Stranger Things Finale Brings the Story Full Circle
Stranger Things season 5 wraps up with a touching callback in the Wheeler's basement, a moment the Duffer brothers had mapped out from the very start.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Stranger Things season 5 finale!
The last episode of Stranger Things season 5 lands with a nostalgic punch, as the main crew gathers in the Wheeler family’s basement. This setting, familiar to fans from the very first episode, was always meant to be the final backdrop. The Duffer brothers, who created the series, had this ending in mind from the get-go, planning it out years before the show’s conclusion.
In the closing scene, set a year and a half after the chaos in the Upside Down, the group sits down for one last round of Dungeons & Dragons. It’s a direct nod to the show’s opening moments, bringing everything back to where it all began. Ross Duffer shared,
“It was always going to end with the kids in the basement. That’s been planned for eight years.”
Planning the Final Scene
Ross Duffer explained that once they landed on Mike’s line, ‘I believe,’ the rest of the ending started to fall into place. This idea came together early in the writing process for the final season. The writers also decided to give Holly a bigger role, which helped shape the scene as a symbolic passing of the torch to a new generation.
“Once Holly became a bigger figure, sort of the passing of the torch, those were some of the first ideas we had when we were talking about what we wanted this basement scene to be, before we even started writing the season. So it was always headed towards that goal post,”
Ross Duffer said.
He went on to say,
“At the end of the day, we see it as a big coming of age story. This scene is about one last moment of being kids before they leave that childhood behind. Them going up the stairs is them leaving it, and then Holly and her friends are the new generation who are going to live that out. So, that's why that last shot of Mike, you see him go from feeling sad about leaving his childhood behind to feeling happy and knowing the happy memories he had with his friends are going to be with him forever.”
Passing the Torch
Matt Duffer, in another interview, mentioned that bringing in Holly, Derek, and the other younger kids this season was crucial for the ending they wanted. It was all about handing things over to the next lot, making it feel like a proper transition. He also said that the film ET inspired the finale, especially the idea of the original group coming together for one last game.
“I also love the idea that the original ending of ET was them going to be them playing D&D; again. So I like the idea of doing that.”
One notable absence in the basement is Eleven. Ross Duffer confirmed she was never meant to be there for the final scene. For her, Hawkins was never going to be a place for a happy ending, but perhaps her sacrifice led to happiness elsewhere.
If you’re keen for more, there’s a full review of the Stranger Things season 5 finale and a rundown of the best shows on Netflix to check out next.