Spoiler Alert / Mature Content: This review may include plot details and adult themes. Reader discretion is advised. This site discusses horror films (and horror television), which may not be suitable for all ages.

After nearly ten years, Stranger Things has ended. I’ll give you a moment to let that sink in. Are you okay? I’m still not sure if I am. It was a huge part of my life as far as entertainment goes, and being able to follow it through from the first episode to the last, through all of the delays and obstacles, was honestly a joy. I’m hard-pressed to think of a show that stuck to its core themes (friendship, being an outcast, accepting yourself) better, told the story the creators wanted to tell, and nailed the landing as well as this one. Yes, spoiler alert (in case you’ve been under a rock): they stuck the landing in spectacular fashion.

I waited a few days to write this, for one, to see how I felt after the dust settled, and two, to see how others responded online. Volume 2 and the finale were some of the greatest examples of episodic storytelling that I’ve come across in my lifetime, so naturally, the internet was divided. How dare the Duffer brothers choose not to make the ending a bloodbath! The nerve of those guys, out here making us cry happy tears over the mostly upbeat conclusion. A story they have been crafting and carefully curating for, yes, the nostalgia factor of the ’80s, but also to pay homage to Steven Spielberg and Stephen King films like E.T. and Stand By Me. It’s almost as if they cared about the cinema they consumed in their youth and wanted to lean into that. The government didn’t show up and blast Elliot in front of the wrinkly alien, is all I’m saying.

For 42 episodes, Matt and Ross Duffer took pride in telling a story that harkened back to the films of their childhood (and mine), taking a group of children faced with a wild set of circumstances and letting the characters grow as people, becoming layered and nuanced beyond belief but it wasn’t just the children. Every character in this show had a journey, a turning point, and tremendous growth. It’s honestly majorly impressive how they were able to juggle so many players in their D&D campaign and give them all a beginning, a middle, and an end. No one was insignificant; everybody mattered. The entire party was important. On top of that, the Duffers trusted us to be able to follow along. This show was made for the geeks, the outcasts, the gamers, and the brothers never shied away from it. If others were into it as well, great!

After Volume 2 hit, the internet was in an uproar over a few things, mainly that no one died (because people no longer understand that character death does not automatically equal stakes), and Will’s (Noah Schnapp) coming out scene. “Why was that needed?” the willfully ignorant chanted, and “what was the point?” I know I don’t have to explain the point to you, but I will say that scene was something that they had been building to since season one. If someone watched the show from the beginning and missed that, that’s on them. My favorite thing to do is watch people online melting down over something I thought was beautiful. They can’t stand it. How could anyone love a story where the main characters live and just maybe learn to accept themselves? Death does not equal good writing, and character stagnation never moves the plot forward. Stranger Things has always been about change, friendship, and acceptance. It never changed to make people who didn’t get it feel better; it accepted itself for what it was beautifully.

After Volume 1, one of the biggest dangling threads was Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve (Joe Keery) and their eroding (maybe just strained) friendship. Steve has been like a mother to these kids (especially if you’ve seen the memes), and Dustin really looked up to him. Needless to say, early in Volume 2 their issues came to a head, some things were said that needed to be said (even if they were hard for Dustin to hear), they devolved into a wrestling match, and then shortly after made up in what was one of the many scenes that made me cry. “I can’t go through that again, not with you. Not you.” Give me a minute (I’m not wiping a tear away; you are).

Keery and Matarazzo both turned in incredible performances this season, Matarazzo possibly giving us the best this show had to offer (unless we factor in Jamie Campbell Bower as Henry, Mr. Whatsit, Vecna, who… well, we will talk about him soon enough). The entire cast really brought everything they had this season, but Dustin’s character continued to surprise, inspire, and break me emotionally. There is something special there, and I can’t wait to see what Matarazzo does next. As for Joe Keery, I think he’s going to be okay, even if that moment on the tower made so many people (including my wife) shout “no!” at their screens. Did anyone honestly think any harm was going to come to Steve? The world would have rioted.

Another scene that seemed to be widely misunderstood was the “breakup” scene between Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton). A couple deciding to no longer be together doesn’t mean there has to be a huge fight or that it destroys their friendship. The scene was done quite beautifully (I thought), and both actors shined in a very emotional moment. The pair are married in real life, so I’m sure that added a lot to the emotionality of it all at the time. Breakups don’t have to be ugly things, and sometimes people choosing themselves rather than trying to force something is the most healthy thing to do. It was great.

