After almost a decade on our screens, Netflix's Stranger Things has come to an end with season 5. The final season has garnered a largely positive response (although, of course, some moments have proven divisive). It stuck the landing, but still left a couple of things open to interpretation, not least the fate of Eleven.
Season 5 culminated in the ultimate boss battle. Our group traversed the Upside Down, climbing into Vecna's domain, where they faced off against both him and the Mind Flayer. They ultimately defeated him, leaving behind a trail of bombs to destroy the Upside Down for good upon their exit. However, Eleven remains behind. She sacrifices herself, knowing that as long as she's alive, the military will always hunt her down, determined to weaponize her and extract her blood to create more special humans.
At first glance, it appears that Eleven does die in the inferno that decimates the Upside Down. But in the final scene, taking place months later, Mike imagines a scenario where Eleven managed to escape, going on to live her life in peace far away from Hawkins. "I believe," he says. Fans are left wondering whether what Mike says is pure fantasy, or whether there's some truth hidden within his story.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, creators Matt and Ross Duffer played it coy when asked about Eleven's fate. "I don’t know if we want to say," Ross Duffer said. "Obviously, we’ve had these conversations with Millie too, and we all have our own interpretations. I worry if I say it, it might take away. We really want the audience to take from it what they want."
Matt Duffer doubles down on the mystery element; it's supposed to be enigmatic. The viewers share the mystery with the characters, and many are choosing to side with Mike's theory.
""You can’t write with a sense of ambiguity. You’re writing from a specific point of view, because the character doesn’t know; Max [Sadie Sink] doesn’t know, right? The characters can’t know and the audience can’t know because then it puts Eleven in danger and her sacrifice was for nothing. So there’s a point in not knowing. The boys obviously choose to believe. I’m not sure what the majority of people are thinking, but dipping my toes a little bit into social media, it seems like people are choosing to believe and are going to Mike Wheeler route.""
As for whether there's scope for the series to continue many years down the line, the Duffers don't rule anything out. "We really don’t know," Matt said. "I mean, Mike’s closing the basement door. We’re closing the door on the story."
Stranger Things season 5 is now streaming on Netflix.