Stranger Issues is formally over. Effectively, the principle sequence, anyway. Netflix continues to be placing out the animated midquel sequence Stranger Issues: Tales from ’85 later this 12 months. However the decade-long await an ending for the Hawkins youngsters is lastly over. To some, the sequence finale appears to have gone over fairly alright. Folks in my group chat known as it “fine,” one other mentioned they “absolutely crushed” it, and one other remarked that they “did the best with what they had.” These are reactions in non-public, moderately than ones mentioned publicly to get social media engagement, so I wasn’t stunned after I seemed elsewhere and noticed folks had been raking this episode via the coals.
The fifth and last season of Stranger Issues has been divisive, because it’s obtained criticism for bad, overly simplistic writing and awkward, corny sentimentality. At this level, it’s fully potential that the wave of essential reactions may simply be bleedover from what many think about a subpar last season, however there have been a couple of ache factors that followers are harping on, whether or not that be quippy writing, dangerous performances, or the particular results a number of folks independently in comparison with these in Linkin Park’s 25-year-old music video for “In The End.” Hell, there are even a couple of feedback within the video’s YouTube feedback referencing the tasteless, awkward CGI backdrops of a few of the finale’s sequences.
Stranger Issues episodio last. pic.twitter.com/XCKAxILzhK
— Indie 505 (@Indie5051) January 1, 2026
ONE THING, I DONT KNOW WHY https://t.co/5eTYWLnPlv pic.twitter.com/sOLSJTjGIw
— Bee 🐝 🇩🇴 (@SavinTheBees) January 1, 2026
Was going to make a Spy Youngsters 3D joke however this actually appears to be like higher https://t.co/WBxQX6tHeD pic.twitter.com/HuyeCoqTGJ
— Jane Altoids (@staticbluebat) January 1, 2026
Linkin Park walked so stranger issues may run pic.twitter.com/wnsQJuZNmy
— vids that go arduous (@vidsthatgohard) January 2, 2026
each shot from the stranger issues finale appears to be like like this pic.twitter.com/NIJGgJYZSH
— manic nixon dream lady (@kennixonette) January 2, 2026
The piss-colored, oddly lit CGI of a few of the final episode’s scenes is very baffling contemplating Stranger Issues’ fifth season is estimated to have a budget rivaling that of blockbuster films like Avengers: Endgame and Avatar. That’s, in fact, unfold throughout the season’s eight episodes, however when the climactic otherworldly scenes all look this tough, you gotta marvel what that cash was going towards.
Past the way in which the episode appears to be like, the performances of a number of members of the forged have obtained some important criticism, with a lot of it being directed to Finn Wolfhard. Some followers really feel he couldn’t pull off what had been speculated to be the episode’s largest emotional swings, corresponding to reacting to the “death” of Milly Bobby Brown’s Eleven, with whom his character has been romantically entangled for a lot of the present.
you’ll be able to inform when a nigga simply sick and uninterested in his job LMAOOOO https://t.co/SQdeyEKTNV
— ₭ma🧟♂️ (@KmaFr_) January 1, 2026
will is shedding a sister and mikes mother is taking away his ps5 https://t.co/2TQbIg5Asd
— ً (@kyoreals) January 1, 2026
me when i by accident hit my pinky toepic.twitter.com/ucwQ5Vhuvj
— dhar (@getocausa) January 1, 2026
Finn’s performing was so dangerous, folks genuinely thought Mike was a repressed gay who had emotions for Will whereas delivering his love confession to El
— l (@HOLDINGTHECOBRA) January 1, 2026
my cramps are so dangerous rn im hittin this pose pic.twitter.com/XrjYtsQLxM
— tina♡ (@neonlxnii) January 1, 2026
even his fingers cannot act https://t.co/SyLroJR8pM
— MIKE WHEELER MUST DIE (@mitskyuri) January 1, 2026
do u guys assume the forged was secretly judging finns performing after they had been watching the finale collectively.. like that should’ve been awkward as hell proper
— ɐᴉɯ | mia | st spoilers (@m1anme) January 2, 2026
Some followers joke that Wolfhard might need simply been sick and uninterested in Stranger Issues after what they’re calling a lackluster last season, however trying on the promo tour, the forged’s reactions to the ultimate season have faint echoes of the way in which the Recreation of Thrones crew talked in regards to the notoriously maligned eighth season earlier than it aired, with some seemingly struggling to keep a straight face when requested in the event that they had been proud of the finale. So hey, perhaps the Stranger Issues youngsters, too, had been struggling on the desk learn.
