"Formally, he's addressing Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), the little boy who grew up to be the big monster that brought so much fear and pain to the families of Hawkins, Indiana. But Will may as well be speaking on behalf of any character in a coming-of-age story. That's their goal, after all: to leave the relatively comfortable confines of childhood and embrace their uncertain, oft-terrifying future as adults. They're not afraid to grow up. Not anymore."
"For all the talk around who would die and what was really going on with the Upside Down, growing up was always Matt and Ross Duffer's ultimate endgame. From the start, " Stranger Things " was a coming-of-age story. Even the adult leads, like Hopper (David Harbour), were struggling with some form of arrested development. They all needed to learn how to leave the past behind, while holding on to what mattered."
"So as the finale plays out beat-by predictable beat - preparing for the decisive showdown (climb those ladders, kids!), suffering an unexpected, seemingly insurmountable setback (Hopper really should've known better than to fall for Vecna's tricks), then rallying to trounce the villain (with teamwork!) before returning home for a quick peek at where everyone ends up (Coach Steve!) - the familiarity doesn't turn stifling."
A climactic confrontation frames the series' central theme of growing up, with Will directly confronting Vecna and asserting fearlessness. The story treats coming of age as the ultimate objective for both the young characters and adults stuck in arrested development. The finale follows a predictable structure—preparation, setback, teamwork, resolution—and offers emotional payoff despite lacking surprise. Familiar beats include ladders, betrayals, and a final domestic glimpse that shows where characters land. The episode finds fulfillment in character arcs resolving as intended, though that predictability undercuts memorability over time.
Read at IndieWire
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