The finale of Stranger Things left many fans greatly disappointed by the ending of their beloved show. While some disappointment is always inevitable with such a large show, there were many plot holes that led fans to think the finale was a fake out, and a secret ninth episode was still coming.
One of the main theories that supported the idea of a fake out finale is “Conformity Gate”. This theory follows the idea that Mike is in a trance and Vecna is showing him his worst nightmare: Mike ending up lonely and just like his father. Many fans claimed that this theory would be confirmed through a ninth episode, which was supposed to come out on Jan. 7, 2026. This date was speculated because of the fact that the number seven was emphasized in numerous posts by the Stranger Things Instagram account. Obviously, this was debunked since no episode was released on the proposed date.
Fans were later left more disappointed by the documentary that came out on Jan. 11, 2026 due to it showing that the finale was not completely written when it started being filmed. This shows that the writing for the season was generally rushed, which led to the creators brushing over many favored aspects of the show.
Another slightly less popular theory is “Divorce Gate,” which follows the idea that Ross Duffer’s ex wife, Leigh Janiak, was a ghostwriter for Stranger Things up until their divorce in 2024. Janiak was the director of the Fear Street trilogy, another supernatural thriller universe with quite a few similarities to Stranger Things. While on set, she worked very closely with actors such as Sadie Sink and Maya Hawke, who are prominent members of the Stranger Things cast. She clearly had connections with the two through her former husband’s work, which explains why they may have been considered for their roles in Janiak’s movies.
Besides fan theories to explain the disappointing ending, there seem to be a plethora of discrepancies throughout the ending of the show, from Robin’s girlfriend disappearing in the epilogue to the mechanics of the Upside Down contradicting itself.. While most felt unnecessary, some have explanations if you dig deeply. However, this begs the question, should fans have to wade through the entire show, find interviews, and do outside research in order to discover explanations for the very backbones of the show? I don’t think so.
One of the many complaints from fans is the sidelining of queer relationships. Robin and Vicky, a new couple this season, are completely written out of the epilogue. There is no closure and fans don’t know if they’re in a relationship by the end. This is completely opposite to Joyce and Hopper, as we see them have their date at Enzo’s. Both couples talk about having a date at the same restaurant, but we never get to see Robin and Vicky have theirs. This is an issue because it puts straight relationships at the forefront of the show, and neglects to give queer relationships the same treatment, which is important considering many people who work closely with the writers of Stranger Things claim that its very meaning is to uplift those who don’t fit in. David Harbour, the actor who plays Hopper, said that the show aims to “shelter freaks and outcasts; those who have no home” during the Stranger Things’ 2017 SAG Awards speech. It doesn’t seem like the series is fulfilling its purpose when the creators haven’t even taken the time to write a proper ending for their only canon queer couple.
During the making of season five, the creators also produced a play called The First Shadow, which shows the lives of many adult characters in Stranger Things when they were in high school. In addition it gives a backstory to Henry Creel, more commonly known as Vecna, showing that he is misunderstood and has been manipulated by the Mindflayer. This goes against the ending we see in the show where he says that he chooses to join the Mindflayer in the end. It also insinuates that Hopper and Joyce already knew about unusual things happening in Hawkins when they were in high school. This would be strange given Hopper acts like Joyce is crazy in season one when she theorizes about Will’s disappearance. This would be out of character for him if he too was suspicious of strange things happening in Hawkins and worked with Joyce back in high school to solve the mysteries as the play says he was.
In season five, we learn that the Upside Down is a wormhole to another dimension that the characters call the Abyss. Dustin figures this out by going through Dr. Brenner’s notebook from 1983 which he finds in Hawkins Lab in the Upside Down. This makes no sense due to the fact that Brenner was attacked by a demogorgon late that year, yet somehow survived and went into hiding shortly after. We know that the Upside Down was created on Nov. 6, 1983, approximately a week before Brenner was attacked, leaving very little time for him to have done the research Dustin finds in the Upside Down. In addition to this strange timeline, how would the notebooks have made it to the Upside Down if Dr. Brenner said that his men were dying every time they visited there? Also, how would he have been able to leave his notebooks in the Upside Down, and why would he? If the notebooks were theoretical like I originally thought, how would he have known the exact science of the Upside Down, and wouldn’t that have been important to mention? All of these questions prove that the writers chose not to actually explain anything about the supposed big twist that the Upside Down was never an alternate dimension.
Early in season five they make a point to say that the anniversary of the day Will went missing will be important. Lucas has his theory; he thinks that the day that Will went missing is the day that Vecna will make the dimensions collide. This is never explained in detail more than that even though they conveyed that it would be important in the end. In addition to this, the entire first half of the season is full of details and easter eggs that seem like they will pay off in the end, yet they never do.
Eleven’s ending upset many fans for obvious reasons, but many fans also complained that her ending was rushed and not given the proper attention and care that it should have. The reason Eleven chooses to stay in the Upside Down as it is destroyed is so that the cycle of Dr. Brenner’s experiments ends with her. I believe this ending to her story sends a harmful message as it shows that she has to die while characters like Dr. Kay are able to continue living without any shown consequences. Ross Duffer’s reasoning for Eleven’s death was that she “represents magic in a lot of ways and the magic of childhood”, which I think is incredibly untrue because she is the character that introduced all the characters to the dark themes of the show. This is especially surprising given the promotional material showed that the final season would have darker themes, but it did not.
My feelings on the response to the Stranger Things finale are honestly very mixed. On one hand I was disappointed by the finale, but I don’t feel that all of the complaints are fair. In addition to this, I believe that most of the theories were made by fans to convince themselves that they will get an ending to the show they are entirely happy with. Overall, many fans find it difficult to let go due to the years they’ve spent watching the show, even still, we have to move on eventually.
