The fifth season of Stranger Things wraps things up with a lot of happy endings. After finally defeating Vecna and the Mind Flayer, most of the characters return to Hawkins and attempt to rebuild their lives. Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max go back to school and, after a year and a half, are ready to graduate. The older characters, like Robin, Jonathan, and Nancy, decide to leave Hawkins to pursue new opportunities. Steve chooses to stay and settle down in his hometown, but even longtime Hawkins residents Hopper and Joyce consider a move to New York before getting engaged.
Eleven is the only major character in Stranger Things who doesn’t get a happy ending. When she and her friends return to Hawkins through the portal, Dr. Kay and her team are waiting, forcing Eleven to sacrifice herself to save them. Mike is confused by her decision, but he creates a story to help him understand what happened. Here’s a look at three reasons to believe Mike’s theory about Eleven, and three reasons to doubt it.
Reason Not to Believe: the Government Gives Up
It’s odd that the government isn’t mentioned at all in the show’s ending. Even though they were still operating in Hawkins when Eleven seemingly sacrificed herself, a year and a half passes, and things clearly change. If Eleven had survived, Kay would almost certainly be searching for her, disrupting any chance of a normal life. The fact that the villain simply accepts her death as it appears is quite telling.
Reason to Believe: the Number of Waterfalls
Early in the fifth season, Mike and Eleven discuss their future after defeating Vecna and closing the gate to the Upside Down. Mike dreams of escaping to a secluded spot with three waterfalls where they can live a peaceful life. Later, he regrets suggesting this, feeling it was unrealistic and wondering if a more practical plan would have appealed to Eleven. Interestingly, the place Eleven sees in a vision features two waterfalls, hinting that she might have actually liked his original, idyllic idea all along.
Reason Not to Believe: Kali Would’ve Died Already
Mike’s story doesn’t quite add up. It’s difficult to accept that Eleven could have returned through the portal unseen. He tries to explain this by saying Kali used her powers from a distance to make it appear Eleven was involved in the explosion. However, this doesn’t make much sense, as Kali was last known to be near Hawkins Lab, which is where the destruction of the Upside Down started, and she was already wounded by a gunshot.
Reason to Believe: Hopper’s Speech
Hopper deeply distrusts Kali, and his instincts prove correct when he discovers she’s trying to manipulate El into sacrificing herself. He tells El she deserves a normal life and all the experiences other children have. She seems to accept his words, and there’s little indication she’ll change her mind before leaving the Upside Down.
Reason Not to Believe: Mike Needs the Story to Be True
Even though time has passed, Mike is still struggling. He can’t stop thinking about the events of that night and misses El terribly. Hopper encourages him to at least go to graduation, but he’s still hurting. To cope, Mike starts telling a story – not necessarily a true one – that helps him and his friends find some peace and move forward, offering them a better sense of closure than they previously had.
Reason to Believe: the Spinoff Potential
The creators, the Duffer brothers, want viewers to interpret Eleven’s fate themselves, but things are likely to evolve over time. With discussions already happening about future Stranger Things shows, it’s improbable Eleven will be the central focus of any spinoffs. However, there’s a possibility the show’s producers might eventually reunite the original cast, and Eleven would almost certainly be included, potentially leading to a happy ending for her character.
Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix.
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2026-01-02 19:40