10 Biggest WTF Moments in the 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Finale, Ranked

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Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for the Stranger Things series finale.The highly anticipated series finale of Stranger Things has come and gone, and, like many other epic science fiction and fantasy series, the final episode was a mixed bag of emotions, confusion, and utterly shocking moments. While we certainly will be examining the manner in which the Duffers concluded this chapter from a broader lens, for now, we're going to dive into the top WTF moments of the Season 5 finale.

When you think of WTF moments, they range from the positive to the negative. Some make us have that reaction because the moment was genuinely really incredible and cool. Others have us yelling that three-word phrase at our screens because you simply cannot fathom that it happened. Looking at the highs and lows of the finale, these moments are destined to be the most discussed, for better or worse.

10 Vickie Is MIA in Post-Upside Down Hawkins

Amybeth McNulty as Vickie wearing a sweater on 'Stranger Things.'

Our main crew has experienced the ups and downs of the Upside Down, but when those on the outskirts learn of the insanity they've faced, they’re naturally rattled, but seemingly willing to engage. During the finale, Robin Buckley's (Maya Hawke) beloved girlfriend, Vickie Dunn (Amybeth McNulty), served as Max Mayfield's (Sadie Sink) babysitter at the real-world version of the radio station. She's certainly overwhelmed as the military ascends on them. But she's a trooper nevertheless. Robin and Vickie are one of our favorite relationships, and essential to Will's (Noah Schnapp) overall coming out story, so they must have had a happily ever after, right?

During the big reunion on the roof of the WSQK building, Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), and Robin offer a bit of a "where are they now" recap. So, how is the couple? Nary a mention of the candystriper. By name that is. While the quartet agrees to meet up in Philadelphia, Robin does make a slightly pointed comment during Steve's toast, "Including overbearing significant others." So does that mean they broke up? It would make sense as Vickie's trauma may still be lingering. Their relationship was fairly new, and at Smith, Robin certainly has a pick of eligible bachelorettes. The shocking moment was not even giving Vickie a name-drop, so it must have been a messy break!

9 Nancy Wheeler Is a College Dropout

Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) sitting on the roof in the 'Stranger Things' Season 5 finale.

As we'll discuss a bit later regarding the larger ending epilogue, a lot happened in 18 months. As the older kids reunite on the roof, Nancy makes a major revelation as to what she's been up to. We knew that, when their lives were almost over, one reason Nancy and Jonathan broke up was their very different life paths, including Nancy's plan to attend her dream school, Emerson College. Well, in a major shock, Nancy not only is a college dropout, she left her Emerson.

Now, we can't entirely blame her for dropping out, as she was "sick of school." She reveals that she had secured a job as a trainee reporter at the Boston Herald. Nevertheless, the collegiate reason for ending the potential long-distance relationship with Jonathan is officially over. Now, a job can be equally, if not more demanding, so balancing a relationship likely was never going to work. They had a trauma bond relationship that may have once been based on love, but evolved into friendship. Nancy proves that dreams are just that. She's an independent woman who is going to forge her own path, changing plans if it suits her long-term journey.

8 Kali's Death and Alleged Final Magic Act

Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) before her death on 'Stranger Things'

To the surprise of no one, Kali's (Linnea Berthelsen) resurgence in the greater Stranger Things story was used as a ploy and plot device. As we learned over the course of the series, each one of Dr. Brenner's (Matthew Modine) children had different powers. After meeting Kali in the universally loathed Season 2 storyline, we thought she was only there to help Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) realize the importance of family. Well, once the front half of the Season 5 episodes brought her back to the fray, Kali's greater purpose was to use her powers in combination with her sister to defeat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). But once she was finished with her necessary plot mechanics, she became the episode's sacrificial lamb. If someone "major" was going to sacrifice themselves, why not let Kali just bleed out on the floor!

After we saw Kali's death, the Hawkins Crew went on their merry way, killing more soldiers, including Lt. Akers (Alex Breaux), before Eleven made her major sacrifice. But if Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) is to be believed, Kali used one last magic trick to present a false version of El, allowing her to make her great escape. Is it completely plausible without some major plot holes? I mean, it's up for debate. Essentially, Kali arrived for one purpose and followed through to the end.

7 Murray's Perfect Grenade Toss

Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman in 'Stranger Things' Season 5.

Everyone wants to be an action hero, but not everyone gets to put it into practice. With the Hawkins Crew divvied up, Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman), Jim Hopper (David Harbour), Eleven, and Kali suddenly found themselves coming face to face with members of the military’s Wolf Pack. Though Hopper defeats some unimportant military personnel, the threat escalates when a military chopper temporarily disables Eleven and Kali. But just when you thought defeat was imminent, here comes Murray to save the day!

Bringing a bomb to a gun fight on the roof of the building, Murray goes full action hero. With a giddy, wisecracking flair, Murray pulls the pin on a bomb careening toward the helicopter with the kryptonite satellite. While you thought Murray would go down with the grenade for a guaranteed shot at the chopper, you instead get a perfect hit, no sacrifice necessary. For a character known for his smarts behind the scenes, it was a nice moment for Murray to do something triumphant one last time.

