Is it really a good finale to a show if the ending doesn’t spark stupid amounts of speculation about what the heck has happened? That’s certainly been the reaction to the end of Stranger Things, which left fans wondering whether Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and his theory were correct about what happened to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). Naturally, ever since we saw what may or may not have been our waffle-loving hero admiring a waterfall, fans have speculated on Reddit about whether what we were seeing was real or whether Mike and the rest of the party were choosing to believe something that softened the blow of losing a friend.
Some fans had their business hats on, factoring in how well the show had done for Netflix and that, besides the planned spin-offs, a potential reunion further down the line would be inevitable. “I believe Netflix will want to keep the door 3 inches open for a revival in a couple of years, so yes,” wrote one fan, anticipating that Eleven is about as done with the fight with the Upside Down as Steve Rogers is done with the MCU.
One thing that fans have been quick to jump on is the song choice used in the show’s final moments. Never one to skimp on great tunes through the season’s decade-long run, the show ends with David Bowie’s “Heroes,” which keen-eared viewers were quick to spot and highlight the importance of in past seasons when it came to other characters presumably kicking the bucket. “‘Heroes’ played at the end, which also happened when Will and Hopper’s deaths were faked. So yes,” wrote one fan in guessing if El was alive or not.
Another fan broke down the final supposed farewell between El and her friends, all of which suggests that Mike is correct in his theory. “She managed to get to the Upside Down seemingly with ease and without being seen. Those sonic radars mean they can hardly walk, so to crawl over there without anyone seeing her, well, it seemed odd at the time. She got out without being seen because she was actually invisible. And I saw Mike's graduation sonic flashback as more of a lightbulb moment in this context.”
Of course, there’s the obvious response that so many will be having that one fan didn’t hesitate to admit: “I have to believe otherwise I won't stop crying.” Well, we’re sure you’re not the only 001. For our review of the Stranger Things finale and how it all went down, head here.
