Cover Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ has ended, but its legacy lives on. Relive the most unforgettable scenes that defined the show and a generation of viewers (Photo: courtesy of Netflix; edited by Angela Nicole Guiral)
Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ has ended, but its legacy lives on. Relive the most unforgettable scenes that defined the show and a generation of viewers (Photo: courtesy of Netflix; edited by Angela Nicole Guiral)
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With its final season now behind us, ‘Stranger Things’ leaves a legacy defined by nostalgia and emotional storytelling. Here, we revisit the moments fans will never forget
After 10 years, one of Netflix’s flagship shows (arguably its biggest) has come to an end. Stranger Things’ final episode left viewers in a state of limbo, garnering mixed reactions from millions of fans despite its New Year’s Day release. Still, even with half the audience bemoaning the fate of Eleven—and, by extension, Mike—it’s impossible to deny the cultural impact the show’s five seasons have had on this generation. Years from now, hearing the words “Upside Down” or “Eggos”, or even the songs Running Up That Hill and Never Ending Story, will take us down memory lane—and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
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To mark the end of Stranger Things, we round up some of its most iconic moments, from the heartwarming to the heart-wrenching.
Joyce Byers and her Christmas lights
Above Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers in one of the most memorable scenes of Season 1 (Video: Youtube/Stranger Things)
Nothing says the holidays quite like Joyce Byers and her Christmas light wall. Her son Will communicating with her through it—especially the iconic “R.U.N.” scene—remains one for the books.
Eleven’s makeover with the help of the party
Above Eleven and her makeover scene in Season 1 (Video: Youtube/Stranger Things)
Eleven’s Season 1 makeover, courtesy of her very own glam squad—Mike, Lucas and Dustin—had fans swooning over its innocence and charm. Even the cast recalls the scene fondly during the Stranger Things Season 5 press tour, with Mike remembering his line, “Pretty… good. You look pretty good,” during one of the games.
Ghostbusters, aka Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Will
Above Ghostubuster scene in Season 2 (Video: Youtube/Stranger Things)
Nothing screams Eighties nostalgia more than Ghostbusters. In this scene, we get a closer look at our favourite party as Will, Mike, Lucas and Dustin realise they’re the only ones who dressed up for Halloween in Stranger Things Season 2.
The Snow Ball
Above The Snow Ball at Hawkins Middle School (Video: Youtube/Stranger Things)
Relive the most magical night of 1984. Here, we see most of the cast experience their very first Snow Ball at Hawkins Middle School. The use of Every Breath You Take by The Police only heightened the moment.
Suzie-poo and the ‘Never Ending Story’
Above Never Ending Story moment in Season 3 (Video: Youtube/Stranger Things)
Even Dustin’s actor, Gaten Matarazzo, has admitted he’s sick of the song. Still, there’s no denying its impact—fans can sing “Turn around, look at what you see” at a moment’s notice. Watch as Dusty-bun and Suzie-poo save the world with a Never Ending Story serenade in Stranger Things Season 3.
The party at the Starcourt Mall
Above Starcourt Mall scenes in Season 3 (Video: Youtube/Stranger Things)
The Starcourt Mall serves as Season 3’s main venue, and many fan-favourite scenes unfold there. From Eleven and Max’s bonding moment to Will, Lucas and Dustin helping Mike find a gift for Eleven—set to Madonna’s Material Girl—it’s also where one of the show’s most iconic lines (“I dump your ass”) is delivered spectacularly by Eleven.
Max and ‘Running Up That Hill’
Above Max faces Vecna in the famous ‘Running Up That Hill’ scene (Video: Youtube/Stranger Things)
Perhaps one of the most rewatched scenes of the series, this moment sent Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill soaring back up the charts. It’s Max’s most iconic scene, with many homes recreating her levitating pose during Halloween. What makes it especially powerful is how some viewers interpret it as an allegory for mental health struggles.
See also: ‘Stranger Things’ star Sadie Sink’s best Prada moments
Eddie Munson at the Upside Down
Above Eddie Munson in the Upside Down (Video: Youtube/Stranger Things)
It’s not just Dustin who hasn’t moved on from Eddie Munson. We look back at Eddie absolutely shredding on guitar as he plays Metallica’s Master of Puppets in the Upside Down in Stranger Things Season 4.
Vecna, Henry Creel and Mr Whatsit
Many fans would agree on this point: Jamie Campbell Bower carried the season with his performances as Vecna, Henry Creel and Mr Whatsit. His portrayal across all three roles was consistently chilling and impactful. “You brought something terrifying, emotional and unforgettable to this story,” @kravekw comments on one of Bower’s Instagram posts. “The impact you made in such a short time is incredible.”
Eleven and her waterfalls
Spoilers ahead. Eleven ultimately sacrifices herself—but not before saying goodbye to Mike in her mindscape. The Duffer Brothers explained that her departure was necessary for the other characters to move on. “There was never a version of the story where Eleven was hanging out with the gang at the end,” they said. “For the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to come to a close, Eleven had to go away.”
Fans remain heartbroken over her fate—and, by extension, Mike’s—while the rest of the cast receive their happy endings. Still, the ambiguous finale, with Mike believing Eleven escaped the wreckage and is living in a small town with waterfalls, leaves room for hope—and perhaps even future spin-offs.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
