A newly released behind-the-scenes documentary on Stranger Things Season 5 has sparked fresh conversation among fans, after revealing just how uncertain the show’s ending once was. Far from having a single fixed finale in mind, creators Matt and Ross Duffer explored multiple directions for how the story of Hawkins and especially Eleven could conclude before finally settling on what made it to screen.
The documentary pulls viewers inside the writers’ room during the final stretch of production, where whiteboards, index cards and late-night debates became the norm. The Duffers are seen grappling not just with plot, but with the emotional weight of closing a series that had defined nearly a decade of television. They wanted an ending that felt inevitable in hindsight but still surprising, something that honoured both the characters and the millions of fans who grew up with them.
One of the biggest points of debate was Eleven’s fate. The film shows that the team seriously weighed different outcomes for her arc, including how far to push the idea of sacrifice. Ross Duffer argued that the audience needed to truly feel that anything could happen in the final chapter, while Matt worried about the impact of pushing viewers too close to tragedy for a character who had become a symbol of strength and survival. Several versions of the finale were discussed and reworked before a final emotional balance was found.
What makes the revelation even more striking is how late these decisions were made. According to the documentary, parts of Season 5 went into production before the finale script was fully locked. Departments like stunts, visual effects and production design had to prepare for multiple possible endings, constantly adjusting as new pages arrived. Crew members liken the process to “building tracks in front of a moving train.”
Actors, too, felt the uncertainty. The film captures moments where revised scripts were handed out just before shooting, forcing the cast to trust the Duffers’ evolving vision. Emotional table reads and final-day shoots underline how personal the goodbye to Hawkins was for everyone involved.
In the end, the Duffers admit that no single ending could have pleased everyone. Some fan reactions, both positive and critical, were anticipated long before the episodes aired. But for them, choosing one definitive path, rather than endlessly chasing perfection, was the only way to truly close the story.
