After more than a decade of captivating audiences, the final episode of Netflix's flagship series Stranger Things is set to air on New Year's Day. However, anticipation is tinged with disappointment for many, as bookmakers and fan reactions suggest the show will conclude not with a bang, but a whimper.
A Predicted Disappointing Finale
Bookies have forecast that the concluding episode will be the series' lowest-rated ever, a significant fall given the penultimate instalment, 'The Bridge', managed a mediocre score of 5.5 out of 10. Fan forums and social media are awash with critiques describing the final season as "a hard watch", "super cringey", and "boring". This marks a stark contrast to the show's debut in July 2016, when its sharp, nostalgia-driven sci-fi premise made it an irresistible hit.
From Tidy Narrative to Big-Budget Bloat
The original charm of Stranger Things lay in its focused storytelling—a tale of nerdy children becoming heroes against a monster unleashed by science, cleverly echoing 1980s cinema. The final season, however, is criticised for overwhelming viewers with a needlessly complicated plot and an excess of elements.
Now, alongside The Upside Down and demogorgons, the lore includes Destination X (The Abyss), Nevada caves, demo dogs, mind flayers, shadow monsters, exotic matter, and a sprawling cast. Episodes are described as long and drawn-out, with the story retconning or over-explaining previously established details.
A key example highlighted is the apparent contradiction regarding the origin of psychic powers. Season two established that Dr Brenner gave LSD to pregnant mothers, yet season five introduces exotic matter infecting Henry Creel in The Abyss. These broken narrative threads make the once-tidy world feel messy and inconsistent.
The Curse of the Big Budget
This trajectory is seen as a classic case of a show losing its way after securing massive success and budget. The article draws parallels with other series that suffered after a cash injection.
Doctor Who, after moving to Disney, saw improved special effects but stories that were rushed and lost their clean, plot-hole-free structure. Similarly, Black Mirror's move from Channel 4 to Netflix led to a prioritisation of dystopian gimmicks over coherent moral tales.
The core argument is that spectacle has replaced substance. The emotional punch of early Stranger Things—like hearing Barb's scream off-screen—came from crafted storytelling, not cinematic scale. The finale, airing on 1 January, is now expected to be all show and no substance, a victim of its own hype and budget.
The piece concludes with a pointed reminder to studios like Netflix and Disney: big does not equal better. The true "wow factor" has never been in CGI, but in a well-crafted tale that makes audiences care deeply about its characters.
