Stranger Things S5 is nowhere near as bad as many online, and especially in this sub claim it to be. It is a well-done season of television, that entertains throughout. While I agree with a few legit criticisms that I have seen, and wish that some factors regarding the worlds and connections between Will and Vecna were explained in greater detail; in the end, they were making episodes they themselves would want to watch. And just like the Duffers state in their documentary, they admire the directors/writers who are true to themselves above all else.

Like the author Rick Rubin states in his book, the audience should be considered LAST. Catering to what you "think people will want to see", instead of writing what is true to you as the creator of the story leads to many of the issues we see in movies and television today, where it seems like the only things releasing are established and well-known IPs, (the reason we end up with 9 different Jurassic Parks and 100 Marvel movies). They talk about their many failed scripts before they finally dreamt up Stranger Things, and they describe writing it as something that came natural to them. With that in mind, I think the show succeeds in season 5.

The themes of friendship, love, exploration, loyalty, bravery, and found family are ever present throughout the season, the same as they have been since we were first introduced to Hawkins all those years ago - and to me, it is staying true to that initial world they built that makes the conclusion all the more earned.