I have had one month to completely digest the controversial final episode of “Stranger Things.” It has been an ongoing discussion in the media, with audiences being torn about their feelings towards the endings of many of their beloved characters. Some people have no notes, while others have completely ripped the episode to shreds.

My feelings are mixed, but to say that I completely hated the finale would be a lie.

When the Abyss was first introduced, I thought it was a cool, science-fiction like way to bring the story full circle, but then when the party actually got there, it was a bit of a letdown. The coloring and terrain were not as I was expecting. I anticipated it to look dark and desolate, but that was not the vibe at all.

It also made such little sense that there were no demo-bats or demogorgons. The demogorgon was a staple throughout the entire series, so not even one felt like it messed with not only the realism but the continuity of the series.

It made little sense why Vecna and the mindflayer would be the only forces that they were battling.

In theory, bringing it all back to the mindflayer made sense, but the early seasons’ depictions of the creature were scarier and made the situations seem more dire. This season’s look just appeared to be an enlarged spider. A giant spider is still scary, but nowhere near as scary as the mindflayer had been.

The final battle as a whole was a letdown. The party had been battling Vecna and the evil powers of the Upside Down for years, so to have it all end so quickly was surprising to say the least.

The kids had such issues battling Vecna in season four, so why was the final battle lacking in such action and suspense? It was too easy.

The rest of the episode was a tear jerker, but in the best way.

Eleven’s death or sacrifice or whatever we want to call it, left me in utter shambles. While I knew there would be a high probability that El would possibly die, it was still shocking to watch that scene, especially with Prince’s “Purple Rain” playing in the background.

Finn Wolfhard’s acting in this scene stole the entire show. You could see the absolute devastation in his eyes as the scene unfolded.

I definitely questioned his performance in earlier seasons, but his despair and pain as Eleven left him, really changed my mind.

The 18-month time jump was definitely not my favorite, but I can appreciate how it showed that Mike was nowhere near getting over Eleven and her possible death or disappearance.

But it felt rushed. There was not enough time to mourn the impact that the final battle left on the characters.

Murray was missing, and what happened to Vickie? Leaving out these characters messed with the continuity of the last episode. These characters were supposedly key in the final episode, but in the timejump, they were nowhere to be found. It was like the writers completely forgot about them.

The choice to play Landslide was pure perfection. At this point in the episode, the waterworks started and never stopped.

Having the party graduate felt like a nice wrap up of the series and the characters’ childhood. It was touching getting to see them all have some sense of normalcy after everything they had been through.

The cherry on top was Mike hearing that noise, and it taking him back to the moment Eleven “died”.

Nancy, Jonathan, Steve and Robin’s endings were terrible because they were so realistic. They shined a light on the reality of small town friendships, and how everyone may eventually go their own way.

Making Steve a teacher made so much sense, but bringing Nancy back into the reporting after the difficult time she had in season three was definitely a choice.

Knowing that this is a truth of life was a tough pill to swallow, especially because we, as the audience, normally expect the best for the characters we have grown up with. The only hope I have is that they will actually hold true to their word, and meet up every month.

As for the ending of the kids, I don’t know where to start.

Ending the same way that they started was brilliant. D’nD was the heart of the show, and brought the characters together. It wouldn’t have felt right to leave it out.

Hearing Mike fully embrace his role one final time was exactly what the characters needed. They needed their leader one last time.

He wove together such a beautiful picture of the friends’ endings. The music playing as they each placed their books on the shelf was a beautiful nod to the final chapter of this story coming to an end.

It was nostalgic and bittersweet, but also powerful knowing that they each had one final moment to shine.

As for Eleven’s ending, I am quite torn. If, and that is a big if, she died, then it was a tragic sacrifice that was only put into her head by Kali, which frustrates me on so many levels.

If she escaped as Mike said, and found her way to the three waterfalls, and is living her life, that is another kind of tragedy.

Her character lost regardless. She either lost her life, literally, or faked her death, living in isolation for the rest of her life, still losing those closest to her.

There are signs to her being alive, but there are also signs that point towards her death.

Regardless, I believe.

Just like the kids, I believe that there is an ending where Eleven made it out alive, and many, many years later, Mike will eventually go and find her.

Maybe that is naive of me, but there is a beauty in believing, in having hope that maybe the worst did not truly happen.

Seeing all five kids believe in Mike’s ending means that the world didn’t break them. In spite of everything that they had been through, and in spite of all of the loss they had suffered, they still chose to believe that their friend is alive.

And with that, I too, believe.

The finale was not perfect in the slightest bit. It was messy. There were plotholes. Things were forgotten.

They also got things right, though.

They included the heartbreak of loss. The reality and terror of getting older. How difficult saying goodbye can be.

I grew up with these characters, and it felt like a part of my life ended with the show.

But at the end of the day, this story is about friendship and finding where you belong.

Be different. Be kind. Take the risk.

Be brave. Love loudly. Believe in what could be possible.

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