For more of my content, follow me on LinkedIn and on Instagram

Stranger Things and Knowing When to Say Goodbye

Laurence Paquette
Jan 1
1 min read

I rewatched all four seasons of Stranger Things before watching the fifth.

And honestly, it reminded me why this show worked so well for so long.

Yes, it is great storytelling.

Yes, it is strong world building.

But more than anything, it is a masterclass in ensemble driven narrative.

No single character carries this story alone.

The emotional weight comes from the relationships, the history, the shared growth.

And the finale understands that.

Ending the story with Mike as the storyteller felt intentional. Almost symbolic.

A reminder that stories live through the people who tell them, not just the events themselves.

From a content perspective, there is a lot to learn here.

The show works because the characters come first.

Because we are allowed to grow with them.

Because the hype is built slowly, over years, not manufactured overnight.

And when it is time to end, the show gives closure to the characters and the audience.

Not every story needs to be endless.

Sometimes the strongest move is knowing when to say goodbye.

I know not everyone agrees.

Some people hated the ending. Some found it cheesy. And that is okay.

No story lands the same way for everyone. It never will.

But if you zoom out and look at the full arc, across a decade of storytelling, the fundamentals still hold.

Characters first.

Time to grow.

Trusting the audience.

And knowing when to end.

That is not just good television.

That is good storytelling.

And yes, good marketing.

Red sky and lightning with a menacing face. Five people on bikes in silhouette. Text: One Last Adventure. Stranger Things 5, Netflix.

The Principles That Turned Me into the Leader I Wanted to Be

The workforce and corporate work culture is changing. As millennials become the dominant group in the workplace, as a pandemic changed the way we work, I find myself reflecting more and more on the imminent need for new and more modern ways to lead people in the corporate world. Additionally, as a millennial in a leadership position, I find myself dissatisfied with the corporate management style that preceded my generation. I don’t believe in framing jobs around deliverables

Laurence Paquette

2 hours ago9 min read

Living Abroad, Grief, and the Space In Between

Over the weekend, I marked twenty years of living abroad and shared a short reflection about what that experience has taught me. I expected comments about growth, perspective, and identity. What I did not expect, but deeply appreciated, was how many people named grief. Not the dramatic kind, and not necessarily the kind that comes with regret, but a quieter grief that accompanies living a life far from where you started. The grief of distance, of change, of becoming someone n

Laurence Paquette

1 day ago3 min read

20 Years Living Abroad. Here Is What I Have Learned

20 years abroad: here is what I've learned. Today marks twenty years since I moved abroad, not as a short adventure or a temporary chapter, but with the intention of building a life somewhere other than the country I was born in. When people talk about living abroad, the focus is often on the practical aspects such as learning a new language, navigating paperwork, or adjusting to cultural differences, but the most significant changes tend to happen quietly, over time, and oft

Laurence Paquette

3 days ago2 min read

2 3 4 5

Neurodivergent Leader | Queer Mom Coach & Speaker | Mental Health Advocate Followed by 70K+ on TikTok

Stranger Things and Knowing When to Say Goodbye

REcent posts

The Principles That Turned Me into the Leader I Wanted to Be

Living Abroad, Grief, and the Space In Between

20 Years Living Abroad. Here Is What I Have Learned