After five seasons and 42 episodes spanning nine years, Stranger Things has concluded. The series finale, “The Rightside Up,” balances wrapping up the mysteries of the Upside Down and the battle against Vecna with giving its main characters heartfelt goodbyes. While whether it succeeds in satisfying all viewers is debatable – the finale has proven divisive among fans – there’s certainly a lot to talk about and many questions to unpack. Please be aware that spoilers follow.
As a huge fan, I have to say the final episode of Stranger Things really delivered! At over two hours long, it crammed in so much – we finally got the full story of Henry Creel and learned he was connected to the Mind Flayer from the start. It was a relief to see both the Flayer and Vecna defeated, though it wasn’t without some heartache. Sadly, Eleven’s sister, Kali, didn’t make it. And the ending left me wondering about Eleven herself – did she truly survive the destruction of the Upside Down, or did she find a way to start over with a normal life? The creators, the Duffer brothers, recently spoke with Tudum at Netflix and shared some insights into the finale and its biggest moments.
What Happened To Eleven & Why Her Fate Is Left Ambiguous
The biggest mystery left hanging after the end of Stranger Things is what happened to Eleven. Although it first appears she might have died, Mike suggests a more optimistic possibility – one the characters, and viewers, are encouraged to accept. The creators, the Duffer brothers, intentionally left Eleven’s fate open to interpretation, meaning there’s no definitive answer. Regardless of whether she survived, they’ve confirmed she wasn’t with the others in Hawkins at the end of the season.
Matt Duffer explained that they wanted to explore the challenges Eleven would face trying to live a normal life after everything that happened. This season, they’ve been asking how she could achieve that, something Hopper avoids considering. While Mike has discussed it, his vision is unrealistic. Eleven essentially has two paths ahead: a darker, more negative one, or a hopeful one. Mike represents the optimistic side and chooses to believe in the hopeful possibility.
According to Ross Duffer, the ending of the story never included Eleven simply joining the group. The writers wanted to preserve Eleven’s powers, seeing them as a symbol of both magic and childhood. To truly conclude the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down, Eleven needed to leave. They aimed for a hopeful, yet ambiguous, ending where the characters could continue to believe in a positive outcome, even without definitive proof. Duffer felt this approach provided a more satisfying conclusion to the series and better reflected the characters’ growth from childhood to adulthood.
Matt Duffer explained that keeping Eleven’s fate ambiguous is crucial for the story. If people believed she was still alive but unreachable, it would create more problems than it solved. This approach allows the narrative to continue and focuses on how Mike and the others cope with the situation.
The creators also highlight a previous conversation between Eleven and Hopper that supports this idea. Hopper had shared his own thoughts with her, and she responded by emphasizing that the outcome of her story wasn’t the most important part – what mattered was that she made the decision.
Why Henry Creel Didn’t Turn Against The Mind Flayer & Why They Connected It To The First Shadow
Beyond Eleven’s return, a major reveal in the finale is that Henry – later Vecna – was connected to the Mind Flayer from childhood, starting with an experience in a strange cave. This backstory – including Henry’s origins, the cave itself, the mysterious briefcase, and the Mind Flayer – all come from the Stranger Things stage play, The First Shadow. The creators, the Duffer brothers, wanted to incorporate elements from the play into the show, as Matt Duffer explained:
When we were deciding what story to tell in the play, Henry’s felt the most compelling, even though we couldn’t fully develop it within the show itself. We always planned to show the moment he connected with the Mind Flayer, but we were really interested in what happened after that – his internal battle with whether to fight against or give in to the Mind Flayer’s influence. We felt this struggle offered a lot of potential for the play, allowing us to expand on his story and give the audience more background information without making it necessary viewing before Season 5. The play is meant to be enjoyed as a separate, complete story.
After the truth about Henry is revealed, there’s a brief hope that he might change. Will tries to convince him to fight against the Mind Flayer, but Henry refuses. He explains that he always agreed with the Mind Flayer’s view of the world – that it was flawed – and that they worked together towards that belief. The creators, the Duffers, initially considered leaving Henry’s motivations unclear, but ultimately decided he was beyond redemption, as Ross Duffer explains.
We considered giving Billy a redemption arc, similar to Darth Vader turning against the Emperor. But as we discussed it with the writers and Jamie Campbell Bower, we realized his character had come too far to convincingly switch sides. To make his actions understandable, he needed to remain committed to his choices and genuinely believe in what he was doing.
Seeing that memory definitely affects him, but at this point, he’s committed to the Mind Flayer and won’t turn against it. We deliberately left it ambiguous whether young Henry made a conscious choice to follow this path, or if the Mind Flayer was always controlling him. However, regardless of how he got there, Henry ultimately sides with the Mind Flayer.
The Main Group’s Endings (Including What Movie Lucas & Max Were Watching)
The show gives each of the core friend group a dedicated scene showing what happens to them next, similar to the extended ending of The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Dustin heads off to college while staying in touch with Steve, Will finds a place where he truly feels accepted after moving, Lucas and Max begin a life together, and Mike pursues his dream of becoming a writer.
Ross Duffer explained that they talked with the actors about where they envisioned their characters going. Everyone wanted to see their journeys continue, like Dustin’s ongoing pursuit of knowledge. They also wanted to emphasize the strong friendship between Dustin and Steve, even though they faced some challenges in the fifth season.
