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Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Thu January 01, 2026 9:06 am
by Ensign9
It was good but there was some truly awful writing in parts. That scene on top of WSQK toward the end was cringeworthy but they finished really strong with the D&D stuff.
What happened to the jocks that beat Dustin up?
I assume that magic rock is gonna be the link to the new series.
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Thu January 01, 2026 11:06 am
by VinylGuy
Mecca wrote:I really want B to watch this
- Spoiler: show
- I bet he believes Elle isn’t really dead
Well
- Spoiler: show
- The lack of a scene were they check her pulse…It is confusing
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Thu January 01, 2026 2:32 pm
by Mecca
Ensign9 wrote:It was good but there was some truly awful writing in parts. That scene on top of WSQK toward the end was cringeworthy but they finished really strong with the D&D stuff.
What happened to the jocks that beat Dustin up?
I assume that magic rock is gonna be the link to the new series.
I think the 4 olds scene was meant to end a little clunky; there’s no way they make the monthly meetup in Philly. Maybe the first few months it happens, but one day life gets in the way for at least one of them and the meetup is no longer a given and they really do drift apart
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Thu January 01, 2026 6:37 pm
by Ello Sailor
Eh, it was aight. Glad it's over because it was becoming a real slog to get through. I almost skipped the finale entirely!
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Thu January 01, 2026 7:30 pm
by Ensign9
Great articulation of why the show degraded over time:
Even the characters have been reduced to plot-delivery devices, spending nearly all their screen time either A) discussing their many, many plans or B) getting their friends up to speed.
https://www.theringer.com/2026/01/01/st ... ghtside-up
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Thu January 01, 2026 7:40 pm
by Ensign9
Also, I like Finn Wolfhard but I couldn't help but think of this during his last shot:

Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Thu January 01, 2026 7:45 pm
by wease
- Spoiler: show
- Elle is still alive but
Derek was the true hero of the series.
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Thu January 01, 2026 8:49 pm
by Ello Sailor
Karen Wheeler is the goat. Nancy is also right up there. They were on some Ripley shit.
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Thu January 01, 2026 11:40 pm
by daft twat
We watched this as a family today, as we always have. My oldest son graduated in June and my youngest is 16. I looked through my camera roll afterwards and the closest picture I have to when this show debuted (July 15, 2016) was two days before. They were playing Pokémon Go with my wife in the park. Seeing all the flashbacks to earlier seasons hit me hard. Those kids on the show were just babies. And so were mine. And they have all closed that basement door on their childhood. I’m absolutely melancholy this evening.
This final season was the weakest and had plenty of plot holes, but it hit all the emotional moments I wanted and I enjoyed it. I’m so glad they took the safe way out and didn’t kill a bunch of characters (kids!) off. I will put this comfortably alongside the Harry Potter franchise for how the ride felt and how it feels now that it’s over. I will be surprised if another show or movie series has this affect on me.
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 12:49 am
by Mecca
I didn’t think
- Spoiler: show
- Eleven’s sacrifice would be that up to interpretation. I get the hope and confirmation bias really fuels the desire for a happy ending, but as someone who has experienced the loss of someone I loved, it will always read to me that Mike made up that story to deal with his grief; after all he is the best storyteller. There’s just too many plot holes for her to have escaped. She was still present after the upside down lab exploded, so whether Kali was alive to start the illusion, she wasn’t there to finish the illusion if she survived or faked the gunshot wound to fool Hopper
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 1:27 am
by wease
Mecca wrote:I didn’t think
- Spoiler: show
- Eleven’s sacrifice would be that up to interpretation. I get the hope and confirmation bias really fuels the desire for a happy ending, but as someone who has experienced the loss of someone I loved, it will always read to me that Mike made up that story to deal with his grief; after all he is the best storyteller. There’s just too many plot holes for her to have escaped. She was still present after the upside down lab exploded, so whether Kali was alive to start the illusion, she wasn’t there to finish the illusion if she survived or faked the gunshot wound to fool Hopper
- Spoiler: show
- Elle kept the illusion going when the lab blew up. She was out of the field of the disruptors and kept it up until the portal closed.
