After nearly a decade on screens, Netflix has brought its monumental sci-fi series Stranger Things to a close with a movie-length season five finale. The two-hour concluding chapter, titled Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up, delivered epic action and emotional closure for the beloved Hawkins gang, though it has garnered a mixed reception from the show's dedicated fanbase.
Key Deaths and the Fate of Eleven
Contrary to fears of a bloodbath, the final season's casualty list was relatively short. Among those who perished were Kali Prasad (Linnea Berthelsen), Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), the Mindflayer, soldier Akers (Alex Breaux), and several unnamed military personnel. Notably, fan-favourite Steve Harrington survived the ordeal.
The most significant question mark hung over the fate of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). In a seeming act of sacrifice, she appeared to vanish as the inter-dimensional wormhole was sealed by a bomb detonated by Hopper and Murray Bauman. However, a theory proposed by Mike Wheeler suggested that the dying Kali used her powers to fake Eleven's death, allowing her to escape pursuit and live in freedom. A later scene showed Eleven finding three waterfalls, as Mike had once promised her, leaving viewers to decide if this was reality or merely Mike's hopeful imagination. The Duffer Brothers have confirmed the ambiguity, with Ross Duffer stating her fate is "up to the viewers and also Eleven’s friends."
Defeating Vecna and Sealing the Gate
The Hawkins group ultimately triumphed through a combined effort. Vecna and the Mindflayer were defeated for good, with Joyce Byers delivering the final blow to Vecna in a nostalgic callback to season one. The inter-dimensional bridge to the Upside Down was permanently sealed by the bomb, with an 18-month time jump confirming Hawkins had returned to normal, the events officially blamed on an earthquake.
Some fans questioned how Vecna was overcome so swiftly in the final battle. Co-creator Matt Duffer explained that the climax was a culmination of the group's accumulated knowledge and powers, with every character contributing a unique skill, much like a Dungeons & Dragons campaign finale. Will Byers' own growing abilities played a crucial role, especially after he accessed Vecna's traumatic memory of the cave.
Where the Characters Ended Up
The series provided clear epilogues for its core characters. Joyce and Hopper got engaged and planned a move to Montauk, New York, a nod to the show's original working title and a potential spin-off setting. The younger generation all graduated high school, with Dustin heading to college, Lucas and Max staying together, and Mike becoming a writer.
Other outcomes included Steve becoming a teacher and baseball coach, Nancy taking a trainee reporter role, Jonathan studying film at NYU, and Robin attending Smith College. The series' final scene symbolised a changing of the guard, with Holly Wheeler and her friends beginning a new Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Stranger Things season 5 is available to stream in full on Netflix now.
