The final episode of Stranger Things left many emotional moments (you can read all about it in our Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained), but there is one in particular that struck a chord with some (adult) fans.
In the scene, Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Robin (Maya Hawke), and Steve (Joe Keery) are hanging out on the roof of WSQK. Steve tells them about his dream life in Hawkins, buying his own house, and coaching the baseball team. Jonathan is at NYU studying film, while Robin is at Smith. Nancy dropped out of Emerson and is now working for the Herald. After catching up with their lives, they make a plan to see each other more – once a month, they'll meet in Philadelphia.
For some viewers, the scene is far from hopeful, as it's unlikely that they stick to the monthly meeting. "As an adult, this scene hits different. We know this monthly meet-up is never going to happen, or will drop to once every other month and then once every six months and will eventually fizzle out completely as life moves on," wrote one fan on Reddit, sparking a conversation about the realities of adulthood.
"I think I cried the hardest when this scene was happening. It was ugly. I was reminded how life just has to go on with or without me moving on," commented a fan.
"I mentioned in another thread that any adult watching that scene would've had the experience of growing apart from people you were close to when you were young despite your best intentions. But when you do manage to reconnect with close high school or college friends – however infrequently – there's still a connection with those people that isn't the same as with friends you make as an adult," wrote another.
"In my brain, they'll meet up a handful of times as planned, but then there'll be a month where one or two of them have a scheduling conflict and can't make it, and then the whole thing fizzles from there," added a third.
Others argue that they are not only friends – they've suffered a traumatic, world-ending situation together that no one will be able to understand. "It's realistic but their situation is different, these people have been through the apocalypse together. But maybe it's just me being young and not wanting to believe this sad reality," said another comment.
Some fans also want to believe that this scene is setting up a spinoff, but the Duffer brothers have been very clear about that, teasing that the spin-off will feature a brand-new group of characters, and a new mythology. However, there is still a secret Stranger Things project to be announced, so don't lose hope just yet!
The complete Stranger Things series is available to watch on Netflix now. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows, and keep up with new TV shows.
