While it follows a similar structure and deals with similar themes and even incorporates similar elements of the science-fiction genre, The Boroughs sets itself apart from the likes of Stranger Things by virtue of its characters. Similarities arise sometimes there as well, but the residents of The Boroughs are obviously far older than their teenage Stranger Things counterparts.
They resonate with the audience for a multitude of reasons, and their stories come to a head in episode 8 of The Boroughs, which finds the group figuring out what to do with the Mother.
Calling an audible, Sam attempts to convince the group that Mother is in need of saving, and at this point, Wally has the creature currently in his care.
Wally pushes the Mother around in a wheelchair, traversing the celebration party where scores of people are gathered. They catch up with the rest of the crew, but not before a security guard sees them and gets suspicious.
The creature speaks telepathically to Sam and tells him she wishes to die, much to Wally's chagrin. He hopes to cure his cancer and live for all eternity, but Renee quickly convinces her friend that he wouldn't be the same. With everyone now on board, the group takes the Mother to the cave in which Art found the tree.
Hot on their trail are the Shaws and a handful of security guards, but Art and Judy stay behind to create something of a diversion. While the couple winds up caught and Judy is actually stabbed by Anneliese, the group makes headway in the tunnels as they also decide to free the "Children" who are locked away by the Shaws.
It's a wild, thrilling ride up to this point. The episode isn't even halfway through its runtime. In that regard, though, the midpoint twist is that Hank is still alive, and he betrays Blaine by helping Renee and Paz.
Everything comes to a head back in the cul-de-sac where everything was kicked into gear, and as another fun callback, Sam and Claire recite The Boroughs' slogan before killing Anneliese and Blaine. They achieved this endgame feat by setting up the old TVs inside of Sam's garage, using Wally as a distraction while they finish the job for good.
While they die holding each other, the true heartbreak comes just one scene later, when Judy is revealed to be succumbing to her wound. She passes away in Art's arms, but the heartbreak is brief as the Mother brings her back.
Putting a satisfying bow on an eight-episode season, Sam and Blaire take the Mother to the tree, where there's one last twist: Blaine survived the TV set blast, and he attempts to kill the protagonist. Saving the day once again, the Mother calls her children to put an end to Blaine, and to close everything out, Sam has one more vision of his late wife Lilly before the group reconvenes.
There's a bit of a teaser at the end as there's a glitch in Sam's reflection, and it makes sense.
This has great franchise potential, and while there's no telling what direction they'll go from here, The Boroughs season 1 was a rather complete package. It's one of the best shows that Netflix will have to offer in 2026 as a whole, and it will likely be up for some major awards once the Emmys come around.
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