Netflix's hit sci-fi series Stranger Things has concluded after nearly a decade, but the finale has drawn wildly polarised reactions from fans. The final episode, titled 'Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up', debuted on New Year's Day in the UK, a week after the previous batch of episodes.
In the finale, the heroes of Hawkins, Indiana, defeat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) thanks to the supernatural abilities of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). After Joyce (Winona Ryder) cuts off the villain's head, Hopper (David Harbour) and Murray (Brett Gelman) rig bombs on the interdimensional bridge, with Eleven seemingly sacrificing herself in the Upside Down.
A time jump to 1989 shows the remaining characters moving on, with Joyce and Hopper getting engaged. In a final scene, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) claims Eleven faked her death, but it remains unclear whether she survived. Co-creator Ross Duffer stated: 'She lives on in their hearts, whether that's real or not.'
Many viewers criticised the decision to eliminate Vecna early in the episode. One social media post called it 'the stupidest f***ing ending', comparing it to The Umbrella Academy. Another fan noted: 'The biggest mistake they made was a whole 50 minutes of the episode just being the epilogue.'
However, some fans were more positive. One wrote: 'Am i the only one who enjoyed that stranger things ending?' Another joked: 'Me being happy with the stranger things finale and coming on twitter to see everyone complaining.'
