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We have no idea what the Stranger Things finale has in store for us. We know that the Hawkins gang are heading towards a final battle with Vecna, but we don’t really know what that will entail, and there are plenty of mysteries still surrounding the villain and his Lovecraftian plan to merge dimensions. We also know that with Kali back in the mix, Eleven may have to make a choice between living an idealistic life with Hopper and Mike, or making sure that the bloodline (and the military threat) is gone for good.
While there are plenty of things that we would like to see play out in the series finale, there are also things that we would prefer not to see. Here are the main pitfalls that the show should probably avoid…
A Significant Time Jump
It feels like it would be nice to see what happens to these characters in the future. Perhaps Steve and Nancy eventually end up married with six little nuggets. Perhaps Eleven and Hopper start their own secret squad to right the world’s wrongs in the shadows. Perhaps Dustin becomes super famous in the gaming world. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. But should the finale make a significant time jump and show us where all our faves end up, it may fall into several traps.
On the business side, if Stranger Things were to ever be resurrected (in a legacy sequel series or movie, for example) the writers would be tied to those surprising future glimpses rather than left with the ability to deploy or alter them. However, there’s also the believability of aging the cast so that they look 30 or 40 to reflect a significant time jump, which always looks dodgy no matter how good the makeup is. The series has been struggling with its child actors aging out of their characters already, but aging them into future versions of those characters is just as tricky.
If you think we’re wrong on this one, think back to how you felt seeing the kids of the Harry Potter franchise play late-30s adults in Deathly Hallows – Part 2…
Setting Up a Spinoff
Stranger Things is a golden goose – an extremely popular IP that could keep laying golden eggs for years. Make no mistake, nothing is ever really over when there’s money to be made! As such, there’s an animated Stranger Things spinoff on the way, and a live-action spinoff series is already in development that apparently won’t involve Hawkins or any characters from the main series.
As there are currently no plans to continue this particular story, the finale has two hours and change to wrap everything up and say goodbye to Hawkins, along with all the people we’ve come to know and love. Although we’re used to seeing franchises get busy with reeling audiences in for future installments, it would be a bit of a shame to spend a portion of our remaining time in Hawkins setting up a spinoff after we’ve committed to five seasons of this story.
Characters in Heaven
We do hope the show doesn’t opt to bring any dead characters back using mystical or religious means in the finale. We don’t need to see Eddie smiling down at us like Mufasa from the clouds, or see everyone reuniting in a heavenly dimension where they can play Dungeons & Dragons for infinity.
When Supernatural finally ended after 15 seasons, we had to see brothers Sam and Dean reuniting in heaven. The main cast of Lost embraced in a collective afterlife when their times came. On the movie side, Jane Foster’s death from cancer in Thor: Love and Thunder was very sad, but Marvel tacked on a post-credits scene to show that everything was alright really, because she made it to Valhalla.
Showing us characters in the afterlife often undermines their lives and sacrifices, and it’s just super cheesy. No more, please!
Cringy Fan Service
There are many things people want from a series finale, but a rehash of what’s come before is almost certainly not it. We don’t need to see the characters saying any of their iconic lines again (“friends don’t lie!”), we don’t need needle drops from any of the songs that have become permanently linked to their journey like Dustin and NeverEnding Story, and we definitely don’t need any surprise celebrity cameos.
To be fair, the chances of Kate Bush popping up to help slay a Demogorgon are slim, but Stranger Things is well known for bringing in actors who were popular in the 1980s for supporting roles (Winona Ryder, Sean Astin, Matthew Modine, Linda Hamilton, etc.) and we wouldn’t put it past the Duffer brothers to throw in one more surprise for the road.
A Cliffhanger
Fans have waited nine long years to see the conclusion of Stranger Things, so it feels important to give the story a proper ending that doesn’t have an “aha!” moment. One of the series’ strengths has always been its balance of suspense and heartfelt resolution. Ending on a cliffhanger risks turning any carefully built satisfaction into frustration.
We’ve all been looking forward to seeing the fates of Hawkins, the Upside Down, and the central characters, but there’s also that final confrontation with Vecna/Henry Creel that the last two seasons have been setting up. He can’t keep running back to his weird dimension and licking his wounds, the guy has gotta be stopped once and for all!
The Upside Down might exist forever (and so might the Mind Flayer) but Henry’s final run for glory needs to play out in full. No Tony Soprano ambiguity for that blonde rapscallion!
The post 5 Things the Stranger Things Finale Needs to Avoid appeared first on Den of Geek.
