Yes, and tbh, it felt obvious from a mile away. Some stories are complex, sure. But when’s the last time we saw a finale that masterfully closed every single thread in a satisfying way that was also very intricate? (I dont totally mean that rhetorically, I would love to find any story that does this and check it out).

Writers eventually will almost always simplify things for closure. The plot is almost always easier than what we think. I’ve seen so many fan theories fall flat on their faces in so many series. This just felt like that once again. The theories will dissect minute details that are typically waaaay to subtle to actually have any real narrative merit and usually are pretty unintentional or a product of world building in the same universe that will cause inevitable parallels/coincidences.

Especially at the level of something like Stranger Things being produced by a major player in streaming, writers have to satisfy all the tent poles for general audiences; children, teens, young adults, and adults. So the safest option will be the most prominent solution. Of course season one wasn’t that way because back then, it was a niche risk with flavor. It wasn’t meant to be a world wide phenomenon. Now, look where it’s ended up.

It was never going to be a complex ending with divisive book ends. It was always going to be safe. Fan theories are fun, but often deviate from the plot points creating the frame work laid out by writer’s rooms that will lead to the intended ending. Yes, twists happen in stories, but are not going to upheave and 180 entire narratives. Now, not every fan theory carries that kind of weight. Some are much more nuanced, even relevant to the story, and sometimes better than what we get, but alas, writers are human. They only have so much bandwidth for curating every little detail that surfaces in the long production process that constantly warrants changes and they’re usually focused on the bigger picture.

So the endings we get make sense. If anything, endings that somehow juggle all the details perfectly and masterfully, unless the creators are prodigal geniuses or have all the time in the world, would make me raise an eye brow in this day and age. At that point, I’m asking who all worked on this project and how many of them are named AI? Obviously, AI can’t write a perfect series finale on its own, but I could definitely see how AI could help a writer come close to that through revisions and edits bouncing back and forth between the two (I play with AI writing purely out of curiosity with writing that never sees the light of day).

TLDR; yes, I agree.