It seems as if Stranger Things mischievously borrowed a page from Vecna to topple Netflix. On December 31 at 8 PM, fans, armed with fervent curiosity about the Mind Flayer and Dimension X, descended upon the platform, hoping their cherished heroes survived. Yet, the insatiable enthusiasm of fans proved too powerful.

Netflix crashed for some users Wednesday night as the series finale of Stranger Things premiered. The outage occurred precisely at 8 PM Eastern Standard Time, coinciding with the official drop of the final episode of Season 5. The disruption was brief but noticeable.

"Something went wrong. Sorry, we are having trouble with your request. You will find lots to explore on the home page," greeted frustrated users encountering the error. This mirrored the technical issues Netflix experienced during the Season 5 premiere on November 26 and echoes disruptions from Season 4 in July 2022.

The streaming platform, however, successfully handled the second batch of Season 5 episodes released on Christmas Day. It achieved that while also earning its highest viewership for the holiday.

Meanwhile, the series finale also debuted in theaters on New Year’s Eve, with Ross Duffer confirming in his Instagram post 1.1 million RSVPs and 3,500 sold-out screenings in 620 locations. The dual launch strategy amplified the cultural significance of Stranger Things’ climactic season.

The finale’s hype is matched only by the towering stack of fan theories and impossible expectations.

What fans hope to see in the Stranger Things finale

Fans are anticipating that the finale will reveal the Mind Flayer as the true ancient evil, with Henry Creel acting as a pawn rather than the mastermind. Many hope Eleven, Will Byers, and Kali unite to confront this ultimate threat.

Will Byers’ connection to the hive mind intrigues audiences, sparking theories that he could invert the Upside Down or control Vecna. Observations of temporal irregularities, such as the Upside Down lagging on November 6, 1983, have fueled hopes of time travel or a bittersweet timeline reset.

Eleven’s role remains central, with expectations that she will confront the interdimensional gates in Dimension X, potentially closing them permanently while also making it back alive. Talking about Eleven, fans would want to know whether Kali would end up being an ally or a backstabber.

On another note, fans hope the Duffer brothers stay true to their word about not using character deaths as shock value, as they said in a talk with The Hollywood Reporter. Despite the looming threat of a violent showdown in the finale, audiences are already rushing to watch every moment.

What are your expectations for the Stranger Things finale? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Iffat Siddiqui

Edited by

Itti Mahajan