(Credits: Netflix)

Stranger Things on Netflix came to an emotional full circle with the Duffer Brothers drawing the finish line right where they had begun the show in 2016 in the Wheelers’ basement. After completing their final Dungeons & Dragons campaign, Mike shuts the door, closing out the series once and for all.

The Duffer Brothers revealed to Netflix that they had the idea for this definitive end for Stranger Things “for a very long time,” and as the gang exits the basement, “that’s them leaving their childhood behind.” They also opened up about how the finale came together, including how they wrote the conclusion for every character that had become a fan favourite over time.

“That basement, specifically the Dungeons & Dragons game, represents their childhoods [and it’s] how we first met them as an audience. To say goodbye to it, you have to play one last time. It was such a blast shooting, and it really reminded us of the first day on set when we filmed the kids playing D&D [in season one],” Ross Duffer said to Tudum.

Moving on to how the journey wrapped up for Eleven and Hopper, with the latter asking her to promise to fight to survive in the Stranger Things finale, Ross Duffer said that through Hopper’s speech, the writers were articulating how they felt while discussing Eleven. “She’s been through so much over the years, and we wanted someone to communicate that to her as she’s trying to make this decision about what her life, if any, exists at the end of all this if they manage to defeat Vecna.”

As the final D&D campaign comes to a close, Mike is also seen telling the story of Eleven about how she possibly fled the Upside Down to move into a small village. Choosing that ambiguous ending was not exactly a cakewalk, as it confronts the question of whether Eleven could live a normal life after all of this. These are questions that Hopper doesn’t even want to think about, let alone talk about.

But then again, Matt Duffer explains, “Mike’s obviously talked about it a lot, but it’s sort of this fantasy version that would never work. There are two roads that Eleven could take. There’s this darker, more pessimistic one or the optimistic, hopeful one. Mike is the optimist of the group and has chosen to believe in that story.” It turns out that there was actually no version of the story where Eleven stuck with the gang till the end.

“For our characters to move on and for the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to come to a close, Eleven had to go away. We thought it would be beautiful if our characters continued to believe in that happier ending even if we didn’t give them a clear answer to whether that’s true or not,” Ross Duffer explained.

Meanwhile, Dustin ends up in college, still finding ways to join Steve for adventures, Mike becomes a writer, Will finds acceptance, and Lucas and Max settle down together. Speaking of these ends, the co-creators and showrunners explained that they wanted these characters to continue the journey they had once begun. So, Dustin remaining a nerd and keeping the bromance alive with Steve was always in the cards.

Considering Mike loved telling stories, it only makes sense that he became a storyteller. And Will? They just liked the idea of him moving to a bigger city where acceptance would come naturally. “We wanted each of the characters to find happiness, but in their own specific ways.”

For those wondering what’s up with Max and Lucas, well, they finally get to go on that movie date they’d been planning for a while. According to Matt Duffer, they’re watching Ghost. Hopper and Joyce also ultimately have their date at Enzo’s, and after the whole ordeal with Eleven, it’s justified that Hopper still has a chance of starting a new chapter.

For those curious about Steve, well, he becomes a Little League coach with Derek as his catcher. Choosing this end felt rather “organic” to everyone, and Matt Duffer chimes in, saying, “he just feels like that kid that you grew up with that ends up staying in their hometown and that he would be working with kids.”

Coming to Nancy, she is still figuring herself out, having dropped out of Emerson College for a job at The Herald in Boston. Lastly, Robin and Jonathan end up at Smith College and NYU, respectively, which ultimately brings their story full circle, since Maya Hawke suggested that conclusion for herself, and Jonathan wanted to study at NYU for a very long time, making their dreams come true.