Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas, Sadie Sink as Max, Noah Schnapp as Will, and Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin listen as Finn Wolfhard as Mike leads the last campaign on 'Stranger Things.'Image via Netflix
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Michael Block
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Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!
On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.
In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.
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Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for the Stranger Things series finale.Even the greatest shows of all time have left us slightly dismayed by their finales because we still have lingering questions. Stemming from our passion for the product, we want every plot point wrapped up with a bow nicely so we can all ride off into the sunset together. Or, in the case of Stranger Things, finish our campaign and journey to the waterfalls.
Whether it's Lost and the chaos that ensued with the final shot paired with the plane during the credits or Game of Thrones leaving us pondering how anyone let Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) rule, great series with controversial finales are the source of fans asking a litany of questions. For Stranger Things, Ross and Matt Duffer have gotten out ahead of the madness with some answers. Other questions, less than so. Nevertheless, here are the lingering questions we had after the Stranger Things finale.
1 Is the Turnbow Family OK After Being Abducted by the Hawkins Crew?
Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow in a colorful striped sweater with his arms crossed in 'Stranger Things.'Image via Netflix
We might debate who the greatest breakout character of the fifth season is for years. Was it Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher), the key cog of the story, or was it Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly), the finger-flashing, foul-tongued kid who brought levity to the season? When it comes to Derek, we get to see him in the epilogue becoming close friends with Holly, even engaging in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The pressing question is, where are his parents and sister? Are the Turbows OK?!
The last time we saw them, Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson) drugged them to get them away from their home, so the gang could launch the Turnbow Trap to snatch a Demogorgon. Then, they were tied up in a barn by Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), pleading for freedom. We haven't seen them since, and we've got to know where the bodies are and whether they are filing a police report about what happened to them. Mind you, the gang did save their son from death, but they went through a pretty traumatizing ordeal. As it appears, they are in narrative limbo. Though the darkest timeline could be the one in which the Demo-monsters killed them, and Derek is living with the Wheelers.
2 Will Has an Epilogue Boyfriend, but What Does That Mean for Mike?
Will Byers and Mike Wheeler stand close together and share a look in Dimension X in Stranger Things.Image via Netflix
If there's one thing Season 5 will forever be remembered for, it's Will Byers' (Noah Schnapp) coming out celebration. Now, we're not saying it didn’t need to happen; how it was executed may not have been the cleanest in the latter half of the season. Nevertheless, the one character to have had the most growth and perhaps the happiest ending is Will. As we learned in the epilogue and through Mike Wheeler's (Finn Wolfhard) final monologue, Will gets a Midwest boyfriend! We love love, but what does that mean for the two best friends in which one served as an unrequited crush?
For those hoping to ship Byler, it's time to move on and watch Heated Rivalry. Speaking with Collider, the Duffers made it clear how they felt about their relationship and the fans' reactions to the entire sequence. They had planned this journey for Will for years. "This story and the story of Will had been planned and has been building to this moment for eight years now," he explained. "So, that's all we really wanted to do, was to just be truthful to what we wanted to do and what we'd always been planning to." Making Byler a thing was the noise the creators tuned out. Mike and Will will always be best friends; Mike just has some serious competition for attention.
3 If Vickie Is Robin's Nagging Significant Other, Why Not Name Drop Her?
Amybeth McNulty as Vickie Dunne and Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley smiling in 'Stranger Things.'Image via Netflix
Significant others on Stranger Things were often saved for coupling within the larger group. But one such outsider to the gang was Robin's crush-turned-girlfriend, Vickie Dunne (Amybeth McNulty). Mostly kept in the dark until she needed to be informed, Vickie was fear epitomized. She played babysitter to Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), but when the military descended on the radio station, it seemed as if she had packed her bags and said, "I'm out!" As everyone seemingly had a happy ending and moved on to their next venture, we were left completely in the dark about Vickie, though we may have been given a critical clue.
