Naomi Girson | opinions editor

This story contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 5.

For roughly a decade, when it came to a new season of “Stranger Things,” there was no doubt in my mind whether I would tune in. Parked in front of my television, ready to binge in one go.

The last season was no exception.

Released in three parts, all on national holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve, I was highly anticipating the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things.”

To be quite honest, I didn’t have high expectations for this season from the jump, I just knew there were impossible expectations. It was too hard to ask Matt and Ross Duffer — the creators of the show — to write a conclusion worthy of their absolute masterpiece that was the first season.

The season started really strong, even with the actual Band-Aid they put over the split ground separating the town of Hawkins, where the show is set. The first episode was compelling, and everything went off the wire right at the perfect time to really kick the season off.

But then we get Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher), way too much of Holly Wheeler. I like Holly, but I like the original cast more. It was a bit too obvious that this over-inclusion of Holly, and even the stress on all 6th graders sharing the spotlight was a pawn for views from a younger audience.

We haven’t even finished this show, yet they are already planning for these kids to take over the Wheeler basement and the “Dungeons & Dragons” table.

With so many other characters feeling like they lost some of their arc, Holly’s brother included, it seems misplaced to give Holly so much screentime in the grand finale.

On a more positive note, my favorite reveal came at the end of volume one. We got Will Byers finally wielding some power back on Vecna and the Mind Flayer that have been tormenting him since he rolled that seven back in season one.

I was always a big Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) defender, since his disappearance was the whole point of the show from the start, and even in season two, his connection to the Mind Flayer maintained the heart of the story. It only made sense for him in his older, more confident state to be able to turn what has tortured him for years into a way to save his friends.

After that reveal at the end of volume one, we didn’t get anything that powerful again. In the finale of course, we have the “disappearance of Eleven,” which frankly, I didn’t buy for a second.

The story has to end with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown)’s death, even if we will never have that confirmation.

Along the way, “Stranger Things” lost some of its initial notoriety. They gained too big and too young a fanbase to be as scary as they used to be. In similar fashion, the creators became scared of killing off characters, even when necessary.

In the past, the show never strayed away from a notable character death, especially in a moment near the end of the season. We watched Barb (Shannon Purser), Bob (Sean Astin), Billy (Dacre Montgomery) and Eddie (Joseph Quinn) all lose their lives at the hands of the evils in the Upside Down. It’s hard to believe that suddenly Vecna has mercy, and yet none of the recurring characters had a brush with death in their big final battle.

The only real casualty, the biggest moment of grief in the whole season, was undercut by a theory introduced by Mike (Finn Wolfhard), on the loss of Eleven. And it was up to us, the audience, to choose whether or not to believe Eleven was still alive.

Before the release of the season, Eleven was the character I most expected to die. The Duffers would have to kill someone big in this final season, and it made the most sense for Eleven to complete her arc in this way.

They only added back the theory of her sneaking away and finding freedom as fan-service. They wanted to give hope back to the fans that would storm to X with rage-filled posts attempting to avenge their sweet Eleven.

After the finale came out, there was a clear divide online. The consensus seemed to be that the finale would be more satisfying for “casual viewers” but the die-hard fans were feeling disappointed. I would agree.

The final battle was underwhelming and overshadowed. The hour-long epilogue in the finale episode was very tender and nostalgic, it gave us final moments with all of our favorite characters, but it all felt a little hollow.

There was no “Running up that Hill” moment like we had with season four, but you can’t catch lightning in a bottle five times in a row.

There was some clarity, with a more scientific explanation of the upside down, which I really appreciated, but the lack of drama in the final battle was the biggest downfall of the season.

Though disappointment was almost impossible to avoid with expectations set through the roof, I don’t think the show has lost much in the way of rewatchability. There are certainly plot holes that have been found, and some people have started theorizing that the ending was disappointing because Vecna really did win, and this was his false reality.

Though I am sure that will never be confirmed, it’s good to see that “Stranger Things” sparked so many theorists and storytellers.

Naomi Girson can be reached at girsonn@duq.edu