I am writing this as the credits of the Stranger Things finale are playing. Yes, I am listening to Heroes right now. What a gut punch. So, what did I think.
I mean, it certainly was something. The fight was cool. Nancy was the best she's ever been, I lived for the Ronance and Stonathan scraps. The epilogue was nice too, I liked the stories of the teens and Lumax, and the new looks.
However, so much unadressed. So many things mentioned in interviews that just didn't happen. Like, was the thing with the painting lie being worth it really just it being visible in the background once???? Noah and Finn filming the most together?? You will be hap-satisfied?? The complete rewriting of Els and Mikes relationship? Everything just plotholes?
El was miserable in season 4 because of her relationship with Mike and now she's suddenly happy in it? We haven't had one conversation between them the whole season, where they talk about their relationship!
Obviously a lot of people will see this as me being disappointed "my" ship didn't become canon, but it's honestly so much more than that. We all agreed the second volume felt off, and then for them, that is, the Duffers, Netflix, etc, to just continue as if nothing happened?
All the Byler analysis was built off of something and all of those somethings were deliberate choices made by someone! The colors, the cinematography? This was queerbaiting at it's finest. For them to have Mike and El not kiss once during Vol 1 and 2 to reveal their big love story in the last episode was just a cruel scheme to keep us watching, and it fucking worked. I could count off a thousand things I am so angry about, but I guess a lot of people will do that.
And please, don't come to me with "you had Rovickie". No we did not. Where was Vickie in the epilogue?? There was zero visibility in the last episode because Wills epilogue boyfriend doesn't count because we do not know him!! I hate that this has happened, especially because I was really looking forward to watching the series next year with my sister, who hasn't seen it. I don't know if I will. Because every single Mike and Will scene was laid out for them to get together. And not for their story to end with a "Best Friends".
There is probably a lot I forgot but this is all for know.