Stranger Things officially wrapped up its fifth and final season on December 31 with a supersized finale that premiered on Netflix and in more than 500 theaters across the US and Canada. According to Variety, the theatrical run pulled in between $25 million and $28 million, closing the book on a series that has been a cornerstone of Netflix’s lineup since its debut in 2016. Watch the official trailer for the finale below:
Warning: Major spoilers ahead. If you haven’t watched the Stranger Things Season 5 finale yet, stream it now and come right back here.
Season 5 rolled out in three parts, with four episodes premiering on November 26 and a further three on December 25. The finale, which arrived on December 31, brought every major character together for one last fight against Vecna, AKA Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower), which ultimately sees the gang emerge victorious. The Upside Down is also destroyed, but the episode leaves the fate of one of the main characters ambiguous.
After Vecna is defeated in his homeworld dubbed the “Abyss”, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the others are captured by Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) and her soldiers, who want to use Eleven’s blood to create more telekinetic children.
To stop that from ever happening again and break the cycle of abuse, Eleven sacrifices herself in an explosion rigged to destroy the Upside Down. Before she does, she pulls her boyfriend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) into her mind to bid him a heartbreaking farewell.
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But while we watch as Eleven disappears behind a wall of smoke and debris, what we don’t see is how she gets to the gate in the first place. “Suppressors” erected by Dr. Kay and her team had already been established as Eleven’s “kryptonite,” essentially blocking her powers, yet she suddenly appears several yards away from the soldiers without explanation.
She also shows none of the usual physical signs — including nosebleeds — that typically accompany her using her abilities. But the show’s history might help clear things up.
Eleven was first presumed dead at the end of Season 1, only to return in Season 2. Hopper’s Season 3 “death” also turned out to be another fake-out. Is it possible the show has leaned into that pattern once again?
18 months after Eleven’s apparent death, Mike suggests to his friends – Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) during a final Dungeons & Dragons game, that Eleven survived, possibly with help from Kali/Eight (Linnea Berthelsen), the other super-powered teen whose illusion-based powers could explain what everyone saw. The episode briefly visualizes Mike’s idea of Eleven living near “three waterfalls,” a place he once promised to take her.
But the clues that Eleven survived don’t end there. The song “Heroes” by David Bowie, which plays during the finale’s credits, is another possible sign, as it played after Eleven’s Season 1 “death” and after Hopper’s Season 3 “death”.
Dustin’s Hellfire Lives tee-shirt, which he wears during his valedictorian speech in the finale’s epilogue, also contains the words “El Lives”.
Ultimately, it seems Eleven’s fate is left open to interpretation. In a recent interview with Variety, the Duffer Brothers said the ending was intended to be ambiguous. They said that whether Eleven lived or died depends on what the characters — and the audience — choose to believe.
Those unwilling to accept that Eleven survived will at least find some comfort in the upcoming animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, which premieres later this year and will see the return of all the main characters from the flagship series, including Eleven.
Where Can I Watch the Stranger Things Finale?
Stranger Things seasons 1 — 5 are now streaming on Netflix.
Stranger Things Season 5 stars Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna/Henry Creel), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay).
Do you believe Eleven is still alive? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below!