YOU GUYS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE DUFFERS IS SO SHADY ACTUALLY LMFAOOOO pic.twitter.com/61PCsM55JR
— ‘ (@mayajoes) January 1, 2026
Congrats to Netflix for pulling a Recreation of Thrones season 8 on their two hottest exhibits in the identical 12 months. pic.twitter.com/5ZKr4mNcHW
— Rick (@RickDaSquirrel_) January 1, 2026
— SB (@SeriesBrasil) January 1, 2026
They need to begin a podcast pic.twitter.com/dAweybv1ue
— Somebody’s failed-clone’s daughter/granddaughter (@MarienneMaid) January 2, 2026
Whereas these criticisms of writing, efficiency, and SFX are extra pointed and particular, the Stranger Issues finale additionally has plenty of the bags any long-running sequence that generates fan theories has as a result of a few of these hopes and theories didn’t pan out. The “Byler” group, which has been transport Mike along with his homosexual finest good friend Will for years, is having an particularly arduous time. Although hilariously sufficient, the writing had turn out to be so predictable that even earlier than the episode aired on December 31, fans saw one of the pair’s final exchanges coming wherein, requested by Will if he nonetheless desires to be mates, Mike predictably responds that no, he desires to be finest mates.
EP 8 LEAK
will : can we nonetheless be mates ?
mike : no…
will : oh okay
mike : I don’t wanna be simply mates*will makes a shocked face and blushes*
mike : I wanna be BEST FRIENDS🥹🥹🥹❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
— kelly🐇 (@kellysbyler) December 29, 2025
#byler #StrangersThings5 pic.twitter.com/P7Urarx33f
— somaliaa (@somalianpearl) January 1, 2026
They mentioned Will’s sexuality can be necessary to the plot of the ultimate season however… it wasn’t although. He may’ve been straight and the plot would not have moved in any respect. pic.twitter.com/zaTNwSfqgP
— cee | byler endgame (@bedrot_barbie) January 2, 2026
dgaf in regards to the finale#byler #bylerENDGAME pic.twitter.com/jkfoSDobho
— fish⁸¹ (@lebermer) January 1, 2026
and regardless of how arduous they tried to make byler bones they nonetheless shine brighter than anybody pic.twitter.com/u2ZMe12CvS
— ɐɥɔᴉɯss (@sssmichaa) January 1, 2026
i’ve been on a journey to attempt to perceive why the transport group for stranger issues genuinely believed all their ships can be true and that i’m realizing it’s as a result of the precise writers of the present inspired them up to now the whole approach lol https://t.co/7rlIr5B191
— onion individual (@CantEverDie) January 2, 2026
Lots of this noise would possibly simply be kneejerk reactions to a finale that didn’t align with expectations, so it’s fully potential that in a couple of years time, when people have chilled out, Stranger Issues would possibly get a reassessment. If not, it’d go down alongside Recreation of Thrones and How I Met Your Mom as one other trendy present with an infamously disappointing finale. I assume we’ll see if folks present up for Tales from ‘85, but hey, people still loved House of the Dragon despite their issues with Game of Thrones, so maybe there’s nonetheless hope for future Stranger Issues, too.
Stranger Issues would be the excellent property to review for years to come back.
It completely encapsulates the decline in storytelling & MCU/Marvelization throughout Hollywood and Western media over the previous 9–10 years. https://t.co/8RRSTlZxVD
— An Common Gamer – N (@AnAverageGamerX) January 1, 2026
