Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer have explained why the show's final episode held back from confirming that Eleven survives, after hours of debate when the Season 5 finale dropped on December 31.
The creators, the Duffer Brothers, discussed about Eleven’s fate in an interview with the Netflix, revealing whether she had escaped the Upside Down in Season 5’s finale or not. *Spoilers ahead*
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The finale ends with Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, last seen during the destruction of the Upside Down. That sequence has viewers believing she died in the process while protecting Hawkins, though the series didn't technically flash her dead on screen.
An ending built on uncertainty
In the last scene, Mike Wheeler is narrating a story in the course of a Dungeons & Dragons game; it would appear that Kali had helped Eleven to escape before the Upside Down collapsed. Mike imagines her living quietly elsewhere, away from Hawkins. Viewers are left without confirmation from the series as to whether this was an actual story or just a wish.
Speaking to Netflix, Matt Duffer said the ending represents two futures for Eleven: one where it will be loss, something finite, and another that involves hope. As he said, Mike chooses to believe in the hopeful version, even if it may not be true.
Ross Duffer added that there was always a version that ended up separating Eleven from the kids. He said the character’s powers and her role in closing the story of Hawkins meant she had to leave that world behind. Yet, it was decided to offer no conclusive closing allowing the characters and viewers to hold on to the possibility of a happier outcome.
Matt Duffer also noted that if Eleven were alive somewhere, the lack of contact with her friends would still make sense within the story. Ambiguity was used there to help all other characters to keep moving forward rather than being stuck in the past of loss.
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End of a nine-year journey
Stranger Things launched in 2016 and wrapped up after the completion of its fifth season. Set in 1980s Indiana, the series followed a group of children confronting supernatural events caused by secret government experimenting on children and the alternate dimension called the Upside Down.
The creators have said the finale was designed to close the chapter on Hawkins while leaving space for interpretation, rather than offering a clear resolution for every character.