During the epilogue, our quartet of older kids reunites on the roof of the radio station as they catch up about college life and make plans to meet up monthly. As Steve (Joe Keery) leads a toast, he says, "To nothing ever keeping us apart." Robin adds, "Including overbearing significant others." So is Vickie said overbearing significant other? If it is true that the once-happy couple broke up, not even mentioning her by name is savage. As many of us have experienced breakups in the past, especially messy ones, we rarely call them by their name any longer. Just slap on an aggressive descriptor and try to get them out of our brains. Like I have "Ghost Boy," Robin has "overbearing significant others." Or, as the queer community knows, when one couple falls, another rises. I suppose only Will could find relationship happiness in the post-Upside Down world!
4 Based on 'Stranger Things: First Shadow,' Why Didn’t Joyce and Hopper Acknowledge Henry Creel?
Raphael Luce as Young Henry with a blood-splattered face staring at an object in 'Stranger Things.'Image via Netflix
We've entered a time in the media where projects are expanding beyond their original sources. From TV shows becoming movie finales to movies using the stage to expand the story. The ability to have beloved IP and utilize its power in another source of consumption allows audiences to continue the experience. Similar to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Stranger Things is telling a new story on stage. Unlike Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is a sequel companion piece, Stranger Things: First Shadow is a prequel companion story. Though the creators have said the play helps heighten the overall experience, what we know about Stranger Things: First Shadow actually opens up a larger world of questions, simply based on the characters present in the play. Without giving too much away, the play offers an introductory origin story for Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower) as he arrives in Hawkins. That means other characters are familiar names like James Hopper Jr. and Joyce Maldonado, the high school versions of David Harbour and Winona Ryder. And, based on the play, the trio have crossed paths, and yet there is no mention of such on the TV series. What's up with that?
Well, according to the Duffers, it was an acknowledgment that happened off-screen. Huh? Speaking to Variety, the creators lept straight into the accusations of unconnected plot points by saying, "We had to walk a fine line with the play — we don't want to frustrate, because so much of our audience is unable to see it. To have them start talking about it would have been confusing in the context of someone who hasn’t seen the play. But I'm sure they did have that conversation." Well, when you put it like that, I feel shorted out of a crucial plot and relationship development point. Couldn't they have helped to tap into his past via Will? Bring up any semblance of a positive moment? Though the twins have claimed they crafted the final season as if the play didn't exist, Kate Trefry wrote it, and we want more of a tie-in! The decision to have Joyce get the final whack on Vecna (Bower) makes the lack of conversation inclusion weaken the bold decision.
5 Did Dr. Kay and the Military Just Leave?
Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay staring ahead with a serious expression on 'Stranger Things.'Image via Netflix
This season, we weren't expecting to be given the gift of a new military antagonist in the form of Linda Hamilton's Dr. Kay. On a mission to get Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) back into Hawkins Lab possession, she and her military minions set out on a mission to find her, only to be bested in the end. So, did the military and Dr. Kay just…leave? As we learned in the epilogue, 18 months later, Hawkins is being cleaned up, and everyone is moving on without a quarantine. As some semblance of normalcy has returned, but the big baddies with guns who actively tried to kill children just left without pause?
Once the gate was sealed, Dr. Kay was gone. The military was out. Surely they helped clean up, right? And if Dr. Kay's work is now futile if they lost their desired target, what's there to do? Having zero mention of the fallout or consequences of this plot point is frustrating, as Stranger Things wasn't just about the Hawkins Crew against the monsters. The military played a massive role in the events and thus, the ramifications needed to be addressed. Did our heroes sign NDAs to never speak of the madness they witnessed?
6 Where Did the Demogorgons and the Other Monsters Go?
A Demogorgon snarling with its five-petal toothy face open on 'Stranger Things.'Image via Netflix
Perhaps the most iconic modern monster in modern horror history is the Demogorgon. The terrifying creatures that menaced Hawkins and the Upside Down were a major element in the draw of the series. Now, we weren't expecting them to have a happy ending, but surely we’d watch them die in a flaming inferno, right? Well, in the finale, they were completely MIA. It seems that the Demogorgons and accompanying monsters just disappeared. Vanished into thin air. And the Duffers have a defense for the decision.