You know, as a fan, I always loved how Mike was the core storyteller of the group, so it felt right that he’d keep doing that. And with Will, the Duffer Brothers really wanted him to find a place where he could truly be himself – a bigger city seemed perfect for that. It was cool to hear them say they just wanted all the characters to end up happy, but in ways that made sense for them individually.
Ross Duffer explained that Max and Lucas had been planning a movie date for a while, and it was good to finally see them enjoy it.
Matt Duffer explained that the characters were watching a scene from the movie Ghost while they were filming. However, the scene ended up distracting from the characters’ own romantic moment, even though Ghost is the movie they were meant to be watching.
The creators shared that they’d been planning the final scene – the group playing one last game of Dungeons & Dragons – for a long time, and felt it was a fitting way to bring the show full circle. This mirrored the very first scene and symbolized the characters growing up and moving on, making way for a new generation.
Why Steve Stays In Hawkins But Nancy, Jonathan & Robin Don’t
Alongside the younger characters moving on, the show also gives a farewell to those graduating into adulthood. Steve remains in Hawkins, coaching kids’ baseball and teaching sex education. Jonathan and Robin have gone off to college, while Nancy leaves school to pursue a trainee position at The Boston Herald. The creators felt it was fitting for Steve to stay in Hawkins, and they envisioned him starting a family soon. As for the others, Ross Duffer explained:
With Nancy, we always aim to avoid predictable storylines. Even in the first season, despite appearing to follow a typical path for a suburban girl, she quickly demonstrated her independence—which is why she and Jonathan didn’t end up together. We wanted to give her an ending that reflected her ongoing journey of self-discovery. The idea for Robin attending Smith College came from Maya. And Jonathan’s acceptance to NYU was something we’d established back in Season 1, so it was rewarding to see him achieve that long-held goal.
Why Stranger Things’ Finale Teased Steve’s Death & Had Jonathan Save Him
Steve Harrington is a character many Stranger Things fans have feared would die. He’s been a frequent pick for who would meet their end throughout the series, and the finale deliberately played with that expectation. He falls from the radio tower, but Jonathan saves him. However, the Duffer Brothers, the show’s creators, say this wasn’t just to scare viewers. According to Matt Duffer, the scene was more about the connection between Steve and Jonathan.
The scene wasn’t meant to scare fans who feared Steve would die. I honestly don’t get why people were so worried about that. The real purpose was to bring Steve and Jonathan closer, and that’s why it’s there. We wanted them to connect by the end of the show, and it leads to the honest conversation they have in the Abyss about their feelings and how Nancy affects them both. Joe Keery and Charlie Heaton are good friends in real life, and we wanted to show that friendship on screen. We also wanted the person who ultimately saved Steve to be unexpected.
Why Joyce & Hopper Decide To Leave Hawkins
As the season wraps up, it’s not just the younger generation saying goodbye to Hawkins. Joyce and Hopper, now engaged, are also ready for a change of scenery. Hopper’s landed a gig as police chief in Montauk – fun fact, that was actually the original setting the Duffer Brothers considered for the show! It feels like a fitting way to give these characters, who’ve been through so much, a chance at a truly fresh start. It’s a sweet, hopeful note to end on, and honestly, they’ve earned it.
We always intended for their last date to be at Enzo’s, and that final scene had been in the works for a while. Hopper’s journey, particularly his relationship with Eleven, was emotionally challenging, and we wanted to give him and Joyce a chance at a fresh start. David Harbour, who played Hopper, appreciated the idea of a classic, hopeful ending for his character. We made a point of discussing each character’s ending with the actors, ensuring they felt comfortable and satisfied with their arcs. That was really important to us.
What Happens To Erica, Murray, And Mr. Clarke
The ending of Stranger Things doesn’t focus heavily on every character, and some don’t get a lot of screen time or a clear resolution to their storylines. This includes characters like Erica, Murray, and Mr. Clarke, although Erica and Mr. Clarke will remain at the school in Hawkins.
Matt Duffer mentioned he’s happy to see Murray and Mr. Clarke becoming friends. However, he believes Murray is still pursuing his own unusual investigations, while Mr. Clarke is probably continuing to teach, as he genuinely enjoys educating children.
Ross Duffer mentioned that everyone’s confident Erica can handle herself, even as she starts high school, because she’s incredibly resilient.
Matt Duffer stated that she is certain to be the valedictorian, but he doesn’t know what her future plans are beyond that – she has the potential to go to any college she chooses.
The fate of Robin’s girlfriend, Vickie, remains unclear after the latest episode, and the show’s creators haven’t explained what happened to her. While we don’t see her after the fight with Vecna, Robin hints in a radio broadcast that she and Vickie broke up sometime during the 18-month time jump, describing her ex as “overbearing.”
Why Stranger Things Ends With David Bowie’s “Heroes”
The show Stranger Things has featured the song “Heroes” several times. Season 1 used Peter Gabriel’s version when Will was found, and Season 3 used it again while Eleven read Hopper’s letter. However, the finale’s credits finally included the original version by David Bowie, a suggestion made by one of the show’s actors.
Joe Keery actually came up with the idea to use the David Bowie song for the finale, something we hadn’t done before on the show. As soon as he suggested it, we knew it was perfect—it felt like an anthem for Stranger Things, and using the original recording just felt right for the ending.
All five seasons of Stranger Things are now streaming on Netflix.
What were your thoughts on the final episode of Stranger Things? Share your opinions in the comments and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-01-01 17:43