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Stranger Things finale draws 35 million views but splits fans
Netflix premiered the final episode of Stranger Things on January 1, 2026, capping a decade-long science-fiction phenomenon with a two-hour-and-eight-minute installment titled "The Rightside Up." This conclusion drew over 35 million views worldwide, yet it sharply divided the show's devoted fanbase.
Nearly 10 years after the series debuted in 2016, Stranger Things has become a cultural juggernaut, amassing more than 1.2 billion global views and injecting over $1 billion into the U.S. economy. In a bold move, Netflix screened the finale in over 620 theaters across the United States and Canada, where 1.1 million fans confirmed attendance and 3,500 showings sold out completely.
Despite the hype and strong initial numbers, audience reactions proved deeply polarized. The episode earned an 86% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience rating plunged to 56% a stark drop from the 86-96% range of prior seasons. Many viewers faulted it for playing it safe, particularly in handling character deaths.
The climax featured Joyce Byers, played by Winona Ryder, delivering the decisive blow by decapitating the villain Vecna with an axe. The only notable character death was Kali, also known as Eight, shot by a military officer; in her final moments, she may have used her illusion powers to help Eleven fake her own demise.
Eleven's fate remains shrouded in ambiguity, as USA Today noted. The episode depicts her apparent death amid the Upside Down's explosion, but a 40-minute epilogue showing a Dungeons & Dragons game hints she might have escaped and is living in hiding. Mike Wheeler's character sums it up: "We don't know, not for sure," while choosing to believe she survived.
Criticism zeroed in on the scarcity of major character losses. One social media user lamented, "Five seasons and NOT ONE major character dies." The Duffer brothers, the series creators, had earlier signaled no "Red Wedding"-style bloodbath, managing expectations accordingly.
Even with mixed reviews on its ending, Stranger Things leaves an enduring legacy on television. Season 4 ranks as Netflix's third most-watched English-language series ever, while season 5 shattered records with the platform's biggest opening week for any English-language show. The series also propelled Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" to number one 37 years after its release, thanks to its iconic season 4 moment.
