The Duffer Brothers finally released the long awaited season of “Stranger Things” on Dec. 31, 7 p.m. central time. They kept everyone waiting with interest piqued and excitement overflowing. While the Duffer Brothers may have ended their show franchise with everything their devoted followers have desired, was it really what the fans wanted? Or did they want more?
The backstory leading up to the final episode is an intricate web formed over the seasons of the show. To fully grasp the understanding of what happened, viewers would need to watch a full recap of everything you need to know.
A short description of what happened would be these simple facts: Vecna is the villain of the series, Will Byers can use Vecna’s powers when close to the hive mind (the interconnected network that Vecna uses to control monsters), and the Upside Down is a wormhole powered by a core of dark matter connecting our world to the abyss, which is a second world covered in dust and nothing else.
The episode started out with a bang. The whole team was together in the Upside Down and going off to complete their ultimate goal: to kill Vecna.
The team accomplished their goal but it seemed way too easy. All it took was Eleven impaling Vecna in his own lair and Joyce Byers to hack off his head with an axe.
The team continued back to the right-side up (The normal, human dimension that is our world), but the military set up a spike strip and in the moment of confusion, Eleven slipped out of their grasp and made it to the other side of the upside down gate. The bomb then exploded in the Upside Down at the core, causing the whole wormhole to collapse and Eleven with it.
This is where the controversy begins. Did Eleven really die or not?
Earlier during the episode, Kali, who also has powers like Eleven does, supposedly died. However, the Duffer Brothers did not specifically define that she died right in that moment. If she had survived, then she could possibly use her powers from the Upside Down to create the illusion that Eleven was also in the Upside Down when in reality, she made her escape.
The other reasons for Eleven’s survival being that a device which prevents Eleven from using her powers was on when she used those powers to reach Mike in his mind to say her goodbyes.
Mike’s theory at the end of the season shows Eleven hiking by waterfalls in a field with a village visible in the distance.
Everyone has a different opinion on what really happened in this episode. Some believe that Eleven is still alive and running free. However, others hold different opinions. The Duffer Brothers intentionally left the ending up to the viewers giving them the choice to decide.
Although the controversies run deep, to some, the ending was surprisingly not as good as it could have been.
“I don’t like how the Duffer Brothers didn’t keep El dead,” said freshman Lizzy Tongate.
Although Tongate isn’t as thrilled with the ending, long lasting fans like Ms. Tempy Farmer weren’t as disappointed. “I was content,” Ms. Tempy said. “I also have been watching it since the beginning.
Stranger Things has finally come to an end, although some are disappointed with the ending, many believe the Duffer Brothers did well in wrapping everything up in the season’s finale.
