No such conversion happened in the series finale of the hit Netflix show “Stranger Things,” which was released on New Year’s Eve. The finale reminded me in a unique way that evil is never one and the same with any human being. Nonetheless, I interpreted Vecna as one and the same with the Mind Flayer. I value a show like “Stranger Things” for its visceral depictions of an entity that has many vessels but one hideous intent. Despite its hellish settings, “Stranger Things” draws us in like a cozy hearth.

Source: CNN January 16, 2026 15:17 UTC