By Chris Snellgrove | Published
I Stranger Things closed out 2025 with a bang rather than a bang, giving us a divisive series finale that fans can’t stop arguing about. While there were many things wrong with this final episode, what I found most disturbing was that it was riddled with odd holes that threatened to turn this epic, action-packed episode into something of a disappointment.
If you don’t believe it (and don’t worry otherwise spoilers seriously), go grab a slice of Surfer Boy Pizza and read on for the worst Stranger Things a series of final plotholes that will haunt us forever!
Why Are The Soldiers Letting Our Heroes Go?
After us Stranger Things the heroes defeat Vecna and the Mindflayer (more on that in a bit), escaping the Upside Down only to be captured by the military. It looks like all hope is lost, and then the unthinkable happens: Eleven is left behind when the Upside Down explodes (unless you believe Mike’s theory that he survived). The little girl’s purpose for this sacrifice was to ensure that the government would never be able to continue their terrifying research without access to the Upside Down or her super-powered blood.
That’s all well and good, but then something crazy happens. The soldiers let everyone go! Remember that these are the characters who have killed dozens of military personnel and caused massive damage to government buildings, and they are the only ones whose knowledge and experience can help the government find anything useful in their years of exploration. However, the Army (including Dr. Kay, whose origin is never really explained) turns out to be okay with letting everyone go through the evil loophole it’s meant to provide. Stranger Things happy ending.
How Did Hopper Get His Old Job?
Part of the show’s aforementioned happy ending is Hopper (never mind the surprise of Even’s death) getting his old job as Hawkins’ Chief of Police. He even uses that job and authority over his old friend to get a new, high-paying police gig where he and Joyce can be closer to where his kids go to school. It’s all fun and emotional, but this Stranger Things finale never answers the basic question: how the heck did Hopper get his old job?
As far as anyone in the community (including other police officers) knows, Hopper has literally been dead since the end of Season 3. If they know anything about his recent activities, they know he’s been spending his time breaking laws, killing soldiers, and raising a fugitive from the government. Just look at the fact that he was a drunk who never did his job back in Season 1, and it doesn’t make any sense that he would ever be able to work in law again, let alone get two different jobs as Chief of Police in the blink of an eye!
Where Were All the Demogorgons?
Part of what you do is Stranger Things The series’ most exciting ending (at least, on paper) is that our heroes take the fight to Vecna and the Mindflayer by entering the abyss armed to the teeth. There, they faced a surprisingly simple battle. Despite Vecna being stronger than ever and Mindflayer being a god-like being from the universe, they are both defeated by Scooby’s gang. Of course, the fight is made even easier by the absence of Demogorgons, and the fact that they are nowhere to be found makes no sense at all.
In case you haven’t followed the show’s convoluted history, the Demogorgons live in the Abyss (as seen in the game. Stranger Things: The First Shadow) and enter the real world through the gates to the Upside Down. Ideally, the hole should be perfect to crawl with these guys (who have been the series’ iconic baddy since the beginning), but they’re completely absent. Some fans say that Vecna took them all to further his power, but there are two problems with that idea: 1) it makes no sense to destroy your army when your enemies are closed, and 2) this, like so much else, is never explained on screen!
Sorry, Duffer Brothers: if fans have to come up with their own answers, that’s a sure sign that your writing is big fat.
Why Are Vecna and Mind Flayer So Weak?
Perhaps the most confusing thing about Stranger Things the end of the series that our two Big Bads were good surprisingly weak. Vecna should be stronger than ever now, but she can’t even successfully pull Holly away from the fat kid with the foul mouth. Later, Eleven proves to be completely powerful in their final battle, even though he held a very powerful battle during their final match of Season 4 (remember he was supposed to be less powerful then).
Meanwhile, the Mindflayer was defeated by a combination of flamethrower, guns, and (groan) flares and slingshots. That wouldn’t be so insulting if it was before Stranger Things the scenes didn’t show that little flunkies like the Demogorgons were a bit bulletproof. Suddenly, the Mind Flayer is weaker than his fellows, as Vecna (also a bulletproof guy) is vulnerable to an axe-wielding middle-aged woman.
Hopefully, someone at Netflix is taking notes here: when you make your main villains insanely weak in the final battle, it’s hard for us to take the bad guys. or Heroes are very serious.
