Spoilers galore. Read at your own risk.
“Stranger Things” was once a show that perfectly encapsulated the eccentric, quirky, and gothic side of supernatural horror that mainstream media seemed to lack. It starred child actors we were able to grow up with and watch as their relationships and personalities evolved with every monster and challenge they faced.
It shaped an entire generation, persuading Gen Z to get off their phones and onto bikes, all while wearing bright colors and high-waisted jeans — which many of my friends and I found ourselves taking part in.
So, why and how did the finale absolutely ruin the entirety of the show if the show had a legendary run?
The endless plot holes and unanswered questions seemed to pile up during the fifth and final season of the show, such as why Vecna specifically targeted Will, or with the addition of random characters, such as Holly, and the lack of personality in recurring characters, throwing the audience off.
Yasmine Zaidi, a 12th grader in COMPASS, claimed, “I watched ‘Stranger Things’ when it first came out with my family. This show has always been a highlight of my year whenever a new season drops. But the finale and the entire season left so many unanswered questions.”
The same concern was shown by Terin Greer, a 12th-grade MBA student who also highlighted how the finale fell short after both season five had been released, with each volume appearing less appealing after episodes began progressively making less sense.
“My grandma and siblings watched ‘Stranger Things’ the night it dropped, and it became a tradition to watch it together whenever a new season dropped. This show is important to me because of that, which is why I felt so weird about the finale. It was hard to accept its ending when the finale felt so unfinished.”
Ms. Adams, a Diverse Voices and AP Literature teacher, reminisced on her own experience while watching the show, admiring how the writers had closed it.
“It felt satisfying to see the story come full circle. I feel like we all wanted to see these characters happy, as it’s easy for one to see themselves in them. If we saw them have satisfying endings, I think many would find hope in having one themself.”
Whether the finale felt like a triumph or a cliffhanger left in the dark, there is no denying the shadow that “Stranger Things” leaves behind. It may not have answered every question or pleased every fan, but it succeeded in doing something much more challenging: capturing the hearts of an entire generation. As we finally depart from Hawkins, we’re left with the neon glow of the 80s and the memory of a journey (perfect or not) that defined a decade of our lives.
Zoe Johnson • Feb 5, 2026 at 1:08 pm
On January 26, 2026 wrote an article titled “Plot Holes: The True Monster of “Stranger Things”. As a junior at Millikan High School who truly appreciates the show “Stranger Things”, I love the way how the writer highlights all the positive aspects of the show that it brought to this world instead of just putting in down for the unanswered finale. Aswell as the article being well-written and providing insightful analysis about the show through different perspective. The authors use of interviews adds emotional connection to people and the show, showing the depth of love with families. In addition the author adds balanced key points. Although I do wish to see more diversity with the interviews through out different grade levels or more pathways. Another suggestion would be to go further into detail about how the finale impacted more people on their overall view of the show and how they believed the finale could have been written better.
Sincerely,
Zoe Johnson
Nora • Feb 4, 2026 at 10:40 pm
October 14, 2025
Dear Corydon Editor,
On January 26, 2026, Wisdom Grace Lambkins wrote an article titled “Plot Holes: The True Monster of Stranger Things” that touches on the critical perspectives that many teenagers have on the final season of Stranger Things. From someone who also grew up watching the show I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one left wanting more out of the finale. Watching it, a lot felt unfinished. The ending and relationships between Will and Mike as well as Nancy and Jonathan felt uncharacteristic. I completely agree with the statement that Lambkins repeats about how they gave some of my favorite characters a sudden lack of personality and impact.
However, Lambkins still explains that many remain satisfied with the ending as it gives a happy resolution to the generationally loved series. I also agree with the sentiment of how amazing it is to see the actors grow up and even have kids by the end of the show. Relating to the characters growing up made Gen Z more connected to Stranger Things, a connection that no other show can replicate.
Sincerely,
Nora Schrock
Audrey Lozano • Feb 3, 2026 at 11:29 am
The title of the show that I loved drew me in, especially when discussing the sort of lackluster ending to it. Lambkins summed up my main thoughts on it, specifically the addition of characters who took away screen time from the beloved cast and didn’t get enough time to develop into people the audience would adore (excluding Derek, of course).
Additionally, I like how Lambkins addressed the mounting sense of confusion that many experienced as each volume was released. Personally, I felt that the show left many questions unanswered and created an ending that felt too open, such as with the disappearance of Eleven. I appreciate how Lambkin acknowledges the “shadow” the ending left behind.
Overall, this article was well written and thoroughly described the mixed view the Stranger Things finale brought, as even though I was confused watching it, I still loved the return of such an iconic show. It was nice to see what other people on campus thought, too. I enjoyed reading this article.
Matteo Montiel • Feb 3, 2026 at 11:18 am
I admire that the writer chose to address this topic because I am a Stranger Things fan, and I feel like this issue has not been acknowledged much. I resonated with Lambkins’ description of the show, and how Gen Z is inspired and connected together because of Stranger Things. I liked Lambkins’ use of varying sources from students and teachers to get different perspectives on the conclusion of the shows. Although it seemed to have had many plot holes, I agree with Ms. Adams that the full circle ending was satisfying, just not to the fullest extent. My belief is that Gen Z was mainly just disappointed that the show came to an end, so they were coping, finding ways to believe it wasn’t over.
I agree that there were many plot holes and unanswered questions, but I wish the author would’ve addressed the Conformity Gate theory that became prevalent in social media, in the hope that we would receive an additional episode after the finale. After all, that was the main impact that the plot holes had on fans, but it makes sense that Lambkins didn’t include it because the theory proved to be incorrect.
