- Stranger Things Season 5 comes to an end with everyone receiving a happy ending in their own way.
- The kids are doing well for themselves, Jim and Joyce are getting married, Will comes out of the closet and is comfortable in his skin, and Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin are friends again.
- However, it is unclear what exactly happened to Eleven, but if Mike's theory stands true, she is alive and somewhere safe.
Stranger Things has finally concluded with the release of Season 5’s finale after an epic run that won over millions of fans worldwide. Since Season 1, several subplots or character-driven plots have been running parallel to the main story of the show. One of the truly commendable things Stranger Things has managed to achieve is giving each of these subplots a conclusion. While some of these conclusions were good, some were rather bittersweet, and here, let’s take a look at what happens at the end of Stranger Things Season 5 and how the finale’s ending concludes subplots.
Vecna Receives a Brutal Ending
Eleven comes to the rescue of the Hawkins gang by entering the Abyss, where everyone else is taking on the Mind Flayer with bombs and fire grenades. Nancy Wheeler plays the role of the bait to distract and weaken the Mind Flayer. Meanwhile, Will displays his powers once again and hurts Vecna as he is about to attack Eleven. She overpowers Vecna, and Joyce takes an axe to attack Vecna, who is ultimately defeated by the combined efforts of the gang. At the end of the fight, we see the severed head of Vecna, confirming that he has been defeated finally.
Will Finally Comes out of the Closet and Is No Longer Afraid
One of the biggest subplots that received a somewhat bittersweet conclusion was that of Will’s. It was revealed that Will is gay and likes his best friend, Mike. However, considering the time period in which the show is set, being homosexual was a taboo in society, which became the root cause of Will living in a constant state of self-doubt, which became the root cause of his falling under Vecna’s control. However, in Stranger Things Season 5.
Will finally comes out to everyone he loves and cares about and is accepted with an open heart by each one of them. Moreover, Mike figures out that Will likes him, and while he can’t share the same feelings, he reassures Will that he will always be his best friend, no matter what. By the end, Will is comfortable in his skin and is out in the world to explore his life.
The Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan Love Triangle Reaches a Heartfelt Conclusion
Since the previous season, one of the most tense subplots for fans was the one where Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan were caught in somewhat of a love triangle. This caused a major conflict between Steve and Jonathan while also completely shredding the relationship shared by Nancy and Jonathan. However, in Season 5, we see that while their relationship was over, Jonathan and Nancy never really got closure, but this season gave them the much-needed closure in Episode 7.
In the finale of Stranger Things Season 5, we see Jonathan and Steve somewhat letting go of their conflict and starting to become friends. By the end of the show, we see that Nancy, Steve, Jonathan, and Robin are all living their lives to the fullest and are happy in their own way. Most of all, they are friends even after everything that happened to them and between them, which I believe is something fans would appreciate.
Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers are Finally Getting Married
Starting as a simple Sheriff, Jim Hopper might just have turned out to be one of the most hardcore characters in Stranger Things. The kind of character arc he has been through turned him into nothing less than a G.I. Joe; however, under all the badass-ness, there’s a man whose love life with Joyce Byers was put on hold because of everything that has been happening around him. After an explosive run, Jim finally proposed to Joyce Byers to marry him, and obviously, she said yes.
Eleven Gets a Rather Bittersweet Ending in Stranger Things Season 5
By the end of Stranger Things Season 5, we see that Eleven stays in the Upside Down and goes down with it. However, Eleven does not die in the Stranger Things finale. Mike believes that the Eleven they saw die was not real and an illusion, a last mirage created by Kali so that everyone would think Eleven died and would stop coming after her and her loved ones. According to Mike, Eleven escaped alive and is now somewhere safe and sound, but away from Hawkins to keep herself and her loved ones safe.
The Kids Graduate and Are Now Making a Life for Themselves
The lead characters of the show, Mike, Will, Lucas, Max, and Dustin, have successfully graduated from high school and are paving the way ahead in their lives. Dustin is a star student in college, Lucas and Max’s relationship is flourishing, and Mike becomes a writer chronicling the epic adventure he and his friends have been through. Overall, all the kids whose lives were disrupted by everything happening around them have it back on track and are doing well for themselves.
So, with that being said, Stranger Things Season 5 concluded not just the main story of the show but also everything that has been happening with its characters. Fans have loved and cared about these characters since Season and watching each of them receive a happy ending in their own way might just be the best way to conclude a franchise like Stranger Things.
