Non-Spoiler Review: Stranger Things finale was perfectly imperfect

by Christopher Ryan

Last night was a Nerds Holiday unlike any other New Year’s Eve I can remember. The finale of this elaborate sci-fi/horror/comic book/80’s movies/childhood-teen-adult adventure banquet of hell yeah that is Stranger Things made this New Year’s Eve spectacular fun. The last episode was exactly what we thought it would be and was full of satisfying twists and surprises and fan service spun into fresh takes on tropes and our predictions that will ensure this series remains a rewatchable favorite for years to come.

All hail the Duffer Brothers. Standing ovation for the cast and crew. And sincere thanks to Netflix.

Oh, and if you’re looking for critiques and nitpicking, you’ve come to the wrong place. Life’s too short for bitching. Let’s celebrate.

The episode starts off fast and keeps going, pausing only at the most tense moments to offer long, talkie, intimate scenes that are emotional and satisfying and, as always, a bit too long. Pure Duffer Brothers, and if that still bothers you at this point, I question why you hung in so long.

Like so many inspirational elements from the 80’s, personal moments stop forward progress in favor of hitting key quiet moments of heart and character growth. It creates an alternate tension that is part of the brand we’re embracing each time we watch.

So be it.

Aside from that, there’s nothing to knock you out of this deeply engaging, multi-level pop culture, pulpy master class in fun storytelling (except how a certain long-ignored character returns for no reason, use, or even lines to deliver. Heh).

For this culminating installment, every piece on this glorious D&D board is in place and the moves come fast and fantastic as we race to the climax of the entire epic game.

Overwhelmingly, the fluctuations between action and character moments works, the visuals and music are killer, and the performances almost always ring true.

But the writing? That is worth experiencing several times. The writing will keep us talking about the delicious nuances of character and plot and homage they delivered. And how they accomplished all this.

Imagination. Compelling characters who stay true to both their attributes and their flaws. Letting those characters bang against each other to create tension, danger, humor, misdirection, plot twists, and satisfying (albeit short-lived) disappointments (“I knew so-and-so sucked!”). Then those few disappointments get spun into much more satisfying payoffs. All these elements combined to deliver more than we expected and flew in the face of complaints and fan demands and predictions to deliver on the Duffer Brothers’ most incredible talent:

Absolute belief in the power of storytelling.

Bravo.