Immediate Success

The global hit Stranger Things has at long last come to an end after airing five seasons over the course of nine years. Breaking records with its debut of the final season, 60 million viewers streamed the show in the first five days of its release. Millions of die-hard fans expressed varying opinions on the show’s ending. Not many of them, however, questioned the show’s impact on youth and pop culture over the last decade.

Stranger Things became popular almost immediately after Netflix released the first season in July 2016. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer were rejected by over 15 networks while trying to produce their idea and never expected it to be one of the most talked about shows of recent years. Through word-of-mouth, social media buzz, and its compelling mix of 1980s nostalgia, sci-fi, horror, and strong characters, the show turned into a massive hit, quickly amassing a huge fanbase for its paranormal plot. The teenage characters in Hawkins, Indiana, faced the mysteries of a parallel world, discovered the supernatural, and navigated the struggles of growing up.

Setting Trends

Stranger Things largely influenced recent pop culture. A return of scrunchies, high waisted jeans, and chunky jewelry became popular in 2019 as a result of the characters wearing these 80s fashion trends. The show referenced the game Dungeons and Dragons, which then became popular again. In 2022, Kate Bush’s song “Running Up That Hill” topped the charts and made a comeback 37 years after its release due to its use in Season 4. The song was #1 on the charts for three consecutive weeks, and similar resurgences occurred with other 80s songs: “Every Breath You Take,” “Master of Puppets,” “Should I Stay or Should I go,” and “Heroes” all saw upticks on musical streaming sites and radio stations. 

Additionally, Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, produced a famous one-liner. “Friends don’t lie” became a popular phrase on the internet and on merchandise. Eleven also regularly ate Eggo Waffles, and as a result, Eggo sales jumped 14% in 2017 courtesy of the show. 

Opinions and Speculations

The Duffer brothers released the final season in three different volumes. The first aired on Thanksgiving 2025, then the next on Christmas, and the final on New Years, giving everyone online enough time to catch up and theorize between releases. After each installment was released, comments on social media platforms flooded the internet with theories about the end of the series. Rumors, especially about character deaths and relationships, spread rapidly. Without spoiling it for anyone who hasn’t seen the series finale yet, many fans had high expectations for the final episodes yet were left disappointed. “I loved the first four seasons of Stranger Things, and I was just underwhelmed by the finale,” Michelle Sonkin, Olympic Heights sophomore, commented. “People were so worked up on TikTok and [were] then left disappointed like I was.” Speculations sparked on social media that fan-favorite character Steve Harrington, played by Joe Keery, would die, and that two of the main actors played by Noah Schnapp and Finn Wolfhard would couple up in the final episodes.  While the show was immensely popular, not everyone thought the wait for five seasons over nine years was worth it. “The show really could’ve ended after the first two or three seasons,” Lena Siwik, another Olympic Heights sophomore, remarked. 

Rumors and speculations went so far that those online coined the term “Conformity Gate,” referring to the characters conforming to normalcy in the end, and the belief that there was a hidden last episode. This viral fan theory analyzed many plot holes that were left unsolved after the story’s ending.  A repetitive use of the number seven in Netflix promotional videos, official Stranger Things accounts, and the cast themselves led fans to believe the finale was a fake-out, hoping for another episode on Jan. 7, 2026. Many viewers felt that the ending was rushed and inauthentic, that there was no way it was over. However, this theory has since been debunked by the release of the behind-the-scenes documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5.

While all can have an opinion on how the last season of Stranger Things was executed or if it did the franchise justice or not, there is no denying that it launched the careers for many beloved actors, maintained a loyal fanbase, and was one of the most successful TV shows of the 21st century. 

“The Duffer brothers should’ve been less sensitive about letting a few people die this season,” Siwik continued, “but the end scene was a great nostalgic moment to tie it all together.”