Warning: This discussion contains mild spoilers for the finale of Stranger Things

After ten years, five seasons, and 42 episodes, the story about the curse on Hawkins, Indiana, is finally over. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, and Sadie Sink, Stranger Things has been the source of excitement and obsession for a generational number of fans. However, the last season, season 5, has had some mixed reviews from the Convent & Stuart Hall community. 

“I think it ended better than most people do,” says senior Antonio Ruby. “The last episode did have some plot holes, but I still think it was good and gave a good ending to the characters.”

Similarly, “I really liked the ending, says Biology teacher Mr. Raffa, “It gave a good conclusion to many characters.”

However, many other students do not share this same positive view of the season as a whole. “It was complete slop,” says senior Tanner Parent. “It feels as if AI wrote the script, and the acting by many cast members was terrible.” He goes further to say that characters like Holly felt unnecessary, and to center an entire storyline on her probably was not a great call. 

Despite the polarizing reception of season 5, the previous season continues to have a significantly more positive consensus amongst fans. “Seasons one and two are really what Stranger Things is all about,” says senior Luke Spalding. “Season 3 and 4 were great but gave the show greater stakes, and the characters changed a lot as well.” 

The grounded, small-town Hawkins stakes of the first two seasons created a more personal and closer connection between the show and viewers. Once Stranger Things started to expand and focus more on the Upside Down and the aspect of wormholes, the atmosphere shifted from a haunting small-town mystery into a grand sci-fi spectacle that had predictable outcomes. 

Plot holes spotted by fans were also an issue in the final season. One of the biggest ones is what happened to the military and specifically, Dr. K., in the final episode. After the Upside Down was destroyed by an explosion, there was no follow-up to her fate. Furthermore, Will and “The Party” were clearly captured by the military, but were left free to go, even though they dismantled a top-secret operation and witnessed classified secrets that the military had spent decades trying to bury.

These plot holes led many fans to speculate about the “Conformity Gate.” At its core, fans who believe this theory and “turned into season 1 Joyce Byers” state that the final episode is an illusion created by Vecna. Their evidence ranges from the ambiguous ending for Eleven to the orange graduation gowns that create a jail-like atmosphere, and the posture of the Hawkins High School students that mirrors the way Vecna sits. 

The Stranger Things Instagram changed its bio to “ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING” in its effort to address Conformity Gate. Despite the minute possibility of an alternate ending, “Conformity Gate does not change the fact that the whole season sucked,” says Tanner. 

Most fans, like Antonio and Luke, simply do not believe in Conformity Gate. Mr. Raffa said, “I don’t believe in Conformity Gate, but I do believe Eleven lives.”

Despite mixed reviews and theories about the ending (or new beginning) of Hawkins, Stranger Things offered fans the opportunity to grow up alongside a group of heroes/nerds. Perhaps the ending is like the transition from being a kid to adulthood. There are many questions left unanswered, but the future is bright and filled with many possibilities.