Stranger Things Finale: Duffer Brothers Wanted Ambiguous Ending

4 days ago 14

Eleven using her powers in Stranger Things season 5

Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour.

Stranger Things ended on somewhat of an ambiguous note, which many fans were shocked by, but the Duffer Brothers were hoping for that exact reaction. After almost a decade, one of the most popular Netflix shows ever came to an end on New Year's Eve with a series finale that ran over two hours.

While several storylines were wrapped up with a nice bow, other ones, like the fate of Eleven, were left open to audience interpretation.

According to Martina Radwan, who directed the upcoming documentary about the series, called One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, told Variety that the creators/showrunners fully anticipated fans' mixed reactions to the series finale.

Radwan claimed that a lot of modern movies and shows "tell you what to think and how to feel."

However, Stranger Things decided to ignore that trend and force the audience to think for themselves, which seemed to catch many fans off guard, leaving some of them angry that there was an "ambivalent ending" and that not everything was resolved. "I think it's the reaction that the Duffers wanted — the question mark," Radwan admitted.

The documentary filmmaker predicted that those same fans will have their minds changed over time, "when you think back on it after your first impression." In the end, Radwan believes that most fans "loved" the Stranger Things series finale, despite that initial surprise.

"I think people loved it, but I think they’re surprised. Because it’s an ambivalent ending, which I love, they don’t know what to do. I think most films nowadays tell you what to think and what to feel. Here, you’re a little bit on your own. And it has to settle. Because I do think it also will change over time, when you think back on it after your first impression. I think it’s the reaction that the Duffers wanted — the question mark."

Wadwan was on the set throughout the entire process of filming Stranger Things season 5, from the table read with the cast all the way to the very last scene that was shot.

When the series finale was released, she went to a movie theater in New York to get that "communal" experience of watching this pop culture phenomenon come to an end with fellow fans. "I love the finale. I really did," she said.

"I love the finale. I really did. I saw it in the theater, of course, here in New York, Union Square. And it was so cool to see everybody participating and following, applauding. It was really cool to see it in a communal setting."

One of the biggest discussions about the finale was the fate of Eleven. While it appeared that she sacrificed herself after defeating Vecna, Mike Wheeler later theorized about what might have happened if she actually lived, which has led to several debates online about whether Eleven is actually alive or dead.

Interestingly, Radwan is unsure about Eleven's fate on the show. She likes "the idea that magic died, or that magic had to die." However, "magic lives on within us," which feeds into Mike's story and has some fans feeling hopeful that Eleven survived.

"I like the idea that magic died, or that magic had to die. But then again, magic lives on within us. So I don’t know."

That ambiguous ending for Eleven's storyline has been one of the biggest sticking points about the finale. While many of the other characters got their happy endings, like Joyce and Hopper getting engaged, and some of the kids going off to college, Eleven, who's a tragic character in many ways, didn't get a similar ending.

Fans who've been critical of the final season point to that as one of many supposed examples of why the Duffers botched the ending. Other fans felt like the series had a very satisfying conclusion, despite the ambiguity.

As Radwan noted, the Duffers were fully expecting these reactions and don't seem to mind that some fans are not sure how to process the ending. In real life, not every issue gets neatly resolved in people's lives. Despite being a TV show that centers around sci-fi creatures, Stranger Things stayed true to itself and the mysteries of life.

One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 will be released Monday, January 12 on Netflix.