It is one of the biggest emotional moments of Unusual things 5 the conclusion. Mike Wheeler spreads a legend about what may have happened to Eleven, who most of his friends believe to be dead. As he tells the story, we see footage of Eleven climbing a beautiful cliff. The cliffside, the show that made us believe, will culminate with the unveiling of three waterfalls. As the story reaches its climax, so does Eleven, and the camera pans to reveal… two waterfalls.
Days from the end of The Unknownbroadcast, I have been arguing with friends and family during this time. Mike and Eleven, in particular, dream of going somewhere with three waterfalls. The show even reminds you of this 20 minutes before the reveal as Mike and Hopper talking in the town square.
“I had this plan,” said Mike. “Me too [Eleven]we were going to a far away place, and no one would find us. And I said this about going somewhere with three waterfalls. I don’t know if he believed me. Who were they? Three waterfalls? It’s stupid. For a child. It was a dream plan.”
So, why does the big, final moment only have two waterfalls? Well, because maybe there was someone else.
Apparently, there are two separate waterfalls in the last shot. But another may have been revealed moments earlier. In the flashback, two shots ahead, Eleven is climbing a cliff, and there are mysterious white markings on the rocks in the distance. It doesn’t seem to be working, and there is an empty space, suggesting that water has been falling there for a long time. But maybe, it was that mysterious third waterfall. Here is a picture.
Another possibility is staring us straight in the face. In that last image, if you look to the right, slightly covered in shadow, you see what appears to be a small piece of white. Could THAT be the third waterfall? Or even the fourth?
Fans soon discovered that the video was filmed at Háifoss and Granni waterfalls in the Þjórsárdalur valley in Iceland. Travel bloggers have been all over the place, and while most agree there are only two waterfalls there, others talk about a third waterfall nearby called Hjálparfoss, which is “just a short drive away.” That probably means it’s not one of the two waterfalls that can be seen in the show.
Now, it is possible, however unlikely, that the creators of the show, the Duffer Brothers, completely forgot this important information they gave us and only showed two waterfalls. Or, more likely, they were waiting for fans to see one of those white signs and count it as the third waterfall, completing the legend of Mike and Eleven.
Here’s the problem, though. Whether there are two, three, or four waterfalls it shouldn’t even be a question. Stranger Things he made it clear that Eleven would want to go somewhere with the three waterfalls, leaving the slightest bit of doubt felt like a huge mistake. The two main waterfalls are clear and beautiful. It cannot be denied. Why did you leave the third default? Couldn’t they have found another place with a clear third waterfall? Or, should they have used some of their big budget to develop this real estate?
But maybe that’s the point. Perhaps the fact that there are only two waterfalls visible is intentional. Remember, Mike’s story on Eleven is not meant to be taken as fact. Maybe it’s real, maybe it’s a dream, and the Duffers have made it clear that they want viewers to decide whether or not we believe Eleven is alive or not. So, maybe the fact that Eleven is in a real place that is almost identical to (and may even directly replicate) Mike’s fiction is proof that he is alive. Or maybe it’s the other way around. That there are no clear three waterfalls is an indication that this is all matter, and he is gone.
As the only Eleven, we think it’s up to you. Do you prefer to believe that the third waterfall is visible in the previous picture? Is that another boring third waterfall? Are you going to the real place or what we see on the show? Personally, I think it’s two, because those are pretty obvious at the moment. What about you?
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