There are very few shows that end up running for ten years, especially not one with only 5 seasons. But Netflix’ s hit series Stranger Things has done it. For anyone in high school, this show has been running for over half our lives, and we have gotten to grow up alongside these characters.

Stranger Things season 5 has been one of (if not) the most anticipated ending of a show since Game of Thrones. So the big question is, how do you create an ending that satisfies everyone and still fits the characters?

The answer is it is complicated.

This season has the most mixed reviews out of any of the seasons that this show has produced. Fans were split, with many saying that there was plenty of closure and comfort in this season. Others were frustrated with the pacing, writing choices and the sense that the writers are trying to do too much.

Both reactions are completely valid, and I find myself somewhere in the middle. The finale is full of heartfelt moments, but is also messy and clunky at times.

I feel none of the messiness comes because of run times, as each episode was almost an hour long, with the finale being close to two and a half hours. The way the finale episode works, it feels less like a cohesive episode, and more like a stitched-together feature.

But honestly, it works. And it works better than most of the episodes which precede it.

The main issue with this season is the writers did not know when to stop talking. The characters will explain 5 different times what they are doing, and why they are doing it. This may appeal to those who like to watch tv by sitting on their phone and kinda paying attention to two things at once, but really not paying attention to either of them, however, those watching without distractions are left wondering why they are being told the same things.

Now, this is not an issue that is fully new this season. It was creeping around during season 4, but this season it became impossible to ignore.

With that being said, when Stranger Things remembers its core strengths, it flourishes.

The cast is probably the shows greatest asset. Yes, as they grew some of the child actors did not grow as actors. But watching these characters come together one last time carries an undeniable weight. If the writers understood one thing, it is that what truly matters is not the mythology of the Upside Down, but the bond the characters share.

Most of the satisfying moments were not fighting the monsters, but instead quiet reunions, shared glances, and the sense of history in every interaction.

One of the biggest issues many fans had was that it felt like the fight with the Mindflayer only took a couple of minutes (the scene lasted less than ten minutes total).

What I feel many fans are forgetting is that these characters have been fighting the Mindflayer for five years, with little to no break between fights. So, maybe it is unbelievable for the heroes to defeat the villain in a fifteen minute interaction, but when the whole show is set around suspending belief, it is one thing I am not too worried about.

What I did find too unrealistic was how there were seemingly no consequences for any of the characters. Do they seriously expect me to believe ten of the series’ beloved characters went into the Upside Down, and not one of them died?

While I am happy that none of my favorite characters died, this made it seem like nothing they did mattered, as there was no consequence when they did something sloppily.

Throughout the show, there was a theme of not killing beloved characters, and the only characters who did die were new that season (Bob in season 2, Alexei in season 3, Eddie in season 4 etc).

This did nothing but make it glaringly obvious that when a new character gets introduced, do not get attached, because they probably will not last longer than the season. This is not necessarily bad writing, just safe writing.

There was never going to be a perfect ending for Stranger Things. Almost everyone had their own hope for what was going to happen, and no finale could satisfy everyone. Instead, what it delivered was something more comforting, and safer.

For those of us who care deeply about these characters, there was a firm sense of closure, with each characters’ future being told and wrapped with a nice bow on top. Those who were looking for a more lore-heavy explanation of the Upside Down may be left unfulfilled. Both responses can coexist.

In the end, Stranger Things did what it does best, reminded us why we stayed. Not for the monsters, or the lore, but for the people, and the feeling of growing up.  Would I have preferred if the show ended a few years ago? Maybe. It would have been nice to see what came of the show if the cast did not grow out of these characters.

But watching these characters cross the stage at graduation, knowing I am about to do the same thing in a few months was bittersweet. They are all grown up, and we have to say goodbye to the characters who have been with us for more than half our lives.