“THE ENDING THAT FRUSTRATED FANS THE MOST WASN’T THE STORY” — Stranger Things ended on a high note, but what sparked the most heated debate among viewers had nothing to do with the monster, the mystery, or the characters’ fates. As the screen faded, a sense of disappointment spread throughout the fan community: something important was missed. Not the plot twist, not the shocking death — but the emotional experience that the ending should have provided. Many said they understood the story, but still felt unsatisfied. And that is the biggest flaw in Hawkins’ farewell.

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My Biggest Gripe With Stranger Things Finale Has Nothing to Do With the Plot

The Stranger Things finale stripped the Mind Flayer of its cosmic horror, leaving us disappointed by its downgraded and weird design.

Stranger Things

Stranger Things‘ finale had several flaws, but most of us overlooked them for the nostalgia of watching these children grow up on screen and finally seeing their stories come to a close. But what they did with the Mind Flayer cannot be forgiven! I am not even talking about the part where they simply didn’t explain anything about its origins or relation with Henry Creel (some of it was done in the play), but how they downgraded its appearance.

In season 4, when Henry is sent to The Abyss by Eleven, the entity we see is completely different than what’s presented in the season finale. So, let’s look at what the Duffer Brothers have to say about the Mind Flayer, and how the change in its appearance was a huge letdown.

Duffer Brothers on Unanswered Questions About the Mind Flayer

Even with Stranger Things ending and giving us an epilogue for all the characters, viewers had nothing on the Mind Flayer. The entity is still shrouded in mystery, and here’s what Matt Duffer revealed about it in an interview with The Wrap:

No, I do want to emphasize, just to not set up false expectations, the spinoff will connect and it will answer some of these lingering questions that were not actually answered fully in the finale, but it is very much its own story and its own mythology. So it’s not about the Mind Flayer per se. We’ve explored that about as much as we want to.

So it seems like even in the upcoming spinoff, they won’t fully explore the origins and connections of Mind Flayer. Rather, it will focus on other aspects, and the mythology behind this creature will unfold as the larger Stranger Things-verse moves forward.

How Stranger Things Killed Mind Flayer’s Cosmic Horror Appeal

Eleven standing in front of the Mind Flayer in Stranger Things
A still from Stranger Things | Credits: Netflix

The Mind Flayer’s appearances start from season 2, after Will begins to see the entity. Even here, the creature is huge and manifests with a storm. There’s a sense of ominous menace to its presence that’s indescribable.

In season 3, it has a small but deadly physical form that chases after the group. And in season 4, when Henry encounters it in The Abyss, we again see the entity, and it looks similar to the one in Will’s visions. The inexplicable dread it brought with all its appearance was gone in season 5.

Here’s an overview of the show:

Title Stranger Things
Creators The Duffer Brothers
Main cast Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Maya Hawke
Joe Keery, Cara Buono
No. of Seasons 5
Network Netflix
IMDb 8.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes 90%

Mind Flayer was no longer a cosmic horror being, but a weird spider-like creature that simply didn’t have the same aura. After building it up for several installments, this is the final form they went for, completely nerfing Mind Flayer. But did you feel the same while watching the Stranger Things finale, or were you enthralled?