Stranger Things Showrunners Confirm One Character Reunion To Fans, It Won’t Happen

By Chris Snellgrove | Published 6 seconds ago

The most controversial thing about Stranger Things the series finale is that the final fate of Eleven is left up to the viewer. He appears to give himself heroically (in the estate and the Upside Down) to prevent the government and anyone else from continuing the research that started with Henry Creel. Later, Mike realizes that he couldn’t use his powers and theorizes that Eleven managed to escape and that her death was just an illusion created by Kali.

Some fans were happy because this left the door open for a Mike/Eleven reunion; unfortunately, i Stranger Things the runners confirmed that it would not happen.

Eleven will never see Mike again

On paper, the main benefit of Eleven’s ambiguous ending is that Stranger Things he can do it both ways: fans disappointed that none of the main characters died definitely believe he sacrificed himself, and fans who want a happy ending for everyone can believe he’s still alive. However, for most of the fandom, Eleven’s happy ending involves her finally meeting Mike, the love of her life. Unfortunately, Ross Duffer confirmed in a recent interview with Variety that even Mike has accepted the fact that he or any of his friends will never see Eleven again.

“If he was alive, the way I would see it is no,” he said. Any person who is contacted risks putting him back in the spotlight and starting the cycle all over again. So, in the story Mike is telling, I don’t think he sees a version where they reconnect.”

Because Stranger Things fans who thought of a recent, happy ending for these two characters, this is very sad news. A co-runner has recently confirmed that even if Mike’s theory is correct and if Eleven manages to survive her apparent death in the series finale, she will never be able to reunite with Mike. In addition, Ross Duffer confirmed that Mike is well aware that he will never see the love of his life again, which is probably why he seems sadder than his other friends in the last episode.

No Father/Daughter Reunion Will Ever Happen

To add salt to the wound, this could mean that Eleven won’t be able to see Hopper again, either. Many Stranger Things fans thought it was unknown how quickly Hop accepted the death of his adopted daughter and moved on with his life, others thought he was emotionally stable because he was secretly communicating with Eleven. However, Ross Duffer’s words mean that it would be necessary to permanently avoid contact with his adoptive father.

What the Duffer Brothers (who generally try to avoid online chats) may not realize is that they’re just doing the worst part. Stranger Things the end of the series is even worse. The majority of fandom hates that Eleven met such a terrible end…after spending her life tortured and isolated, she must go into permanent exile to keep her friends and family safe. Previously, fans were clinging to the idea that he would eventually meet everyone (possibly in a movie or spinoff series), but Ross Duffer drove the nail into the coffin of those hopes.

When Fiction is Better than Show

Sadly, the fan reaction to this interview proves that the Duffers can’t have it both ways. Meaning, they can’t leave much about the end of the series (including whether Eleven lives or dies) up to the viewers while deferring to fan speculation about what happens after the credits roll. Thanks to their full court press tour, a growing number of fans are realizing that the ideas they came up with are more rewarding and entertaining than the ones the show’s producers came up with. If the fan fiction is better than the actual product, then what’s the point of Netflix spending half a billion dollars to create a disappointing final season?

Considering that the final season had the lowest quality of the entire series, it seems that the Duffers may need to reevaluate their writing skills. Otherwise, the next one Stranger Things the spinoff they’re excited about might end up as dead and unhealthy as anything on the Upside Down.