Parker Mills • Feb 3, 2026 at 9:42 am
As an avid fan of the Stranger Things series this article caught my attention. I was interested in the issue of the many plot holes that were left unexplained in the final season. I enjoyed how this article put into light the fact that throughout its first four seasons, Stranger Things had been a brilliant and detailed show that explored supernatural elements along with the coming of age of the many teenage characters, which is what had made it such a fan favorite. I feel that this tied really well into the fact that the final season was a sort of disappointment, as it felt that the writers left out lots of key bits that made the show so special in the first place. I liked the added bit in this piece that some of the main characters this season even lacked their charming personalities from the previous seasons. Although the ending might not have been perfect, I admire how this article still managed to mention the fact that the finale of the show was successful in creating an emotionally satisfying end. The quote from Ms. Adams perfectly summed up that at the end of the show, we got “to see the story come full circle” with all of the characters getting their own happy endings. All in all, I feel that this article did a good job of detailing the issues with the final season of Stranger Things while also highlighting the fact that in the end, we got an ending that left us at peace as we got to see all of our beloved characters finally be happy.
Natalie Gomez • Feb 2, 2026 at 8:51 pm
February 2, 2026
Dear Corydon Editor,
On January 26, 2026, Wisdom Grace Lambkins wrote an article titled “Plot Holes: The True Monster of ‘Stranger Things’.” I admire how you spoke up about the ending of Stranger Things. There were many potholes, especially since it was a long-awaited finale. Furthermore, I strongly agree with your point of view on why Will was targeted and the random side plots. The finale failed to explain the purpose of these side plots and the most important part, why Will has been the main target. Additionally, by interviewing Millikan students adds perspective, showing that not only the writer have this opinion. The different pathways of these students also strengthen the diversity
I can also relate to watching Stranger Things as a family thing because my family also would watch the show together, watching the finale together. This makes this article relatable. To add on, getting a different positive perspective on the ending makes this article not come off as biased, since multiple views on the finale are being shown.
Sincerely,
Natalie Gomez
Brooke Brown • Feb 2, 2026 at 4:18 pm
One of my all-time favorite shows to watch has been “Stranger Things.” I enjoyed watching the show over time as each new season came out, and ultimately, I got to grow up with the characters. So, I like how you included that, “It starred child actors we were able to grow up with.” When the fifth season came out, I was excited to watch it, but when I did, I was also disappointed and confused.
I like how you quoted three different people’s opinions on the finale of “Stranger Things.” By adding three people’s opinions, the reader can understand others’ opinions on the last season. For instance, you used a quote from Ms. Adams, a Diverse Voices and AP Literature teacher. Since the main audience of “Stranger Things” is adolescents, using an opinion from a teacher and adult was a great idea. It addresses a different audience’s perspective of the show.
At the beginning of your article, you mentioned, “…and onto bikes, all while wearing bright colors and high-waisted jeans.” I thought it was interesting how you brought a piece of “Stranger Things” into your article. Also, another thing that you said that caught my eye was, “As we finally depart from Hawkins, we’re left with the neon glow of the 80s and the memory of a journey.” This quote also mentioned the setting and time in “Stranger Things,” which I thought was a cool idea.
Makellah Mahan • Feb 2, 2026 at 1:29 pm
On January 26, 2026, Wisdom Grace Lambkins wrote an article titled “Plot Holes: The True Monster of ‘Stranger Things’”. This article is overall amazing, it is well formulated and demonstrates a literary personality that cannot be replicated. “Stranger Things” is so deeply rooted into the childhoods of not just myself, but the entirety of my generation. This TV show had a chokehold on me and all of my friends. I also found myself wearing the clothing, attempting to ride my bike more, and overall just live the way I saw the cast live. That is the reason why when the finale came out, we were ecstatic, my friends put together a watch party, and when “Stranger Things” ended we all collectively cried. We felt let down and betrayed by such an unorganized ending. As Lambkins stressed, the plot holes were immense and distracted from the overall plot. There were many oversights, such as, who freed Delightful Deriks parents, the last scene of them, they were tied up in a barn. But there were also some major unanswered questions, such as, why did the focus of the show shift from El to Will? Additionally, the author incorporated a decent amount of direct quotes from peers, and overall, most people seem to feel annoyed with the ending. Although, there was one quote mentioning the alternative prospective, claiming that they were satisfied with seeing the characters be able to maintain a normal life post apocalypse. This particular quote was perfect in the scope of the article as it caused the reader to realize that although the ending may not have been perfect, one cannot ignore the significant affects that “Stranger Things” had on million of people. Overall, this article is extremely well written, amazing job Wisdom.
Sarah Thaut • Feb 2, 2026 at 1:28 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
On January 26, 2026, Wisdom Grace Lambkins wrote an article titled “Plot Holes: The True Monster of “Stranger Things”. The article did a great job of explaining how people felt about the ending of the show. It encapsulated the special connection many have with the TV series and why people may have been disappointed or let down with the finale. There were many interviews conducted, giving the reader an inside look on many individuals’ perspectives on the final episode. A suggestion I would make about this article is that more details or examples from the show could have been used to demonstrate the shortcomings the author sees in the last episode or season of the show to help the audience understand more specifically what she is talking about. Overall, this article is nice to read because I love “Stranger Things”, but was also let down by the ending so it was enjoyable to read about someone’s opinion who also appreciates the show.