Matt Duffer told The Wrap, "Mainly it's just that Vecna was not expecting this sneak attack on his home turf. Never in a million years could he even imagine that. They're there somewhere. We obviously discussed having a demo battle on top of the Mind Flayer battle, but it felt more right to us that why does he need the Demos when the Mind Flayer is this giant thing and can attack them? He doesn't need his little ant army to attack, he’s going to take care of this himself. It’s a giant, desolate planet." Though he did mention "Demo fatigue," a proper send-off would have been grand. As we learn from science fiction and fantasy series, if you don't see a dead body, they may not be dead!
7 Why Didn't Will Feel Pain During the Mind Flayer's Demise?
Noah Schnapp as Will and Winona Ryder as Joyce looking up on 'Stranger Things.'Image via Netflix
If there's one thing that we learned about Vecna and the hive mind, it is that they are all interconnected. It's why he's had such power throughout the series, controlling them from near or far. And, as we saw in the Vol. 1 finale, Will was able to tap into his hidden powers to take control of the Demogorgons and gain control. So, if everything is connected, and Will has previously felt Vecna's pain, why was he spared in Vecna's ultimate demise? If you scroll through Reddit, the fandom is quite irate over this potential plot hole.
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Dive deeper—subscribe to our newsletter for clarifying analysis of Stranger Things finale mysteries, creator replies, and curated fan theories. You'll also get thoughtful coverage of related shows and tie-ins to broaden the conversation. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.Some have speculated that Will was able to prevent his own demise because he had already severed his deep psychic link by confronting Vecna and reclaiming his power. When and how did that happen? Not really sure if that is a completely viable resolution. As much as we would love to believe that Will "de-vesseled" himself, it seems to contradict everything built up about Vecna's hive mind lore and mythology. If Will's emotional maturity through coming out helped him break the spell, certainly there was a therapist in Hawkins who could have offered to help out much sooner!
8 Is Eleven Actually Alive?
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven outdoors looking to the distance in the series finale of 'Stranger Things'.Image via Netflix
She's alive, she's alive, she is so alive! Or is she? Betting odds had Eleven burning sacrificed before the finale concluded. It happened, we made peace with it, and we spent time in our epilogue watching the Hawkins crew's happily ever after. That was until Dungeon Master Mike Wheeler threw down the gauntlet, revealing that there is a world where Eleven was still alive and that she and Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) created a magical ruse that her sacrifice allowed her to escape while allowing Hawkins to head back to normal. While the story was connected to the final Dungeons and Dragons campaign our friends concluded, is there any proof warranting a happy ending for El in a small village?
If you ask the Duffers, they gave us the easy answer. "We leave it up to the audience," Ross told The Wrap. With the question popping up everywhere, they offered more clarification. "There was never a version of the story where Eleven was hanging out with the gang at the end," Ross said to Tudum. "There are two roads that Eleven could take. There's this darker, more pessimistic one or the optimistic, hopeful one. Mike is the optimist of the group and has chosen to believe in that story," Matt said. "She represents magic in a lot of ways and the magic of childhood," Ross added. "For our characters to move on and for the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to come to a close, Eleven had to go away." Like the characters in the moment choose to believe or not, the answer is deliberately left open to interpretation. And, in the world of potential sequels, it gives the Duffers the extraordinarily easy option to bring El back.
Like
Stranger Things
TV-14
Drama
Mystery
Horror
Science Fiction
Release Date
2016 - 2025-00-00
Network
Netflix
Showrunner
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
Directors
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz
Cast
See All-
Millie Bobby Brown
Jane 'Eleven' Hopper
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Finn Wolfhard
Mike Wheeler
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