The release of the fifth season of Stranger Things was arguably the most anticipated season of any Netflix series amongst fans, yet the reaction it received was highly controversial and disappointing.

The Duffer brothers prefaced that this season would be “a series of perfect, heartbreaking goodbyes”. Furthemore, actor Caleb McLaughlin stated that the word “traitor” accurately describes the entire season. Yet, the build up and depictions of the season ultimately fell flat amongst audiences, leaving fans severely underwhelmed. 

To the most extreme extent, some fans even convinced themselves that the finale was “fake”, and a new episode would be released on January 7th, 2026. Moreover, fans created theories of alternate endings that were (in my opinion) significantly better than the show’s actual finale. 

Essentially, a show that encapsulated the hearts of numerous fans ended up being one of Netflix’s most divisive and disappointing finales.

Plot Holes

As previously mentioned, season 5 depicted numerous plotholes. Unfortunately, I cannot describe every single plot hole, but I will go into the some of the most prominent plot holes.

The Bandaid Plothole: 

In the last episode of season 4, Vecna successfully opens the final fourth gate, creating an atmosphere of impending doom and despair upon Hawkins. This left fans anxious, excited, and curious as to what would happen next, after being left on a major cliffhanger. 

Yet, in season 5, the so-called “doom and despair” of the Hawkins splitting was simply plastered over by a giant metal bandaid. The writers literally just smacked a giant bandaid over the world almost ending in season 4, with a massive 18 month time jump into the future. But this wasn’t the only plot hole, shockingly. 

The Upside-Down:

In seasons 1 and 2, the upside down was treated as an extremely hazardous, dangerous, and infectious atmosphere. People would wear hazmat suits, Will Byers was desperately fighting for his life, and demogorgons infected every corner, brutally killing intruders. 

In season 5, the upside down was almost a harmless “sidequest”, with characters regularly entering the realm. Despite previous seasons showing vast numbers of Demogorgons, Demodogs, and bats, these creatures are entirely absent in both the upside-down and the final fight, in the Abyss. 

The Abyss: 

When the Abyss was introduced as an additional realm, it was an initial shock factor to many audiences. Now that there was another dimension, it had to be more dangerous, shocking, and threatening.. right?

The answer to this question is a harsh no. The final battle in the Abyss between Eleven and Vecna was utterly underwhelming, somewhat short, and confusing. Where were the demogorgons, bats, or any of the creatures that served Vecna? Why didn’t they come and help Vecna defeat Eleven? These questions still remain unanswered.

Conformity Gate:

Fans created an alternate ending and theory surrounding the new season. The theory essentially stated that everything we were watching onscreen, from dialogue, plot, and chronological order was fake, crafted by Vecna to trick us. 

This was due to the fact that the season had so many plotholes, from Will saying he loves “getting lost in the woods” (why would he love getting lost in the woods if that’s how he almost died?), to some colors being inaccurate (the dial knob). 

However, these plotholes were not strategic, smart, or associated with any alternate genius ending. These plotholes were just plotholes.

Will The Wise:

The last plothole I’m going to talk about surrounds a major character, Will Byers. Speaking from personal experience, when I saw Will develop powers and access to the hive mind, my jaw hit the floor. 

This moment also reminded me of Harry Potter, being an extension of Voldemort, as a horcrux. When Voldemore endured pain, so did Harry. Similarly, when Vecna was attacked, Will simultaneously winced in immense pain.

When Vecna was finally defeated, some fans believed that Will Byers would also die, because they were interconnected. But nope! He survived.

 Moreover, some fans went off of Caleb McLaughlin’s usage of the word “traitor” to predict that Will would betray everyone, and merge with Vecna’s morals, power, and urge to end the world. However, Will went on to live his life normally.

Ultimately, there was no traitor.

My Final thoughts

Though I spent most of this article critiquing the new season, it could have been much worse. There were many shocking moments, wholesome moments, and nostalgic moments in season 5.

I loved many of the new characters, and actually thought that some parts of the season were very strong. In conclusion, I believe that this season was flawed, yes, but it brought closure to fans, which can be enough in its own way.