TIR Screens Final Assessment
The Stranger Things series officially wrapped yesterday, and going into the finale, I was fully prepared to rate the show as an okay one. Somewhere in the 7 to 7.5 range. A good watch. Enjoyable. My favorite thing about it always being the 80s nostalgia.
I’ve never considered Stranger Things a bad show. I just never found myself overly invested the way a superfan would be. I didn’t get impatient waiting for the next season. I didn’t rewatch episodes between seasons to fill the void. I wasn’t checking production updates or hitting the Google streets to see what stage they were in. The long gaps between seasons likely played a role in that distance.
That said, the series finale got everything right.
TIR Take
There’s a thing finales tend to do when they want to walk the audience down memory lane. Earlier seasons replayed. Familiar scenes resurfacing. Popular moments dropped in to tug at emotional cords. Sentimental music layered on top, sometimes meaningful, sometimes just there to trigger tears.
Stranger Things did all of that. But it did it in the most intentional, meaningful way possible.
The score was perfectly selected to fit both the genre and the world of the series. While many of the pieces were extremely popular songs, none of them felt gimmicky or chosen by an algorithm based on emotional data points. Instead, they felt curated with real artistic and cinematic care.
The trip down memory lane fit within the story being told. It wasn’t an awkward side quest or a highlight reel stitched together for nostalgia’s sake. It was seamless, purposeful, and emotionally earned.
The finale felt like a standalone movie. One that worked for superfans, casual watchers, and even someone sitting down for the first time and only watching the finale. It genuinely felt like a message from the Duffer Brothers that said, if you like this episode, go back and watch the entire series.
I had an elevated viewing experience. This was excellent storytelling. A cinematic, artistic piece that was visually stunning, rich in worldbuilding, and confident enough to tackle societal themes without soapboxing or losing focus on the story itself.
One of my favorite things about the finale was that no single character was positioned as the savior. It was a true group effort, in the most honest sense. Every character received payoff, regardless of who the viewer’s favorite was. That choice felt intentional and smart, and it reinforced the heart of the series as an ensemble story rather than a hero narrative.
Bravo. Well done.
Evaluation: Sticking the Landing
What impressed me most is that the finale didn’t just aim to please fans. It respected the world it built.
It balanced spectacle with restraint. Emotion with clarity. Nostalgia with narrative purpose. It trusted the audience to feel without forcing the feeling.
That’s rare.
TIR Recommends
This finale is a 10/10 episode, no question.
As a result, the overall series moved for me from a 7 to 7.5 into the 9 to 9.5 range. They stuck the landing, and that matters.
This finale is for:
- Superfans who have lived with these characters for years
- Casual viewers who enjoyed the ride without obsession
- People who avoided the show because of the overwhelming hype
If you enjoy fantasy, 80s nostalgia, adventure-driven storytelling, or mystical elements, this finale rewards you.
Does it require emotional investment? I’m honestly 50/50. I’ve watched the entire series, so I understand why certain moments hit as hard as they did. But I genuinely believe someone could sit down and experience this finale as a movie on its own and still feel the impact.
Your Take
Did the finale change how you feel about the series as a whole?
Did it live up to the hype for you, or did it finally justify it?
And if you’ve been on the fence about Stranger Things, does this make you want to start from Season 1?
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