**Big warning, this piece includes spoilers.
Fans have been going wild with theories after watching the finale of Stranger Things and the Duffer Brothers have finally weighed in.
The wait to see the two hour conclusion of the supernatural series is finally over, and the last ever episode of the Netflix series dropped on the streaming platform at 1am UK time on New Year’s Day.
As can happen with a show as hyped and loved as this, not all viewers are happy with the ending, with some claiming it felt ‘Disney’, and did the show a disservice.
However, fans have also come up with some major theories that could change things.
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**Second big warning, major spoiler ahead.
The main character, Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown), appeared to die in the final episode, leaving people shocked to their core.
But fast forward and we see Mike suggesting to the Hawkins gang she’s actually alive.
To a group of concerned faces, he says: ‘She had to make everyone, including her friends, believe that she was dead.’
We then see a montage of Eleven hiking somewhere peaceful near ‘a small town to call home’, where Mike says she is safe.
This left viewers confused, but some fans have pointed out that there’s still a change she ‘really did die’, as @thefilmstuff pointed out on TikTok that ‘what’s happening in that moment is that we are seeing something revealed through Mike’s character’.
He goes on: ‘He is imagining the best possible outcome for her, holding onto the idea that maybe she found a way out and that there is hope on the other side.’
‘It is his way of coping.’
Avery agreed: ‘She really is gone.’
But not everyone is convinced. @prettyball said ‘No, she didn’t die!’ He thinks ‘they’re going to do a Stranger Things movie with Mike and El.’
Speaking to Variety, the show’s creators Matt and Ross Duffer had their say on the theories, and how Eleven’s story ended.
‘The only thing I’ll debunk is that Eleven does not communicate with Mike in any way,’ Matt said. ‘But what you just said at the end — yes, at graduation, he’s hearing the speakers distort because the principal is so angry, and it makes him realise that there was the kryptonite.
‘So how could she have possibly made it all the way to the gate? Not only that. How could she have possibly used her powers to bring him into the void?
‘But there are a lot of other questions. Could Kali have actually done that? Could she have possibly been alive? We like that it’s up to the audience. Obviously, we tell you what the characters choose.’
There’s been a hugely mixed reaction to the ending in general online.
While some like Phys on X called it ‘beautiful’, others didn’t think it got the finish it deserved.
Bts on X called it ‘the most Disney “ahh” ending’.
There was also frustration from some viewers who, despite waiting up all night to watch the series finale, were met with glitches as Netflix crashed just minutes after the finale aired.
When viewers attempted to play the finale, they were met with a message that read: ‘Something went wrong. Sorry, we’re having trouble with your request. You’ll find lots to explore on the home page.’
Taking to social media, fans were left furious by the technical difficulties, with @kathcos_ writing: ‘Of course @netflix is glitching and the ep is not even showing?’
@russianslender also wrote: ‘Netflix is down… Honestly should’ve seen that coming,’ while @ReagaaN00 screamed: ‘WHY IS MY NETFLIX NOT WORKING?’
And this was not the first time, after the streaming platform also crashed in November when Vol. 1 of the hit show dropped.
This came after Netflix silently fixed a Stranger Things editing mistake in season 5 volume 2.
While the Duffer Brothers’ series is set in 1987, one fan noticed a sports brand founded in the 1990s featured on Holly Wheeler’s arm in episode 7.
Fans spotted an Under Armour logo sticking out like a sore thumb on the sleeve of Nell Fisher’s character Holly, who has a starring role for the final instalment, having played a minor character in the seasons up until the fifth.
Prior to that, more than 370,000 fans have signed a petition demanding to see the ‘unseen footage’ that has allegedly been cut from the latest series.
Fans have been circulating a Google document that is purported to contain details of ‘entire plot lines and character arcs which have been edited out/changed mid-filming for various reasons’.
So far, the alleged claims about major storyline cuts have not been substantiated by Netflix.
But fans of the show claim there are multiple pieces of evidence – from inconsistent cast interviews to drastically different run times from those that were originally reported – that point towards this being the case.
After Season 5, Vol. 2 debuted on Christmas, Stranger Things returned to Netflix’s No. 1 slot with 34.5M views.
In total, there have been roughly 137.1M viewers since Volume 1 premiered in November.
While some Netflix users are experience difficulties with the app, fans can see the finale on the big screen, showing in more than 350 theaters through New Year’s Day.
Stranger Things Season 5 is available to stream on Netflix.
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