When deciding how to end one of the best Netflix shows after 10 years, Stranger Things creators Ross and Matt Duffer say they actually took a leaf out of Peter Jackson's book and used sci-fi fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as inspiration.
Warning: the following article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 5 episode 8, so make sure you are all caught up before reading on, and check out our Stranger Things season 5 finale review first.
Stranger Things season 5's two-hour-long finale sees the heroes of Hawkins go against Vecna one last time, with the most unlikely out of the bunch delivering the final blow, killing the ruler of the Upside Down (read more on that in our Stranger Things season 5 ending explained). However, the episode then includes a time jump, catching up with our favorite characters some time later.
In an interview with Deadline, co-creator Matt Duffer said the epilogue was inspired by The Lord of the Rings' emotional conclusion. "We thought about ‘[The Lord of the Rings] Return of the King’ a lot, just in terms of the length of the epilogue… that was sort of the reference for the epilogue," said Duffer. "Then we love the credits at the end of ‘Return of the King’, so that was the initial idea.”
The end of Return of the King gives viewers a little sneak peek at where each member of the Fellowship ends up years after the War of the Ring, and what they do with their lives. Aragorn enjoyed a long reign as the rightful king, Legolas set off on an adventure out West, and Sam became mayor of the Shire before joining Frodo in the Undying Lands. Similarly, Stranger Things season 5 gives its main characters a proper send-off.
Some time after Vecna's defeat, we see Nancy, Robin, and Jonathan, who had left town to attend separate colleges on the West coast, return to Hawkins for the younger kids' graduation, where they meet up with Steve, who stayed behind to teach. As for Joyce and Hopper, the two are now engaged and plan to move away to start a new life. After graduating, Mike, Dustin, Will, Lucas, and Max go their separate ways. Will moves to a big city and finds love, Dustin attends university, Max and Lucas settle down together, and Will becomes a writer.
The credits then roll, which include a look back at the whole series, including illustrations of each character, much like the credits on Return of the King.
The complete Stranger Things series is available to watch on Netflix now. For more, check out our guide to the best sci-fi shows, and keep up with new TV shows.
