Spoiler alert: This article contains major plot points of “Stranger Things”.

Junior Ayelet Raffalin and her mother were cozied up on their couch at exactly 5 p.m. PT on New Year’s Eve, when the final episode of “Stranger Things” dropped. At the same time, AP Psychology teacher Melinda Mattes was geared up for the finale –– rewatching every season with her kids in preparation for Season 5. 

“Stranger Things”, by Matt and Ross Duffer, is a science fiction-horror show set in the 1980s. Nearly 10 years after its debut in 2016, the show concluded with its fifth season, released in parts on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Despite anticipation built over the three-and-a-half-year gap between Seasons 4 and 5, freshman Mattias Uribe-Estrada said the final season fell short of expectations. 

“I feel like they wrote it as it went along, and it wasn’t very well planned,” Uribe-Estrada said. “There were a lot of plot holes. I was looking (for) at least one or two deaths that actually mattered, because not one of the main characters actually died.”

Senior Marcello Attardi said he was also frustrated by perceived plot holes in the final season, but enjoyed the theater-experience of watching the finale on the big screen.

“I thought the theater felt more immediate,” Attardi said. “There were points in the last episode where I felt scared, like the point where we thought Hopper shot Eleven and the point where Steve was going to fall off that tower. Those were great to see in theaters because it’s like you’re really in the moment, like a big sound and screen.”

Film composition and English teacher Alanna Williamson said she did not view the season as having plot holes and enjoyed the story but thought the writing lacked consistency compared with previous seasons.

“I think there’s something to be said about working in a continuum and moving forward immediately and still having the same tone,” Williamson said. “To me, it felt like this season’s writing was, at times, really great, and at times, it felt like it was trying a little too hard to be funny in ways that the previous seasons didn’t really have to try.”

Williamson also said the editing this season felt different. 

“The way that you piece things together really makes a difference in how we feel as the viewers, whether we feel like the pacing is too slow or it’s choppy or we’re left hanging,” Williamson said. “The pacing of this particular season just felt a little bit off. The moments that they chose to use cross cutting didn’t feel like they were timed well. I think that that’s why it felt off for a lot of us as viewers who really grew up loving the show.”

Despite the criticism, Mattes said she is sad to see “Stranger Things” come to an end and attributed its success to its relatability across diverse audiences.

“I think it hits a lot of folks in really interesting places,” Mattes said. “You’ve got the ‘80s, which is really nostalgic for a lot of people, and there are aspects of the ‘80s that they capture really well. There’s the whole Dungeons and Dragons crew, and it is my understanding that the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons has actually gone up because of the show. There’s the underdog idea, where the dorks who are written off actually are the heroes. That appeals to a lot of people because all of us feel inadequate in some way, and to watch people that identify as being inadequate actually be the heroes is what we all want.”

And Attardi said the show resonates with multiple age groups while combining aspects of a good show.

“The characters are very vivid, and they’re relatable,” Attardi said. “The fact that it has younger kids, older kids and adults. It’s got intrigue. It’s got action, and it draws inspiration from a lot of hit movies.”

In addition to its wide appeal, Raffalin said she feels personally connected to “Stranger Things” because she grew up alongside the characters.

“I’ve seen the kids really grow up, and a lot of times, they were my age,” Raffalin said. “Like in season four they were 14, which was how old I was. And then in season five, I think they’re supposed to be 16 or 17, which is my age now.”

Because of this shared experience, Mattes said “Stranger Things” has left a lasting impression on Gen Z.

“I think it’s a big piece of culture for the last decade,” Mattes said. “It is this shared cultural experience, especially for a particular demographic or a particular age group. High schoolers will have many different shared cultural experiences, that when you get to be my age, you’ll look back and think ‘Oh my gosh, remember that thing from the 2020s right?’And this may be one of those things.” 

After the finale aired, many fans were left in disbelief –– conspiring about an additional hidden episode known as “The Conformity Gate.” But Raffalin said it is time for viewers to move on.

“I think a lot of people just got attached to certain theories or relationships between characters, and they took it out on a new episode, but it is not happening,” Raffalin said. “They were just so addicted to “Stranger Things”. But if you just enjoy the show for what it was, I was happy without having a secret conformity episode.”

Williamson said fans should consider rewatching the season without having expectations about how they think it should have ended 

“It’s so beautiful the way that the show wraps up,” Williamson said. “The epilogue is completely what the show is about. It’s all about friendship. It’s all about connection. It’s always been about childhood and growing up and saying goodbye to childhood. Let it touch you. Let it impact you, and set aside your desire for blood and violence.”