Speaking of Nancy, what a journey that character went on. She always stuck to her guns and in the end started packing them around, ready to blast whatever evil entity happened to get in her way. Dyer was exceptional in the role, and though I don’t think we will get it, a Nancy spinoff where she solves crimes Encyclopedia Brown style would go hard. Likewise, Charlie Heaton was consistently great, the best big brother (the first to hug Will) and a great friend to everyone, even Steve in the end (though they both soundly denied it). It was Jonathan who saved our beloved Steve, after all.

There has been a trend (recently) of having villains with redemption arcs. So many writers and filmmakers are apparently too frightened to have a character who, at their core, chooses to be evil. Vecna is not that character, and Jamie Campbell Bower plays him to perfection. He brings many identities this season to our party between Henry Creel, Mr. Whatsit (to the kids), and Vecna, and somehow Bower gives each incarnation the subtlest of differences. It’s honestly a performance that I hope gets recognized in some way. He put in work this season. It was amazing.

Bower was absolutely and deliciously bad in every way, and when Will (Schnapp) confronted him about it, giving him the chance for redemption, Henry said no. Henry made it clear he chose his path, the path of one of the purest villains we’ve had on screen in a very long time. He was shown the Abyss, and when told about humanity decided that it needed to go. It was beyond saving, and the only solution was to get rid of it. Vecna nearly succeeded, preying on each of the party members’ fears and insecurities—the worst kind of villainy, taking something each of them were already worried about and turning it against them. His death was a satisfying end.

Of course, we witnessed in Volume 1 the importance of Robin (Maya Hawke) to Will (Noah Schnapp); without her, he wouldn’t have recognized his full potential, and in the end, the party would have lost. She is arguably the most important character this season, giving them the edge they needed for a victory. Maya Hawke was truly a force this season. Her scenes hit hard and her jokes and film references were speaking for the audience. She was on fire. People like to toss around the “nepo baby” calling card for her, and to me, if they put in the work and are incredible on their own, it doesn’t really apply. She was, is, and will continue to be awesome.

At the end of Volume 1, I said that I hoped Schnapp would step up his game and start showing some of the acting chops I felt he was lacking. He did exactly that, and the end of episode seven was powerful. His coming out scene for Will was not only long overdue but executed magnificently. Schnapp really poured his soul into it, and it was felt on my side of the screen. I think if you look around at the other actors in that scene as well with the looks on their faces and the tears in their eyes, they felt it too. He proved me wrong, and his hero arc was earned.

Okay, so the award for the most unlikely pair has to go to Murray (Brett Gelman) and Erica (Priah Ferguson), right? They were the comedy duo that I did not know I needed, and they kept me in stitches. From the moment they landed on the doorstep of Mr. Clarke (Randy Havens), I just wanted more. Their back-and-forths were funny, biting at times, and endearing. Neither of them will take no for an answer, and both of them have a way with words. As for Mr. Clarke, Randy Havens turned in an amazing (though short) performance, and I, for one, was glad that he finally got to see the Upside Down and Eleven using her powers. He has helped these kids at every turn and never once questioned why. It was great that he was finally included.

Gelman kept us laughing by saying what we all were thinking nearly every step of the way, and Ferguson was just a powerhouse. Again, there are no bad performances this season, and these two moved their characters forward in a beautiful way. I know that it will never happen, but I do kind of need a spinoff of Murray, Erica, and Mr. Clarke solving things. What things? It doesn’t matter. That trio will get it done. When the party needed them most, each one of them stepped up and delivered (even if Mr. Clarke got picked up by the military).

Holly the Heroic (newcomer Nell Fisher) and Delightful/Dipshit Derek (Jake Connelly) were also super important to how things turned out. Not only that, but both of them were incredible in their roles. Fisher was doing scenes and going toe-to-toe with seasoned vets in the game, easily holding her own, and Connelly, well, what can anyone say? That kid brought a level of heart, friendship, and loyalty that is hard to match. “Suck my fat one” will live on forever in all of our heads.

In a way, they were both the key to victory. Holly showed them the way to the Abyss (even if it was tragic for her at the time to do so), and Derek made everyone feel important. He kept the party on their toes and let anyone who needed to hear it know exactly what he thought of them (good or bad). Derek kept it real in a way that most adults struggle to pull off. As for Holly, she is a leader all on her own, taking up where her brother Mike left off and leading the next generation.

Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) and Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) continued to be one of the best on-screen couples I’ve ever seen. Yes, even if Max spent most of the season still in her “coma,” their relationship was beautiful. Besides, we didn’t really have to wonder about Max too much this year, we finally found out what she had been up to all this time: trapped in Henry’s mind and plotting her escape. Lucas never gave up, even during the chaos that was the season; he still found the time to visit and attempt to get her to run up that hill one more time (thank you, Kate Bush). After a couple of near wake-ups earlier in the season, when she finally opened her eyes, it was one of the most beautiful and touching reunion scenes I can remember on screen.

