Netflix Just Explained the Real Reason Stranger Things’ Series Finale Was So Divisive

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It’s been nearly two weeks since the last episode of Stranger Things aired, and the conversation around it has changed a lot in that time. Initially, some viewers were happy with the ending, feeling it was a fitting conclusion to the show’s ten-year run. Then, many expressed disappointment, wishing more characters had died or that certain plot points had been resolved. Soon after, fans began speculating about a hidden alternate ending that might be released unexpectedly on Netflix.

Despite rumors, Stranger Things didn’t have a secret extra episode. The show concluded with the final episode as planned. However, Netflix surprised fans today with a new documentary called One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5. While the documentary covers the entire season, it includes some unexpected insights. The creators share details about why the finale didn’t fully satisfy some viewers – apparently, the ending wasn’t finalized when production began.

Stranger Things Started Filming the Series Finale Without a Finished Script

These days, it’s fairly common for big movies and TV shows to start filming before the script is fully finished. Marvel Studios has been doing this for a while, but other companies usually require a completed script first. The latest season of Stranger Things reportedly began filming without all the scripts written, which isn’t unusual for television. However, the creators did know how the series would end – they just hadn’t put it all down on paper yet. In the One Last Adventure documentary, Matt Duffer even admits they had the whole ending planned out, but were running out of time to actually write it.

About halfway through filming the season – on day 117 of production – the script for the final episode still wasn’t finished. Even when it came time to film the series finale, a completed script was nowhere to be found. Montana Maniscalco, a production assistant on the show, shared in a documentary that they actually started filming the finale without knowing the full story, admitting, “We didn’t even fully know what was going on.”

The finale’s scenes were filmed out of order primarily to keep the summery visual style consistent throughout. Interestingly, even while filming those scenes, the actors hadn’t seen the complete script, simply because it wasn’t finished yet.

Matt Duffer admitted on set that the scene felt unusual and unlike anything they’d done previously, specifically mentioning the jump to the eighth episode. He expressed his discomfort with it, saying, ‘I don’t love it.’

You know, watching the behind-the-scenes doc, One Last Adventure, really opened my eyes to how much pressure the Duffer Brothers were under with Season 5. They admitted that Episode 8, and especially the finale, was a real struggle. Apparently, they were constantly getting notes from both the production team and Netflix, and it was the hardest writing experience they’ve ever had. They spent way more time on that single episode than anything else in the whole series. It’s interesting because, while that extra effort might have pleased some fans, others are still unhappy – and some are even basing their opinions on stuff they saw online that just isn’t true! The documentary honestly shows both sides why people feel the way they do about the ending, and it’s fascinating to see how a massive production like Stranger Things actually works.

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2026-01-12 19:10