When ‘Stranger Things’ was initially released on Netflix, it was lightning in a bottle, a genre-bending experiment that ran on bikes, walkie-talkies, synth music, and a group of unknown kids who immediately became our own. Almost ten years later, that experiment has come to its last chapter, not with bombast, but with silent contemplation and the feeling of closure.
The supersized series finale didn’t just mark the end of a television phenomenon; it marked the closing of a formative chapter in the lives of the people who grew up inside Hawkins. On Netflix and also shown in 600 theaters around the U.S. on New Year’s Eve, the finale of season five further solidified the show. The theatrical revenue was estimated at 20-25 million, and the number of hours viewed was more than 325 million in a single week. Behind those figures, however, was something much more personal: a cast saying goodbye not only to characters, but also to versions of themselves.
Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers)
Charlie Heaton, who played Jonathan Byers, recounted one scene that now seems nearly mythical to the cast, the last table read. No applause, no jokes, no immediate reactions when the last page was turned. “There was a stillness in the room,” Heaton recalled while talking to THR. Even the Duffer Brothers, who were so articulate in their confidence, were left speechless. That silence was weighed down by a decade of history.
Related: Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ Spinoff Will Reframe How Vecna’s Powers Began
It was not merely a conclusion, but a recognition that something that could never be replaced had ended. The same emotional paralysis accompanied them on set on the last days of filming. Heaton sensed the truth: no one wanted to say “wrap.” “I don’t think the brothers could call ‘wrap,’ because they didn’t want to say goodbye. We were doing it over and over. I’m like, ‘I’m pretty sure we’ve got it.’ Then there was this really long pause, and that was it.”
The Duffer Brothers And Shawn Levy
The last season was the one that Matt and Ross Duffer approached differently. They knew how well their actors knew their characters, and they chose to engage them in the development of their endings. “They know their characters inside and out,” Ross Duffer explained. That trust paid off.
Some of the endings were polished, rewritten, and made emotionally more intense by discussing them with the cast. The scene on the rooftop with the older teens, portrayed by Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Natalia Dyer, and Charlie Heaton, developed the most. There is a still longer version, which is said to have lasted five more minutes. Executive producer Shawn Levy later described the final 15 minutes of the series as something that transcended performance.
Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley)
For Maya Hawke, who joined the series later as Robin Buckley, the ending felt unexpectedly joyous. Robin’s last arc gave her happiness that she had not felt for quite a while. “It was overwhelmingly beautiful,” Hawke said. It was her favorite day on set in the entire history of the show, and it was also one of the most painful.
She compared the cast to a high school graduating group, who would always be united by a common experience of coming of age. These were not merely colleagues; they saw each other grow up. “It feels like a graduating class; I feel bonded to these people forever, and that we will always have each other. I think for a lot of people, that’s what their college friends are like. And for us, that’s this.”
Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler)
Natalia Dyer, who spent years portraying Nancy Wheeler’s evolution from small-town teen to determined survivor, felt a deep responsibility toward her character’s conclusion. She explained that she was advocating for Nancy because she cared. “When it’s the end, you’re thinking about your character,” Dyer explained. Her final day on set became a “core memory,” something she called surreal and highly present.
Related: Eleven’s Fate In ‘Stranger Things’ Finale Explained
It was a moment when the past, present, and future crashed. That feeling of being listened to was important. Although the Duffers never gave up creative control, the actors did not feel disrespected, and their emotional investments were justified.
Noah Schnapp (Will Byers)
The relationship between Noah Schnapp and Will Byers has always been a very personal one. The emotional core of the first seasons of the show was Will, and Schnapp had to bear that burden from childhood into adulthood. “I remember crying a lot at the final table read,” he said. For him, the ending felt complete in a rare and satisfying way. “They really left nothing more to be told.”
The wrapping up of the show allowed Schnapp to let Will go. The release of the last episodes only strengthened that peace. The story had been told. The journey had ended. Lessons, friendships, and gratitude were all that was left.
Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield)
Sadie Sink had a general idea of where the story of Max Mayfield was going, but that did not make it any easier to film it. It was one thing to read the ending, and another to be a part of it. “So feeling all of that gratitude and sadness and the mix of everything was so memorable. I’ve never experienced anything like that,” she stated.
She wrote about the last days as being surreal, emotionally overwhelming, and oddly happy. When the cast collectively viewed the finale, Sink cried till she felt emptied. She feels that she mourned well enough, but she acknowledges that she might not be over her feelings yet.
Jamie Campbell Bower (Henry Creel/ Vecna)
To portray Vecna, Jamie Campbell Bower had to spend years in a dark psychological place. When he came to the last episodes, that burden had become accustomed to him, but still heavy. His ending was very emotional to read. The character had transformed his life, kept him thinking all the time, and required a level of intensity that few characters need.
However, when the finale came, he experienced a change. “I’ve released him,” Bower said. “I’ve had the most amazing time making this show. It’s been such a blessing. It has changed so much of my life. It takes up a lot of brain space when you’re playing a character like that. You’re constantly thinking about it,” he added.
Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler)
Finn Wolfhard’s reaction to his last scene was nearly numb. His mind blanked out when the camera stopped rolling. It was more about the people who had grown up with him and were around him. The first thing that came to him when he read the ending was sadness.
However, he still admired the ending. “When I first read the ending, I felt sad. It was a melancholy way of reading, because I thought it was the perfect way to end. But at the same time, I was sad to say goodbye to the show.”
Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven)
Perhaps no ending sparked more conversation than Eleven’s. Did she survive? Did she disappear? Is she still out there? The Duffers preferred ambiguity. For Millie Bobby Brown, such uncertainty is a tribute to the sacrifice of Eleven. To know the truth would be to take away its meaning. The characters don’t know. The audience doesn’t know. And that’s the point.
In case you missed it: ‘Stranger Things’ Spinoff Will Finally Explain The Glowing Rock Mystery
Brown had nothing to say but thanks, thanks to the character, to the friendships, and to the attention paid by the whole production. “I’m so grateful and honored. I cherish every second I get to spend with the people, but also my character. I’m going to miss the best friends I got to make that I’ll keep with me forever. Eleven might be off the screen, but she will always be imprinted in her life.“
