The epic saga of Hawkins finally reached its conclusion with the release of Stranger Things Season 5's finale, titled 'The Rightside Up,' on Netflix. The highly anticipated last episode delivered an emotional rollercoaster, revealing the ultimate fate of the beloved group of friends in their final battle against the dark forces of the Upside Down.
The Final Battle and a Heartbreaking Sacrifice
In the climactic eighth episode, the Hawkins crew successfully closes the door to the malevolent alternate dimension, the Upside Down, for good during a final confrontation with Vecna. However, this hard-won victory comes at a tremendous personal cost. In a move of ultimate selflessness, Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown) makes the ultimate sacrifice. She vanishes alongside the collapsing Upside Down, seemingly giving her life to save her friends and the world.
The ending, however, is deliberately crafted to be open to interpretation. While the group witnesses her disappearance, they choose to hold onto hope. Mike Wheeler, ever the optimist, believes that Eleven survived and has moved far away to a new place where she can find peace and meet new people. This optimistic perspective becomes the group's chosen truth, a way to cope with the loss and believe she finally found the happiness she always deserved.
Creators Defend the Ambiguous Ending
The show's creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, have addressed the mixed reactions to this ambiguous conclusion. They defended their creative decision, stating it was the only narrative path that allowed Eleven to remain 'alive' in the story's universe and for the characters to move forward.
In an interview with Tudum, Matt Duffer explained the thought process. "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," he said. He outlined the two roads for Eleven: a darker, pessimistic one or the hopeful one Mike believes in. "Mike is the optimist of the group and has chosen to believe in that story," Duffer added.
Why Eleven Had to Leave Hawkins
Ross Duffer elaborated that there was never an alternative ending where Eleven stayed with the gang. "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," he stated. He argued that for the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to reach a definitive close, and for the characters to truly transition into adulthood, Eleven had to go away.
"We thought it would be beautiful if our characters continued to believe in that happier ending even if we didn’t give them a clear answer to whether that’s true or not," Ross said. He emphasized that the act of the characters choosing to believe was a more powerful representation of closure than a concrete answer.
Matt Duffer further justified this narrative choice by highlighting its necessity for the group's healing. "And the reality is, 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. Everything falls apart if that were the case," he reasoned. "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’s happened."
The finale of Stranger Things Season 5 thus leaves a lasting legacy of sacrifice, hope, and the bittersweet transition from childhood adventures to adult realities, with the fate of its most powerful hero left as a testament to the power of belief.
