Documentary reveals discarded ending ideas for Stranger Things Season 5

Movieweb reports a new two-hour-plus making-of documentary for Stranger Things Season 5 has revealed alternate finale concepts that were considered during the show's development. The film includes footage of a writers' board showing notes about the finale, including a scenario where Hopper was "aware" that Eleven "fakes her death," and an alternate ending in which Eleven was described as "gone, but not dead." The documentary is presented as a deep dive into the creation of the season, and the piece notes that after almost a decade of build-up, bringing the residents of Hawkins to a close was always going to be difficult; "for some, the Duffer brothers failed to deliver." Netflix opening up the process has given disenchanted fans more reason to complain about the way the show ended, the report says.

Season 5 was released in a three-part staggered drop: four episodes in November, three on Christmas Day, and the series finale on New Year's Eve. The report lists viewing figures: 59.6 million views in the final week of November and a further 23.6 million the following week; 34 million watched the new three episodes between December 25 and 28, with 31 million tuning in the following week (which included the final episode), and viewing then dipped to just under 10 million the next week.

Key Topics

Culture, Stranger Things, Duffer Brothers, Netflix, Eleven, Hopper