Stranger Things Star Doesn’t Hold Back Criticism Of The Series Finale

Stranger Things is one of the best Netflix shows to binge, and is arguably the streaming service's most popular title. Those with a Netflix subscription were recently treated to the fifth and final season, which wrapped up the story of Hawkins. Although one of the show's stars didn't hold back their criticism on the Stranger Things series finale.

Depending on who you ask, Stranger Things joined the ranks of TV shows that actually ended well. But there are some folks who were dissatisfied, and included in those ranks is none other than Papa himself, actor Matthew Modine. In the comments of his recent Instagram post, the Oppenheimer star was asked if he liked the series finale, and he responded with:

While not waxing poetic about where he thinks The Duffer Brothers went wrong, it sounds like the actor who brought Dr. Brenner to life wasn't satisfied with how the Netflix megahit ended its story. He worked on the show for years, so he's got a unique perspective on the nostalgic sci-fi project.

After the finale "Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up" was released on New Year's Eve, a fan theory claimed that a bonus episode was coming. That didn't end up actually happening, but Michael Modine seems to think it would be a good idea. When asked if he believed in the theory about a ninth episode, the actor said:

Of course, there's no indication that the theorized ninth episode is really happening. While you might not have liked Eleven's ending, Stranger Things' series finale provided a ton of closure for the rest of the cast. We saw Joyce and Hopper get engaged, the younger cast graduate High School, as well as Holly and her friends take over the Dungeons & Dragons game in the Wheeler basement.

That being said, there are a number of criticisms about the show's ending that have made their way online since the final episode premiered on Netflix. Some fans took umbrage with Eleven's apparent death, especially given her tragic life on the show. Others wanted to see creatures like the Demogorgons in the final battle, and wish that the last stand against The Mind Flayer lasted longer. Plus there are folks who were sad about characters that were unceremoniously written off, such as Susie, Argyle, Dr. Owens, and Max's parents.

After Dr. Brenner was killed off (for good) in Season 4, Modine was noticeably missing throughout the final season of Stranger Things. But Papa's legacy was still felt, and now he's weighing in on his thoughts about the finale.

Stranger Things is streaming in its entirety on Netflix, and the animated spinoff Tales from '85 will debut April 23rd as part of the 2026 TV schedule.