Social media lit up when the Duffer brothers justified why Eleven could not have remained under their care towards the end of the Stranger Things storyline. The pair indicated there could never have been a scenario in which Eleven stayed in Hawkins with her friends, since her departure was imperative to the characters’ development and to getting closure.
Many fans disagreed with the explanation, as it portrayed Eleven as more of a problem than the hero herself, who saved everyone numerous times.
The Duffer Brothers Explain Their Decision on Eleven’s Fate
Ross Duffer stated that the writers never intended Eleven to be left finishing the series “hanging out with the gang.”
“There was never a version of the story where Eleven was hanging out with the gang at the end,” Ross Duffer said.
He further explained that the team didn’t need to deprive Eleven of her powers since she symbolizes childhood innocence.
“For our writers and us, we didn’t want to take her powers away. She represents magic in a lot of ways and the magic of childhood,” he said.
Ross Duffer added that Eleven’s departure was tied to the end of the Hawkins storyline and the Upside Down threat.
“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,” he said.
It appears he thought the closing scenario was intentionally ambiguous, intended to make the characters, if not the audience, believe in a happier ending.
“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,” he said. “The fact that they’re believing in it, we just thought it was such a better way to end the story and a better way to represent the closure of this journey and their journey from children to adults.”
Matt Duffer: Keeping Her “Alive” Meant Keeping Her Unreachable
Matt Duffer explained that if Eleven were alive, there would have to be some separation between her and the rest of the characters.
“And the reality is, if Eleven is out there, the most that they could hope for is a belief that it’s true because they can’t be in contact with her,” Matt Duffer said.
Direct contact, he suggested, would disrupt the logic of the ending.
“Everything falls apart if that were the case,” he said.
Matt Duffer described the decision as a way to preserve Eleven’s life while still advancing the other characters.
“So if that’s the narrative, this is really the best way to keep her alive,” he said. “And it’s about Mike and everyone finding a way to move past what’s happened.”
Fans Say the Explanation Treats Eleven Like a Burden
The comments drew a reaction from the public, with many audience members suggesting that the way the Duffers presented the scenario made it clear Eleven was a hindrance to others’ finding closure.
Regarding this, one person commented, “Eleven is the reason the entire cast didn’t end up in the mind flayer’s stomach, and they’re calling her a burden.”
Another said, “basically implying that the traumatized girl is a burden and for everyone to be happy she had to die…… oh you’re both going to hell.”
One viewer criticized the ending as a writing failure, saying, “Oh my lord, I had to come back for this. Eleven’s ending is a clear textbook example of male writing failure. Another empowering female lead is subjected to relentless suffering, only to be offered a hollow ‘sacrifice’ in place of a life. And we’re told that this is for depth. Meaning. bs!”
Another commenter focused on the emotional investment viewers had built over time: “We built a connection with her for 10 years, saw her grow up, and at the end, we have to believe either she died or is somewhere alone. Come on, we deserved a better ending. Could have just killed Will if you wanted a sad ending.”
Some Viewers Call the Ending Misogynistic and Cruel
Other reactions accused the writers of putting Eleven through repeated trauma and then removing her from the story in the name of growth for others.
One person wrote, “Watching male writers put a female lead through endless trauma just to strip her of agency and humanity at the end. This is so cruel and misogynistic. F*** those ugly a** men.”
Another echoed that criticism, writing, “Trying to say that ur MAIN female character was an obstacle that needed to be written out for everyone else to get a happy ending when SHE’S been the one to save them time and time again. Never write women again, duffers.”
Another commenter tied the backlash to the actor behind the character: “Milked Millie and her acting for you to say this about her character when you could’ve just kept her killed off in s1.”
Fans Also Question Whether the Group Would Move On So Quickly
Some viewers also challenged the idea that the characters could realistically recover from losing Eleven, even with time passing.
One person wrote, “And they will never convince me her friends and family moved on that quickly idc if 18 months had passed, theyshould’vee been more sad😭 Why did they act like Mike was the only one who cared about her? THEY WERE HERFAMILY.Y F*** U DUFFER BROTHERS F*** U F***” U”
Others were more blunt in their reaction, with one person calling it a “wicked a** ending.”
Another commenter accused the writers of disliking women, writing, “just say you hate women, y’all is weird as f***.”
