The review of 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 3 criticizes the finale as bloated, empty, punishing, and uninspired. The author describes the viewing experience as a "miserable obligation" and a "humiliation," highlighting a perceived lack of consequence and excessive exposition. The finale is characterized as a "contractual errand" that fails to deliver an epic climax, despite its length and focus on emotional monologues and spectacle.