Netflix’s Stranger Things has now come to an end after its final and fifth season with the cinematic two-hour finale, The Rightside Up, which wrapped up the complex story of Eleven, Mike, Will, and the rest of the group from the small town of Hawkins. For the better part of nearly a decade, the Duffer brothers’ production has been one of the greatest successes on the Netflix network, changing the landscape of the streaming service and bringing a new generation to the 80s culture and classic Dungeons & Dragons. While the final installment has its dramatic moments and a stunning display of the battle against the Vecna monster, it could not avoid comparisons with another sci-fi event that took place just days beforehand.
David Bowie’s “Heroes” and the strength of a timely finale
In a strange juxtaposition of timing, The War Between the Land and the Sea, a Doctor Who spinoff series, concluded its five-part series on December 21, 2025, with a heartfelt montage set to David Bowie’s “Heroes” and possessing a strong thematic connection with a focus on sacrifice, bravery, and hope via a slowed-down orchestral cover by Alison Goldfrapp.
Exactly ten days later, Stranger Things capped off its New Year’s Eve celebration with a close on December 31, 2025, with a fitting use of the original David Bowie song “Heroes” from 1977 as a way of ending its grand narrative journey. Although indeed relevant for a show revolving around ideas of heroism and camaraderie, the thematic relevancy wasn’t as spot-on as The War Between the Land and the Sea’s use of “Heroes.”
The disparity exists in the manner in which the two series decided to utilize the song to enhance the storyline. The War Between utilized the song “Heroes” in a very meticulous manner to suit the storyline, reducing the pace and emphasizing the emotional undertones of the journey of the characters. The choice of the lyrics—“I, I wish I could swim / Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim”—from the song conformed to the theme of freedom and growth that the spin-off series adopted in its final episode.
Even with the minor flaw, the fifth season of Stranger Things has clearly hit the mark in terms of what has come before: ensemble acting, supernatural drama with lots at stake, and character resolution. The series ends on a satisfying level that gives fans the resolution they’ve been waiting for.
Ultimately, both finales prove the importance of music in sci-fi, though comparatively speaking, The War Between the Land and the Sea may just have outdone The Duffer Brothers when it comes to thematic relevance. As for Stranger Things, its finale is simply a bittersweet, thrilling, and nostalgic goodbye. Season 5 of Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix.
