Review: Stranger Things’ frustrating finale didn’t quite stick the landing

Now for some kvetching…

A mindless military subplot

In S4, we learned that there are “factions” of the US government—with one, including Dr. Sam Owens (Paul Reiser), that understands what Eleven is facing and sees her as part of the solution, and another that believes Eleven is the source of Hawkins’ alleged “curse” and seeks to find and, presumably, destroy her. S4 ends with Eleven being pursued by this latter, anti-Eleven military faction in an operation led by Lieutenant Colonel Sullivan (Sherman Augustus). S5 picks up with Sullivan still seeking Eleven.

Robin and Steve have their own radio program, the better to broadcast coded messages to the rest of the team.

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Robin and Steve have their own radio program, the better to broadcast coded messages to the rest of the team. Netflix

The mysterious Mr. Whatsit is Henry/Vecna in disguise.

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The mysterious Mr. Whatsit is Henry/Vecna in disguise. Netflix

Karen Wheeler protects daughter Holly from a demogorgon.

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Karen Wheeler protects daughter Holly from a demogorgon. Netflix

“Dipshit Derek”? No, “Delightful Derek.”

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Max and Holly are trapped in Vecna’s memories.

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Linda Hamilton is sadly wasted as Dr. Kay.

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Hey, remember Kali/Eight from that one episode back in S3?

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Demogorgons descend on the military base.

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Will faces the monster who abducted him all those years ago.

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But as the season goes on, our understanding of this military faction falls apart entirely. We see Sullivan is under Major General Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton), who doesn’t care one way or the other if Eleven is the cause or solution to Hawkins’ problems. In fact, Hawkins’ problems don’t seem to matter whatsoever. Kay has the absurdly myopic goal of simply restarting Dr. Martin Brenner’s (Matthew Modine) program, and she needs Eleven to do so. Eleven is not an evil to defeat, but a weapon to replicate.

At the start of Vol. 2, Kali reveals that Brenner gave Eight and Eleven (among other non-surviving children) their powers via prenatal transfusions with the blood of Henry Creel, aka One, aka Vecna, who we later learn got his powers directly from the Mind Flayer as a child. Kay captured Eight not to use her as bait for Eleven or to use Eight’s power against Eleven, but to try to use Eight’s blood to make more numbered super soldier children. But, the experiment fails, and the pregnant women are dying from Eight’s blood. Thus, she wants Eleven for a second try. And she explicitly doesn’t care if Eleven is good or evil.

https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/01/review-stranger-things-frustrating-finale-didnt-quite-stick-the-landing/