10 Questions We Still Have After The Stranger Things Finale

Stranger Things is officially over, but there are still some questions about the series that need to be answered. After five seasons of Upside Down chaos and exploring different dimensions, Stranger Things wrapped up its story with an epic conclusion, but some people believe that the remaining loose ends mean that there's another Stranger Things ending coming.

The finale raised some questions that deserve a closer look, whether it's unexplained character outcomes or sudden shifts in Hawkins' collective memory. Although the ending delivered closure after years of fighting for survival, these lingering questions leave the door open on some of the show's storylines.

Why Is Hawkins Suddenly OK With The Hellfire Club?

The town spent the majority of season 4 publicly hating Stranger Things' Hellfire Club after the murder of Chrissy Cunningham. Hawkins' citizens declared it was a Satanic cult, and any public display of the club was viciously vandalized. Dustin literally got beaten up at the beginning of season 5 for wearing a Hellfire shirt.

But during Dustin's graduation speech in the Stranger Things finale, he proudly showed his "Hellfire Lives" shirt, and the audience cheered. Not a single person voiced their disapproval, even though the town previously went to extreme lengths to advocate against the club.

Hawkins was never made aware of the supernatural activity going on, so it's not likely they were able to piece together that Eddie was a hero. With no clarification happening in the series, are we missing context on an off-screen storyline?

How Did Hopper Return To The Hawkins Police Force?

Hopper spent two years presumed dead after being taken as a Russian prisoner. While he did eventually return to Hawkins, he spent the beginning of season 5 in hiding. He even grew out his beard to become more unrecognizable, so it's clear he wanted to go unnoticed.

Fast-forward to the epilogue, and Hopper's out socializing in the town and back in the police chief uniform he started the series with. Everyone seemed to be OK with his return, which hints that he was previously reintroduced back into the town. But how could they have explained his absence and his "confirmed" death?

Why Is Steve Coaching Baseball?

Steve has never shown any interest in baseball. He was a star basketball player in high school and continued to show up to the Hawkins High games even after he graduated. In the epilogue, we learn that Steve is coaching baseball, which seems a bit out of place.

The only time we've ever seen Steve connect with baseball is all the times he's fought with his spiked bat. Maybe he found a love for the sport after fighting Vecna, or maybe he just really needed a job and wanted to stay in Hawkins. Still, it was a weird jump.

How Did Max Graduate On Time?

She was in a coma for nearly two years. It's practically impossible for her to manage to catch up to her classmates, especially considering she wasn't the best student and didn't prioritize school.

The series showed that classes went on as normal after Max was attacked and Hawkins split into four, and high school has a pretty heavy workload. Max also must have had an intense road to recovery to get back to how she was before, which must not leave much time or energy to dedicate to homework.

What Is The Significance Of November 6?

Henry Creel first took Will on November 6, 1983, and he also planned the final battle in season 5 for the same date. We know there's something important about November 6, but what is it? The Broadway prequel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, may have the answer.

The production explores the events of the school play that was briefly mentioned in Volume 1. While in high school, Joyce directed a play that starred Hopper, Mike's parents, and, most notably, Henry Creel. The performance was also on November 6, 1959.

Something big happened to Henry that night, which may be what connected him to that date. Even years later, the emotional trauma from that event may keep November 6 at the forefront of his mind.

What Happened to Kay & The Government?

The government established its presence in season 4 while hunting Eleven, and it was clear they were a serious threat. They somehow managed to get much more aggressive and dangerous this season, especially with Kay in charge. They were going to find El, and they would kill anyone who got in their way.

But then they just disappeared. There was no sign of them in the epilogue, even though they recently took over the entire town. It's hard to believe that Kay and her army just let the characters free after Eleven "died" and the Upside Down was destroyed. It's also hard to believe that they just willingly packed their bags and left Hawkins after all the work they put in.

What Happened To Derek's Family?

In Volume 1, Joyce and the kids tied Derek and his family up in a barn to use them as bait. After their plan was executed, everyone seemed to just move on. We know Derek made it out, but there's been no indication of his family's whereabouts, or even if they're still alive. They weren't seen in the epilogue, so it's possible they didn't survive.

Henry shows Derek a vision where his family is dead and has their eyes gouged out in typical Vecna fashion. However, Henry's been known to lie, and it was a desperate attempt to manipulate Derek. It could be a real possibility, though, especially since the demogorgan Henry sent went into the barn where Derek's family was tied up. And if Henry killed his own family, he could kill anyone.

Where Is Dr. Owens?

Dr. Owens was a key character in season 4 who supported Eleven in ways that Dr. Brenner couldn't. He first appeared in season 2 when he worked at Hawkins Lab, but he became sympathetic to El and saw her as a person, not just as a vessel to alternate dimensions. He wanted to save Hawkins while also wanting her to be happy.

But in season 5, he was nowhere to be found. He was at Project Nina when the government attacked in season 4, but his fate was never revealed. This season was the most important time to support Eleven, but Owens wasn't even mentioned.

Why Wasn't Will Affected When Vecna Died?

Will seemed to be perfectly fine during the final confrontation with Vecna, walking away without injury or any lasting effects. While it makes for a happy ending, it also contradicts Will being affected by every other interaction with the Upside Down, especially when he taps into Vecna's mind.

Will previously lost consciousness after he rescued Max and Holly from Henry, and he was only in Henry's mind for a few moments. He used to become weak after these confrontations, and if Vecna or a demogorgon was hurting, so was Will. Henry died a very painful death, but Will didn't have any side effects.

Why Did Henry Need 12 Kids?

Henry Creel was very specific about needing 12 children to accomplish his plans as Vecna. We know he wanted to use kids because their minds could be easily shaped, but we never learn why it had to be that exact number. Could it be a reference to his signature grandfather clock?

Henry also needed to have four victims in Stranger Things season four. Once Max fell into the trance, the gates to the Upside Down were opened, and Hawkins was split into four. That was also never explained, and none of the characters seemed to question it.