'Stranger Things' creators reflect on Eleven's fate in series finale
What's the story
The series finale of Stranger Things left fans divided over the fate of Millie Bobby Brown's character, Eleven. In the finale, it seemed that Eleven had sacrificed herself to destroy the Upside Down and defeat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and the Mind Flayer. However, in the epilogue, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) shares his theory, according to which Eleven faked her death and is now living quietly in a serene town by waterfalls. So, what really happened?
Creator insights
Duffer Brothers discuss Eleven's ambiguous ending
In an interview with Netflix's Tudum, creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer explained their decision to leave Eleven's ending open to interpretation. "What we wanted to do was confront the reality of what her situation was after all of this and how could she live a normal life," Matt said. He added, "There are two roads that Eleven could take... Mike is the optimist of the group and has chosen to believe in that story."
Character development
'There was never a version of the story...'
Ross revealed that "there was never a version of the story where Eleven was hanging out with the gang at the end." He explained, "For us and our writers, we didn't want to take her powers away. She represents magic in a lot of ways and 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."
Series wrap-up
'Stranger Things' finale: A bittersweet conclusion
The creators believed it was beautiful for their characters to continue believing in a happier ending. Matt added, "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." "So if that's the narrative, this is really the best way to keep her alive. And it's about Mike and everyone finding a way to move past what happened."