for the Boston Herald, Robin is a student at Smith College, and Jonathan is doing a film directing course at NYU.
The final graduation day signifies the conclusion of the story, where the group of friends chooses to have a last D&D game instead of a typical teenage party, which symbolizes that the theme of friendship, portrayed by the show as both a refuge and an anchor, has been prevalent throughout the entire story.
In the basement, the first D&D campaign has concluded, and a new set of players, Holly Wheeler and her friends, have begun to play, indicating that a new generation has taken over. It is a somewhat melancholic reminder that the characters, in a way, have gone to the other side and returned.
The spirits of adventure and imagination, however, continue to be present, which exactly reflects the nostalgic and joyous remembrance of childhood and friendship that the series has been about.
The emotional and cultural payoff
The legendary cast receives heartfelt farewells, particularly Eleven, whose arc from scared little girl to a heroic deliverer reaches its climax. The Duffer brothers have successfully mixed the myths of the series, character properties, and 80s-inspired graphics into a very chaotic and sometimes hard-to-handle but still very rewarding ending.
The selection of David Bowie's Heroes as the music during the closing credits greatly magnifies the emotional power of the scene, providing a bright and contemplative atmosphere for the final moments.
The series concludes with the pouring out of Hawkins' supernatural terrors, leaving behind a space for imagination and hope, which is quite an accomplishment considering the series took its root from a mere 1980s homage and grew into a global pop culture phenomenon.
The Rightside Up might not be the best. There is a lot going on; at times, it does not make any sense, and it becomes very touchy-feely. Still, it has the most vital ingredients of a satisfying ending: good vanquished, friends safe, sacrifice respected, and time passed.
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Stranger Things takes its leave as it started: being the combination of imagination, friendship, and bravery, and thus the very human heart, even in the midst of otherworldly horror, proves to be the show's strongest force.
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