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 2:41 am
by Mecca
wease wrote:Mecca wrote:I didn’t think
- Spoiler: show
- Eleven’s sacrifice would be that up to interpretation. I get the hope and confirmation bias really fuels the desire for a happy ending, but as someone who has experienced the loss of someone I loved, it will always read to me that Mike made up that story to deal with his grief; after all he is the best storyteller. There’s just too many plot holes for her to have escaped. She was still present after the upside down lab exploded, so whether Kali was alive to start the illusion, she wasn’t there to finish the illusion if she survived or faked the gunshot wound to fool Hopper
- Spoiler: show
- Elle kept the illusion going when the lab blew up. She was out of the field of the disruptors and kept it up until the portal closed.
- Spoiler: show
- Did she ever have that ability before?
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 3:08 am
by wease
Mecca wrote:wease wrote:Mecca wrote:I didn’t think
- Spoiler: show
- Eleven’s sacrifice would be that up to interpretation. I get the hope and confirmation bias really fuels the desire for a happy ending, but as someone who has experienced the loss of someone I loved, it will always read to me that Mike made up that story to deal with his grief; after all he is the best storyteller. There’s just too many plot holes for her to have escaped. She was still present after the upside down lab exploded, so whether Kali was alive to start the illusion, she wasn’t there to finish the illusion if she survived or faked the gunshot wound to fool Hopper
- Spoiler: show
- Elle kept the illusion going when the lab blew up. She was out of the field of the disruptors and kept it up until the portal closed.
- Spoiler: show
- Did she ever have that ability before?
- Spoiler: show
- Don’t they all have the same abilities?
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 4:01 am
by Mecca
wease wrote:Mecca wrote:wease wrote:Mecca wrote:I didn’t think
- Spoiler: show
- Eleven’s sacrifice would be that up to interpretation. I get the hope and confirmation bias really fuels the desire for a happy ending, but as someone who has experienced the loss of someone I loved, it will always read to me that Mike made up that story to deal with his grief; after all he is the best storyteller. There’s just too many plot holes for her to have escaped. She was still present after the upside down lab exploded, so whether Kali was alive to start the illusion, she wasn’t there to finish the illusion if she survived or faked the gunshot wound to fool Hopper
- Spoiler: show
- Elle kept the illusion going when the lab blew up. She was out of the field of the disruptors and kept it up until the portal closed.
- Spoiler: show
- Did she ever have that ability before?
- Spoiler: show
- Don’t they all have the same abilities?
- Spoiler: show
- Not to my recollection. Some had specialized skills, Kali’s being casting illusions, El specializing in telekinesis and telepathy when in a deprivation tank
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 11:04 am
by @SkitchP
- Spoiler: show
- Honestly I think Mike's story was true. How else would he have known specific details like Cali lowering the gun, or what she said to Elle.
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 1:20 pm
by VinylGuy
- Spoiler: show
- Eleven fighting vecna was badass. I also loved Winona’s final blow.
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 2:36 pm
by Mecca
@SkitchP wrote:- Spoiler: show
- Honestly I think Mike's story was true. How else would he have known specific details like Cali lowering the gun, or what she said to Elle.
Cuz he made it up
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 4:57 pm
by The Argonaut
Does Hopper know? Was he in on it? I've rewatched the relevant scenes and I say yes on both counts
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 5:18 pm
by @SkitchP
Mecca wrote:@SkitchP wrote:- Spoiler: show
- Honestly I think Mike's story was true. How else would he have known specific details like Cali lowering the gun, or what she said to Elle.
Cuz he made it up
I'm talking about the things *we* saw occur, that he described in specific accurate detail
Re: TV: Stranger Things
Posted: Fri January 02, 2026 5:45 pm
by The Argonaut
I mean, he didn't describe them. They replayed while he narrated vaguely