6 Will and Mike Are Best Friends

Will Byers and Mike Wheeler stand close together and share a look in Dimension X in Stranger Things.

Will Byers was very much the central character of Season 5. In the front half, Will had a wondrous coming-out party, owning his sexual identity and his sorcerer-like powers. In the back half, Will's actual coming-out party was a press conference in which every friend and family member was on hand for one of the most cringe-worthy coming-out scenes in recent media memory. Part of why it was so unfortunate was the acting by Wolfhard, who had little reaction to learning that he was Will's crush all along. Now, certainly, we can't let that revelation go unmentioned. And no better way to have that conversation than during the long trek up a tower to save the world. Thankfully, we were given a single line that allowed our heroes to take a break on the various platforms to cool down before the world ended. As it just so happened, Mike and Will found themselves alone on a platform, allowing for an awkward yet kind of heartfelt moment to unfold. Rather than discovering that Mike loves him, Mike loves him as a friend. But not just regular friends, best friends.

Nearly as cringy as an unaffected Mike was trying to grasp having a boy like him, we watched as Mike completely overcompensated. Mind you, they are teenagers and lifelong friends; it's not an easy topic to broach. But the way it was played out was another unfortunate pace destroyer. We might actually have Schnapp to blame for the inclusion of the scene, according to an interview with the LA Times. "That scene on the tower, it's a short little moment, but I felt like, with the coming out scene, there wasn't enough closure between Will and Mike. So they included that moment, just so you get to see that Mike loves him as a best friend, and they will always be friends, which was nice," Schnapp revealed. "The coming out scene was so focused on Will's feelings that there wasn't time for them to have a separate conversation, so I just felt like it was necessary for them to close out their specific chapter together. It feels very real to many situations I've had in my life where I've had a best friend that I've fallen for, and they ended up being straight, and they love me still, just the same. It doesn't make things weird." Art may imitate life, but that doesn't mean it's necessary for the overall arc. Especially knowing there'd be an overabundance of sentimentality at the end of the finale.

5 "We Are One" Monster Battle

Will and Joyce look at the Mind Flayer in its spider monster form in the Stranger Things finale.

The final showdown between Vecna and our heroes was inevitable, so it had to be done in extraordinary fashion. As the Hawkins Crew finds the entrance to the Pain Tree via the Abyss, the massive reveal is that those supposed branches are anything but. They are Mind Flayer spider legs! As Vecna and Eleven have their showdown, it was exceptionally fitting to have Vecna say, "We are one," reminding us that in order to defeat him, the others must defeat the monster they're inside. With blockbuster cinematography and genius storytelling, the big monster mash was a brilliant moment in the finale.

Knowing they had to kill the spider Mind Flayer, they faced a battle in which everyone had to play their part. With Nancy channeling her best action-heroine persona, she opted to play the role of bait, a crucial part of their ultimate defeat. From there, Jonathan and Robin attacked from above with a flamethrower and rocks. Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) launches several balloon accelerants with his wrist rocket, and Mike sets the liquid ablaze with the flare gun Nancy gave him. Then Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve attack the Mind Flayer from below, stabbing its egg sacks with their spears. By the time Will has a moment to plead with Vecna, almost making viewers think he'd spare the creature who once abducted him, but with no remorse, Vecna could not separate himself, and thus, Vecna was killed. The scene was top-tier action with many positive, scrumptious, WTF moments.

4 Joyce Gets Final Whack on Vecna

Stranger Things Season 5 Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) smug after decapitating Vecna in finale.

We all knew the finale would end with the defeat of Vecna, it was just a matter of whom would get the glory of dishing out the final blow. There were certainly strong cases for many cases to earn the opportunity. We could have had Dustin avenge Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) in a full-circle moment. It could have been Eleven, finally proving she was the superior experiment. Will already had a battle victory over Vecna, winning the war would have been extraordinary. Even Nancy, in full Rambo mode, could have been fascinating if she had proven she has some semblance of a relationship with her younger sister. But of all the characters, the last name on the list absolutely was Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder).

Channeling her inner Kris Jenner when the media goes after her clan, Joyce's final battle cry was, "You f—d with the wrong family." She came in with a couple of whacks as Vecna's head literally rolled. Ryder conveyed the mother who witnessed the turmoil her son went through. She sought revenge for Vecna stealing her son's childhood from him. But, for the greater good of the story, was the best option Joyce? The Duffers believe so. "At the end of the day, it felt like it had to be Joyce because Joyce was the one in the first season who's the first one to really take action, to believe that something strange was going on," Ross Duffer told Tudum. "Even back in Season 1, she's fierce, and she was ready to use it, but she never got to use it against the monsters, and so we thought that would be a nice payoff after nine years to actually see her use this ax and kill this guy." Perhaps a minor pothole was that she did not sense a potential risk that hitting Vecna would, in turn, hurt her son? Every other time Will, under the control of the hive mind, felt Vecna's pain, so why was this time different? Nevertheless, it was Joyce with an axe that ultimately defeated Vecna. Stranger things have happened, am I right?