McLaughlin and Sink both gave incredible performances this season, and the love that their characters had for each other came across in a huge way. When Max woke up and she asked if he was tired of Kate Bush and Lucas nodded, I cried (there, now you know, two times I shed tears. I’m not ashamed; this show got me so many times this season). Another thing that kept me on the edge of my seat was that I was just sure something bad was going to happen to Lucas after everything he went through to get Max back. It didn’t, but I waited for the sobbing I was going to have to do. Instead, the both of them got to play a huge part in the final Boss Raid that helped save the world.

Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono) continued to be important. Mike showed us the power of friendship and the need to always have a good plan, and Karen proved that there isn’t much a mother wouldn’t do for her children, biological or otherwise (I’m thinking about that scene in the hospital when all she needed to wake up was to hear that Lucas was in danger). For Mike, he found a way to be at the right place at the right time to give any character a pep talk, the hype, if you will, that they needed to hear at the time. He is the Storyteller, after all, and his words carry a lot of weight with the others.

Wolfhard gets battered sometimes online with claims of not being able to act, and that is very far from reality. Some people just like to scream into the void, I think, because if you paid any bit of attention to what he did with the character of Mike this season, you would shower him with praise. Wolfhard gave his best performance yet, and the final scene, their last game, really touched me. He was great. As for Buono, Karen is not a mother to be messed with (none of them are, to be honest, strong female characters populated this show, and it was fantastic). If it needed to be done, she was going to get it done. Buono’s performance was one that I couldn’t stop watching, and hear me out: we need a show about her and Ted just traveling through America in the ’90s.

Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) are couple goals, to be honest. If I wasn’t already in the perfect relationship, I would have been jealous of what they came to have. It was hard for Jim and Joyce the past two seasons to navigate their relationship while also learning to trust their children to handle their business. It’s hard for any parent to really let go and allow them to figure things out for themselves, let alone in a world being taken over by monsters. Jim finally found the courage to let Eleven be what she needed to be, and Joyce, well, once she found out what Will could do, she was all in. She was instantly his strongest supporter.

David Harbour brought a lot to Hopper that I’m not sure any other actor could have tapped into. He was kind but tough, demanding but pliable. He kept him grounded, funny, and relatable—the kind of guy you would just want to be around. Ryder took Joyce on a full journey. She started out so seemingly helpless and scared, and by the end, she was wielding an ax and finishing the job. Out of everyone on the show, she probably had the most complete arc (not that any of them had a mild one; the show was about change), and by that I mean she took Joyce from essentially a flower to a tree. Honestly, I can’t think of anyone better or more deserving than Ryder. The show was a love letter to the films of the ’80s, and a lot of the best ones had her in them. It was awesome watching her on screen.

In the end, the good guys won. The party finally all came together (Eleven plus nine does equal 20) and had a plan to end their campaign on a high note. No one was lost (not in my opinion). I guess you can say, “I believe,” though if you really look at all of the clues and crumbs laid before us, we don’t have to believe, we know. Eleven wasn’t actually in that gateway; there is no way she could have pulled Mike into the void to talk to him with the power-dampening cannons blasting her. When Mike says to her, “I don’t understand,” and she answers with, “You will,” that paid off at the graduation and the cracking speakers. It suddenly made sense to Mike so that his “tale” of the mage was fact, not fantasy.

That isn’t to say that they will ever meet up again; that wouldn’t be safe. Their stories together truly are at an end. Eleven still made a huge sacrifice for the betterment of the party, and it may not be the happiest of endings, but just believing their friend is out there and safe is enough for the rest of the group. The ending, to me, really was the happiest and best possible outcome. Kali said that for everything to actually be over and for the government to stop trying to make human weapons, Eleven would have to be dead. Letting them think that she is, was a far better solution for everyone, including my fragile emotions.

That leads me to what I think is the most important line in the entire series. While “You fucked with the wrong family” is important to Joyce and her sons, it reaches farther than that, to everyone in that cave. The entire party. Their chosen family. It was such a layered line for her, and after everything Joyce had been through, an earned moment of badassery. Family isn’t always blood; sometimes it’s the people we decide to surround ourselves with. For our group, it was everyone, all treated as equals. A twenty-sided die where no side was larger or more important than another. Everyone played an important part, and this ode to the ’80s ended the way it began: with hope, friendship, and promises of the future.

Stranger Things was a once-in-a-lifetime story, and for me, a perfect one. But then again, I’ve always been a geek, an outcast, and a gamer. If you ask me what I truly believe, then it’s simply this: this show was made for me, and I’m going to miss it. Thanks for a hell of a ride.