The more popular a show becomes and the longer it’s on the air, the tougher it becomes for it to stick the landing. Plenty of shows, like Breaking Bad, have universally beloved conclusions, while others, like Game of Thrones, are viewed as so bad that they taint the reputation of the entire series. One big, recent TV ending that falls somewhere in the middle of this is Stranger Things, which just wrapped up on New Year’s Day after being on the air for nearly 10 years. Stranger Things became one of Netflix’s biggest properties of all time, and it’s fair to say there were a lot of eyes on the ending. Sure, plenty of people watched it — on Netflix and in theaters — but the debate still rages to this day about whether the Duffer brothers got it right.
At the end of Stranger Things Season 5, the audience is led to believe that Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown) sacrifices herself by staying in the Upside Down to avoid being hunted by any future agents. This is seemingly walked back when Mike (played by Finn Wolfhard) reveals to his friends that she survived, and we see Eleven walking at a waterfall. It’s still unclear whether this was just a vision, and the Duffers have confirmed that it’s intended to be ambiguous and open to audience interpretation. Stranger Things veteran Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin in the show, has kept famously quiet about his thoughts on the ending. However, during a recent interview to promote Pizza Movie, he broke his silence on what he thinks Dustin feels about Eleven’s ending:
“I definitely believe Dustin thinks she’s dead. He’s such a pragmatic, scientific dude who looks at all the evidence in front of him, and I don’t think he would truly believe it the way an optimist like [Finn Wolfhard’s] Mike would. But for his friend, he will probably always say that he believes she’s alive.”
‘Stranger Things’ Officially Returns Next Week
It’s not even been six months since the Stranger Things series finale, but new episodes from the franchise are set to arrive next week. All 10 episodes of Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 will be released on April 23, and although the show features many of the same characters from the live-action show, none of the original voice actors are returning to reprise their roles. The animated series will follow Eleven and her friends as they unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town. Sound familiar?
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the Stranger Things franchise.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
