I didn’t expect the final episode of “Stranger Things” to feel like a goodbye to my own childhood, but somewhere between the flickering lights and the familiar synths, it did.
This show has existed for as long as I can remember being a little bit younger, a little bit more fearless, and a lot more convinced that friendship could save the world. Watching the finale felt like standing at the edge of Hawkins, Indiana and realizing I couldn’t ride my bike back to where it all started.
The last episode “The Rightside Up” itself is heavy with endings. Hawkins is scarred, the Upside Down finally silenced, and the Party stands together one last time – not as kids, but not quite as adults either. The supernatural threat is defeated, but the real weight comes from the quiet moments: shared looks, hesitant smiles, and a conversation that feels like they’re stretching time because no one wants to say goodbye just yet.
When Mike talks about what he imagines for everyone’s future, I will admit, I shed a few tears. Not because of what he said, but because of what it means. The Party isn’t immortal. Neither are the moments that made them.
“And that little me, I could hardly recognize her… she just loved every part of herself… I was looking for the answers in somebody else, but I had all the answers,” Robin Buckly said.
That line kept echoing in my head as the last episode unfolded. Eleven’s journey comes full circle, not as a weapon, but as a person who finally understands she is allowed to choose peace, (if you choose to believe, of course). Dustin’s grief still lingers, honoring Eddie without needing spectacle. Lucas, Max, Will – each of them feels changed in a way that mirrors real life: quietly, permanently.
What makes this finale devastating in the best way is that it doesn’t pretend everything is perfect. Some wounds remain. Some goodbyes don’t get neat closure. That honestly is what makes it feel grown-up. The show understands that saving the world doesn’t stop time from moving forward.
When the screen finally turned to black, I didn’t feel satisfied. I felt full. Full of memories of watching and rewatching this show year after year, growing alongside it, letting it soundtrack different versions of myself.
At that black screen, my reflection stared back at me, only it was little me with my Eggo waffles, and my new favorite show ahead of me.
