Sadie Sink Weighs In on Whether Eleven Died in the Series Finale of Stranger Things
Sadie Sink has shared her perspective on whether a primary character met their fate in the Stranger Things series finale.
In a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 5, Sink, 23, was asked about her views on the fate of Millie Bobby Brown‘s beloved character, which Mike (Finn Wolfhard) speculated about in the closing moments of the finale.
“What do I think? I believe she’s dead,” she remarked. “Is that a controversial opinion?”
Sink elaborated on her reasoning for believing Eleven didn’t survive, saying, “I think Mike’s journey signifies one last story. They bid farewell to childhood, but that’s a final tale. It serves as a coping mechanism. It holds more weight [if Eleven died]. That’s my take.”
In the finale, which debuted on December 31, Eleven chose to remain in the Upside Down after defeating Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) to protect her friends. The time jump at the episode’s conclusion indicated that Eleven was presumed deceased. However, Mike suggested that Eleven managed to survive and held out hope that his childhood sweetheart was living her life far away from Hawkins.
“We wanted to confront the reality of her situation after everything and how she could achieve a normal life,” creator Matt Duffer shared in a postmortem interview with Netflix’s Tudum. “These are the questions we’ve been exploring this season that Hopper is reluctant to ponder. While Mike has talked about it at length, it has been more of a fantasy that wouldn’t realistically work.”
Matt noted that there are “two paths” Eleven could take. “One path is darker and more pessimistic, while the other is optimistic and hopeful,” he detailed. “Mike embodies the optimism of the group and has chosen to believe in that narrative.”
Cocreator Ross Duffer confirmed that this was always intended as the show’s ending.
“There was never a version of the narrative where Eleven was with the group at the end. For us and our writers, we didn’t want to strip away her powers,” he elaborated. “She symbolizes magic in various ways and the essence of childhood. For our characters to move on and for the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to conclude, Eleven had to depart.”
Ross continued: “We thought it would be beautiful if our characters maintained faith in that brighter ending, even if we didn’t provide a definitive answer regarding its truth. The mere act of believing in it felt like a more profound way to conclude the story and to showcase their transition from childhood to adulthood.”
The duo suggested that each viewer is welcome to form their own understanding of where Eleven might have ended up.
“Ultimately, if Eleven is out there, the best they can do is believe it’s true since they can’t communicate with her,” Matt concluded. “Everything unravels if that were the case. So, if that’s the narrative, this is truly the best way to keep her memory alive. It’s about Mike and everyone discovering a way to move beyond what has transpired.”
Stranger Things is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
