'Stranger Things' finale explained: Eleven's fate and the suitcase mystery
What's the story
The fifth and final season of Netflix's hit series Stranger Things concluded on an emotional note, with our core gang bidding farewell to their childhood. The Duffer brothers, the show's creators, revealed that the last scene was filmed over two days and involved real tears from the cast. In an interview with TheWrap, they explained that this scene symbolizes a passing of the torch to the next generation.
Character discussion
Eleven's absence and fate left ambiguous
One of the biggest questions from the finale send-off involving Mike, Dustin, Will, Lucas, and Max was the absence of Millie Bobby Brown's character, Eleven. The Duffers explained that her absence was a thematic choice, as she represents "the magic of childhood." They said, "Something that everyone agreed on was that it didn't feel possible...for her to be there [in the basement], unless we invented some nonsense where her powers were somehow removed again or something like that."
Character analysis
'Either way, Eleven's choice is, I think, courageous and selfless'
The Duffers discussed the implications of Eleven's choice to potentially sacrifice herself. They said, "Either way, Eleven's choice is, I think, courageous and selfless because even though she's having to leave her friends behind, she's protecting any other child from experiencing what she experienced." At the end, Mike offers a possible explanation for how Eleven could've survived, but nothing concrete was shown. They also hinted at a possible spinoff series that may answer some lingering questions about the show's mythology.
Future plans
The rock inside the suitcase will get explained later
The final season also showed how a mystery rock from a suitcase put Henry on his Vecna path. When asked more about this rock, the Duffers said, "The spinoff will connect and it will answer some of these lingering questions that were not actually answered fully in the finale, but it is very much its own story and its own mythology." However, they did not provide any details about when this spinoff would take place.