There are a lot of characters in Stranger Things. The Netflix original series has a huge ensemble, and it's hard to keep track of some of the more minor characters, like Stacey Albright.
While we got a good ending for almost every character in Stranger Things, the Duffers chose a callback to Stranger Things 2 during a very important scene of the season 5 and series finale.
Spoilers ahead for the Stranger Things 5 finale!
Who is Stacey in Stranger Things 5?
In the Stranger Things 5 finale, Dustin, who has survived the events of the final battle with Vecna and fallout, gets to speak on graduation day for Max, Will, Mike, and Lucas.
After he puts on an incredible performance during the speech, Dustin is invited to a high school party by one of the popular girls at the school, Stacey, played by Sydney Bullock. If that name sounds familiar, that's because Stacey is familiar!
Let's take a trip down memory lane to the Snow Ball in 1984 during Stranger Things 2. Dustin, finally rocking the Steve hair routine, asks Stacey to dance at the dance, but she rejects him. Dustin is dejected, as he watches Mike and Eleven and Lucas and Max dance together.
Then, Nancy steps in, and she dances with Dustin and helps make him feel wanted. It's one of the best scenes of season 2, in my opinion.
Stacey stepping up and asking Dustin to the party, and Dustin rejecting her to go play D&D with his friends, is the perfect full circle moment in Stranger Things 5.
And, it's cool for a number of reasons. I love a good callback scene to an earlier thing that only fans who really know the show get, you know? I feel like this was the one of the best you could do because it's such a deep-cut cameo.
On top of that, it shows how being yourself, unapologetically, is the coolest thing you can be. Dustin is, hands down, one of the coolest characters in the series, and I loved his progression throughout season 5 from the pariah getting beat up every day to the whole class cheering him on. It was such an awesome thing to see.
Now, I just want to know where Suzy-poo has been this whole time. I feel like they could have used some help from Dustin's love interest!