WARNING! Minor spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 4, vol. 1!
The Duffer brothers have teased that Stranger Things season 5 has a highly emotional ending, hinting the series finale will go through with the original plan to kill Eleven. Although the series is as popular as ever, Netflix’s Stranger Things is ending with season 5, which will finally conclude Hawkins’ battle with the Upside Down. However, while Eleven’s storyline will be coming to an end, the series’ co-creators have teased the possibility of Stranger Things spinoffs.
Stranger Things was one of Netflix’s first major original TV series, with the service’s only massive hit show at the time of its premiere being Orange Is the New Black. As such, Stranger Things’ cast and crew didn’t expect the series to take off with such an incredible following, not to mention an enormous budget. Stranger Things season 1 was originally envisioned as a miniseries, but Netflix rightfully decided to grant it a longer lifespan.
Had Stranger Things actually been the limited series that the Duffer brothers pitched, season 1 would have ended with Eleven sacrificing herself to destroy the Upside Down. However, more seasons were ordered, leading to the ambiguous Stranger Things season 1 epilogue of Hopper leaving Eggos for Eleven in the woods and Will coughing up slugs, revealing the former character had survived and the Upside Down was still infiltrating Hawkins. Considering the Duffer brothers had originally intended for Eleven to die in a world-saving sacrifice and have now written a tear-jerker series finale, it seems the Stranger Things co-creators could be planning to reuse this fate for the series’ main character in the Stranger Things season 5 ending.
When teasing what to expect from Stranger Things’ series finale, the Duffer brothers revealed that Netflix responded to their ending with intense emotion, seeing “executives crying who [they’ve] never seen cry before.” While this reaction was also emotional due to the larger impact of the series coming to an end, the story of Stranger Things' finale is clearly intense enough to bring tears to executives’ eyes. The Duffers' Stranger Things season 5 ending tease didn’t include any specific plot points, but it seems that one of the only endings that could elicit such a reaction would be the death of Eleven in order to save Hawkins and her loved ones, just as the creators had originally intended.
Alongside the emotional ending for Stranger Things season 5, the Duffers have teased that the series finale will leave fans "wanting more." This suggests that most of Stranger Things’ beloved characters will survive through the end of season 5, but the series is still headed on a more tragic path as it nears the story’s conclusion. The co-creators explained that the Stranger Things season 4, volume 2 finale won’t be a happy one, with season 5 continuing the repercussions of the characters’ climactic battle with Vecna and the Upside Down. Eleven’s ties to the Upside Down terrorizing Hawkins are now stronger than ever, which means the Stranger Things season 5 ending could finally be utilizing the character's original death plan in order to conclude the series.
Stranger Things season 4, volume 2 arrives on Netflix on July 1.