The Game is Over; The Dice have Settled. 9 Years later, Stanger Things, A Review

"Jesus Christ."- Hopper

Before I begin, I just want to clarify that my review of Stanger Things lacks context because I have not seen every episode. I have seen Season 1 and, for the sake of this review, The Bridge and The Right-side Up. I did this so I could be part of the engagement without drowning myself in hours of plot build up (and so I could rival commentaries like that of Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire).

To start, here are my thoughts on The Bridge.

Personally, I don't have much to say. Except that the episode felt like a CW season finale where you have to fit so much dialogue in 43 minutes everything feels fast paced and the stakes get lost in the commotion. Kind of annoying. I was able to pick up on the stakes once things started slowing down, which, lacking the prior 7 episodes and few seasons of plot, is an achievement. I have seen the online reviews concerning this episode and it's the lowest rated of the series. I can see why, as Will Byers "coming out" scene was very left field for me. Otherwise, the episode was fairly well done and set up the tension for the grand finale.

The Right-side Up

I appreciated this being 2 hours and 11 minutes long, so we weren't rushing through it like the last episode. However, I was disappointed with the character usage. I felt like everyone brought their A game except Will. After his scene of reflection so he could face Vecna, he took a major step back from the spotlight to let El take center stage.

Of course, since this is the series finale, and The Upside Down started with El, I am content with it ending with her too. I just feel like it takes away from Will's arc and makes his "moment" unnecessary in contrast.

Jamie Campbell Bower. What a performance. This man as Henry/Vecna, should have been Knull in Venom the Last Dance (but that's a separate post ha-ha).

The young adults are almost the same as I remember them. You have Steve and Jonathan who haven't changed a bit, but then you have girl boss black widow of the 80's Nancy Wheeler. I don't know what happened to her in 4 seasons other than weaponizing her trauma for the protection of Hawkins.

The nerds Mike, Lucas and Dustin are the same, Max was introduced in Season 2 when I stopped watching so I don't have much to say on her.

Though I am ignorant of the story Stranger Things told, I'm glad the Duffer Brothers brought the End back to the Beginning. All the nostalgia, all the demons, all the victories, I didn't have to see the whole show to still feel that emotional connection to the characters.

I appreciated the closing scene so much because it begs the question. Was it real or just a game?

The whole show is about our little boys growing up and taking on change. Dungeons and Dragons were how they coped with the real world. Mike, the storyteller even leaves his friends with an alternative ending. Did the mage die? No one knows. But "I Believe" she didn't. And then before we fade to black, Mike watches as a new story unfolds. With a new generation, which is how all stories should end. When one book closes, another opens.

And now to go back in time and actually watch all the episodes. It was an entertaining finale with a respected close. I give it 4/5 for a rating. I generally enjoyed it even if I was lacking in the show's canon.