3 Mike and Eleven's "Purple Rain" Memory Montage

Mike and Eleven share a tearful goodbye on 'Stranger Things.'

Music on Stranger Things has been a more than crucial element of the series. Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" jump-started a 21st-century pop culture revival thanks to its inclusion on the series. The Duffers' music selection is always intentional. Just look at Rockin' Robin playing Diana Ross' "Upside Down" at the top of Season 5 to disseminate information to our ragtag team. So, when the record turns on one last time to officially destroy the Upside Down, the song had to be. It starts off with "When Doves Cry" by Prince, allowing us to see faces of joy in celebration, finally. And then, as things begin to shift and the military approaches to snatch Eleven, the music shifts, the narrative takes a major turn, and we'll never be able to listen to "Purple Rain" the same way again.

A very meta and specific song choice, the WTF moment isn't the song, which Prince had described as a song about apocalyptic lengths of love, but how it's utilized. Horror is innately campy, but to pull focus into a cheap memory montage of Mike and Eleven from the early seasons as the song is blaring was sadly a bit cringe. Had we removed that and stayed only in the solitary place with Mike and Eleven, it would have resonated much more strongly. Montages are inherently hokey. Pairing it with such an iconic song didn't slap as hard as other musical moments previously had.

It was a grandiose moment, and one the creators firmly stand by. "Once we came up with the idea that the record was going to be the trigger for the bomb, we knew we needed an epic needle drop, and so many ideas were thrown around," Ross Duffer told Tudum. "I think there's nothing really more epic than Prince." While they managed to find the emotion of the moment through song, the montage sadly just took us out.

2 The "Comfort and Happiness" 18 Months Later Epilogue

It was almost certain that Stranger Things would not end the moment our heroes defeated Vecna, nor would it end when everyone returned to Hawkins. Certainly, there would be some sort of peaceful "where are they now," but little did we anticipate that a massive chunk of time would be spent "18 months later" for an ending of "comfort and happiness." I mean, having to check back in on every remaining character was destined to take far too much time. But for those who don't like sentimentality, the back half of the episode simply felt like a sappy way to give each character closure or an opportunity to present a back-door pilot to Netflix. Plus, we got a bit of a chuckle with the evolution of hairstyles that are no longer Upside Down chic, but real world boring.

To start, with the military quarantine lifted and their presence all but gone, the denizens of Hawkins are forced to clean up the mess made like after the destruction New York City is forced to pick up after the Avengers roll through. Then, the Hawkins High kids finally graduated. How they managed to graduate, especially with Max in a two-month coma, is anyone's guess. We listened to Dustin's charming speech, which led to one last homage to Eddie through utter chaos. Joyce and Hopper go on a date where we finally see Hop pop the question. Our older kids have all parted ways while agreeing to meet up in a central location, like they're about to be the original inspiration for Friends.

But the icing on the cake was the end of our Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Mirroring the action of the finale, dungeon master Mike provides each one of his friends with an all-too-perfect prediction of their futures, including the out and proud Will with a boyfriend. But as Mike alludes to the possible reality that Eleven's may not have been what it seemed, the kids are in tears, in their feels, making us feel like they deserved closure in their lives. An all too sweet ending for a show that had been thrust into darkness for years. By the time Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) and her pals began their race to the basement to have their own D&D campaign, the next chapter in the Stranger Things story had officially been written. In the same realm as disappointing finales like Lost and Game of Thrones, sentimentality is a major risk that isn't necessarily warranted.

1 The Final Body Count

Vecna's decapitated head laying on the ground in Stranger Things Season 5 finale.

Stranger Things has been unafraid of death. In fact, for crucial characters and countless unnamed military men, death has been a major part of the universe. Knowing how the Duffers have killed off key characters in each season—Barb (Shannon Purser), Bob (Sean Astin), Billy (Dacre Montgomery), and Eddie—audiences anticipated a major loss by the end of the finale. Of course, we saw the defeat of Vecna, an obvious death. Then there was Kali, who, as a surprise addition to the story for Season 5, was an obviously easy sacrifice. And then our major death came in the form of… no one. That's right, while the first four seasons had huge, soul-crushing deaths, they opted to allow every major character to have a happily ever after.

Of course, the main caveat is Eleven. We watched her make a major sacrifice to save her friends, but if Mike's story is accurate, Eleven is on her own journey, where no one will ever find her. Unless you know a place with three waterfalls. So, why did the Duffers allow Kleenex stock to plummet? No idea, but the sappy, happy finale did not align with essentially a decade of the show's mission. No one wants to see their favorite character die, but after Game of Thrones, we've been ingrained to prepare for the worst. Especially after the Duffers' appearance on The Tonight Show, when they teased Steve potentially falling to his death. But alas, 'twas just an almost moment.