Stranger Things: The journey we undertook 10 years ago

Me, sitting down and hyping over a series for over five hours? Yep, that doesn't happen very often. Binge-watching a series and immediately starting to make up theories isn't my regular thing. Few series have caused that reaction in me: Severance, Dark, Loki, and of course, Stranger Things. The latter is the one I'll be talking about today, a series I started watching when it was first released and have followed ever since. The 14-year-old Nhatalia would be so pleased that we finally got to the conclusion of this long journey.

Now, the question is: Will it satisfy our thirst for a decent ending? Or will it end up disappointing us and making us feel that these years were for nothing?

Quite honestly, I feel it's very hard for the Duffer Brothers to mess this up. They have a universe that took a lot to be built—maybe more than necessary, expanding the story and including characters that might have led to nothing. However, they've done a marvelous job at allowing us to connect with the characters' drives and emotions. We feel so much for them that it is tremendously painful when one dies—such as Eddie Munson in the previous season, Bob in Season 2, and perhaps for others, Billy in Season 3.

Whatever the case, we've now reached the end, and all those previously opened storylines have to be closed and resolved. This might be the hardest part for a writer: finally bringing closure. This closure might involve killing the villain, killing main characters, or simply throwing an unexpected plot twist that blows the audience's mind.

No matter the path the series takes, we are now in the final stretch. These last episodes have the obligation to live up to our expectations, and of course, I expect that no more storylines are opened. Quite the opposite, it's time to narrow it all down.

At this moment, we know who the main villain is—Vecna—but we also know that he is vulnerable and could be a potential victim, perhaps unravelling a bigger villain in the end. We are now certain that Will has powers as a result of this weird connection he has with Vecna, perhaps making him a key part in the villain's defeat.

Eleven, also powerful, seems to be busy trying to uncover a potential threat posed by the military. The question is: will this potential threat (Kali) be an enemy or an ally in the final stand? Whatever the case, many hints have been thrown in the series indicating that defeating Vecna is not possible with Eleven alone. This was hinted at in a subtle Easter egg when Erica threw the dice in Season 3, getting a 20—perhaps the combined amount needed to defeat Vecna (11+8+1): Eleven, Kali, and Will.

At this point, it's hard to tell which characters might be taken from us; each of them has grown, for better or worse. With the Duffer Brothers confirming at least four characters will die, one cannot help but theorize who they will be and the reason behind their death. To me, a death has to mean something: either a character’s redemption, a sacrifice, or a betrayal. If there isn't depth, it will be hard for the audience to empathize, unlike how we did with minor characters in previous seasons. Alexei, for example, was not a main character, but we connected with him due to his vulnerability and naïveté. His death had a purpose, and that is precisely what we now expect.

Excited for what this movie-length season finale might bring, we still need closure on many mysteries and questions. Is Henry (Vecna) related in any way to these kids' parents? Is there a past we don't know about, or are we still ignorant of the truth? Is this going to end positively or negatively for Hawkins? Will Nancy's vision come true? So many questions, and only four episodes to answer them! It's shocking, but I am still hopeful this might all end in a way that satisfies the fans. We've come so far and learned so much. We have seen characters we hated turn into heroes—I'm talking about you, Steve Harrington! Freaking best character along with Dustin. It's been such a long path; I'm just happy to be part of it.

Let me know what your theories are! What do you expect of these remaining episodes?

I am Nhatalia, AKA La Nata del Cine :)