The pacing of the entire season 5 was off. Every tense moment was stunted by stupid drama dialog or overexplanation. Characters walked constantly while being the critical member in tense situations. Will's entire character being defined by coming out was trite. David Harbour was probably told to be as annoying as possible in every scene.
I was hoping Linda Hamilton would somehow turn heroic once Max kidsplained that they are saving the world. This would permit a clean exit for the characters, especially Jim "Domestic Terrorist" Hopper. The Mind Flayer spider breaking into the upside down and the heroic battle being over the laboratory with the full armaments of the military being unleashed or something would've been a different approach than them killing it with flare guns and Nancy Rambo Wheeler in the other dimension, but maybe I just like it when the military tag teams with the teenage hero.
Instead Linda Hamilton sees 11 disapparate, shrugs her shoulders, pinky swears with a bunch of bearded kids not to go to the media, especially the journalist hopeful and radio shock jock, and then packs up, puts up an earthquake memorial and everyone moves on, lol.
But whatever, the end fight was interesting, the series ended well. Better than, say, Holly killing Henry with a fire poker sneak attack, 11 suddenly turning evil at the end, having to be killed by Will and, I don't know, Dickhead Derek being made the mayor of shitsville like in Game of Thrones.
