Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Stranger Things finale
The creators of Stranger Things have spoken out over the controversial ending to the beloved series.
It has been the highly anticipated ending that many streaming fans have been waiting all year for as New Year’s Eve marked the release of the final instalment of Netflix’s Stranger Things.
After nearly a decade, the 1980s inspired show finally came to an end, concluding with its fifth season.
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Throughout the final series, fans were given answers to a lot of questions over Vecna and the Upside Down.
What happens in the finale?
In the final episode of the show, the gang made their way up the radio tower in ‘The Abyss’ to take on Vecna and whatever else they might face, while Eleven, Hopper and Kali attempted a different assault from afar, using the water tank in Hawkins lab.
Many fans have become more familiar with Vecna’s origin story as time has gone on, while the antagonist also stole 12 different kids from Hawkins to try and bring a doomsday plan to fruition, which involved crashing The Abyss into Hawkins for a new world to be made.
But it was finally time for Vecna and the gang to face off, as the gang realised that they'd have to fight Vecna and the massive 'mind flayer' who we saw in season two after coming into contact with Vecna in a cave as a boy.
The gang were in trouble until Eleven showed up, fighting Vecna inside the beast, taking him down thanks to Will's new powers and help from Joyce with her axe.
Bullets and fire put an end to the mind flayer, with Kali being the only one to die after the military gunned her down but as they went back to Hawkins, it was revealed that Eleven planned to sacrifice herself to make sure the military wouldn't use her blood to make others like her.
This was seen by fans as they were shown pregnant women being experimented on in the lab in the Upside Down.
What have the Duffer brothers said?
We see the kids graduating from high school and heading off to university or college, but a final Dungeons and Dragons campaign meant that Eleven's fate was left up to interpretation by fans, as fans wondered if she had cleverly escaped.
Speaking to Netflix, the show’s creators, the Duffer brothers said that when it comes to Eleven, ‘she lives on in their hearts, whether that’s real or not’, when speaking about our show's heroes.
Ross Duffer explained: “There was never a version of the story where Eleven was hanging out with the gang at the end. For us and our writers, we didn’t want to take her powers away.”
He added that 'she represents magic' and specifically, 'the magic of childhood'.
“For our characters to move on and for the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to come to a close, Eleven had to go away,” Ross said, adding: “We thought it would be beautiful if our characters continued to believe in that happier ending even if we didn’t give them a clear answer to whether that’s true or not.”
Matt Duffer went on: “And the reality is, if Eleven is out there, the most that they could hope for is a belief that it’s true because they can’t be in contact with her. Everything falls apart if that were the case.”
He noted that ‘it’s about Mike and everyone finding a way to move past what’s happened’.