So I just finished Season 5 of Stranger Things. IMO not as bad as some people made it seem. (Major Spoilers)
TL,DR: I thought it was a satisfying ending to the series, but it wasn't the strongest season and definitely had issues.
Overall I thought it was fine, but I will admit you kinda need to turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride without thinking too hard
I liked the idea of Eleven and the other "siblings" being born as a result of blood transfusions from Henry
I liked the idea of the Mind Flayer being it's own entity and not just some swirling mass that Henry "shaped"
I enjoyed the special effects and the final battle
Linda Hamilton's character was a great villain to hate, IMO
I loved Dustin's valedictorian speech
I loved the final DnD campaign and the story sendoff for the main characters, as well as the younger generation climbing down to start their own campaign
Also, Steve ending as a baseball coach was perfection.
All that being said, I did have some issues:
I wasn't a big fan of Henry's "child kidnapping plan" and all the scenes with him as "Mr. Whatsit" Didn't hate it. Just didn't care for it.
Was not a fan of how they handled Will's coming out and how big of a plot point they made it in regards to his fears and weaknesses with Vecna. Not sure how to make it better, I just didn't think it was handled well. Also, I get that this is a modern show, but if we wanted true realism, it's highly unlikely that him coming out in the 80s during the stygmatization of the AIDS epidemic would have been so universally accepted by all of his peers.
Also I feel like Will's ability to "reverse hack" Vecna's powers was very poorly explained and usually reserved when it was convenient. Like, how is Will still so deeply connected to Vecna/henry despite all evidence pointing to his connection being severed?
While I thought Linda Hamilton's character was a great villain, I didn't like how she basically got no consequences or ending whatsoever, just....."oh, eleven is gone? All right, bye"
I enjoyed the final battle vs the mind flayer, but I also found it pretty absurd that the Abyss was so lifeless to the point where not a single demogorgon or demodog was present or guarding
Also, particularly in the early episodes, I didn't really get why Dustin was acting as crazy as he was. I get that he was friends with Eddie Munson, but his friendship in season 4 wasn't exactly super fleshed out or shown to be as deep as season 5 made it seem.
Also related to Dustin, as much as I liked his valedictorian speech, literally 18 months prior he was violently assaulted and repeatedly bullied over his connection to Hellfire, and most of the town believed that Eddie and Hellfire were "responsible " for everything happening in Hawkins, so....I don't see how him revealing his "Hellfire lives" shirt would have received a standing ovation from the crowd, even with the rest of his speech
I wasn't a fan of how they handled Henry/Vecna's death. They established that he was also a vessel for the mind flayer....and yet his death....killed the mind flayer as well? If that's the case, then why didn't the deaths of the various demogorgons and demodogs also kill the mind flayer?
Also, the fact that Henry got his powers as a child from a stone connected to the abyss brings some serious lore questions. Where did this stone even come from if the Abyss is another dimension and no bridge existed until 30+ years later?
Also, Eleven's supposed survival is.....very flimsy at best. Kali was on deaths door *before* Eleven traveled to the Abyss, fought and killed Vecna, and the heroes made it back to the gate. Her surviving long enough and with enough strength to still pull a major illusion on dozens of soldiers and civilians from literal miles away? Yeah... I don't think so. And personally, I think it makes more sense to allow Eleven to actually die anyway. The idea of *none* of the main characters getting offed feels a bit too "safe", IMO.
Also, why in the hell was everyone driving back to the gate all relaxed and triumphant, acting like they don't know the gate is located in the middle of a military installation full of pissed off soldiers whose base they *just* steamrolled through to get into the gate in the first place?? Like....why did they act surprised like they *weren't* expecting a heavily armed detatchment waiting for them?
All in all, it definitely had its issues, but if you turn your brain off enough, it's enjoyable enough and a satisfying end to the series.