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Every streaming service has hit shows, and for Netflix, Stranger Things is arguably its biggest success story. The Duffer Brothers' series was wildly popular and remains one of the best Netflix shows to binge-watch. Those with a Netflix subscription were treated to the fifth and final season back in November, and there's been a ton of discourse about the finale and what happened to Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven. David Harbour recently weighed in on the cliffhanger, and he made some solid points.
The Stranger Things finale saw Eleven seemingly sacrifice herself to destroy The Upside Down, but the last scene offered another perspective. Mike and his friends believed that she actually escaped and was able to finally live a private and free life. While The Duffer Brothers refuse to reveal if El is actually alive, Harbour spoke to Variety and offered his two cents. The actor said:
A lot of people think maybe she’s in Spain or whatever. But right from the very beginning of that series — we love this little girl, but you really can’t have a little girl in Hawkins, Indiana, with supernatural powers running around. She just cannot exist.
Ouch. Despite playing Eleven's adopted father for years on Stranger Things, it sounds like David Harbour knew that she was eventually going to bite the bullet. These comments are sure to go viral, especially among the fans who "believe" like Mike and the rest of The Party.
While Harbour spoke about admiring the young Stranger Things actors, that doesn't mean that he wanted the show's hero to get her happy ending. He went on to share how long he expected Eleven to die in the popular series, saying:
Right from the beginning of the series — you gotta kill her.
As depressing as this outlook is, he makes some serious points. Millie Bobby Brown's signature character was never going to be able to have a happy normal life in Hawkins. Dr. Kay and the US government were determined to use her abilities, so it's not like she could just live with Hopper in their cabin and all would be well. She was going to have to leave, either by running away or by dying before Stranger Things ended.
Eleven's sacrifice ended the Upside Down forever and also protected her friends and family from further trouble. It was a noble moment that cemented her as a true superhero, so having her live anonymously somewhere else in the world would cheapen that a bit. I personally get why she had to die, although there are plenty of fans out there who believe Mike's alternate ending, and want to see her return to their screens sometime in the future.
Stranger Things is streaming in its entirety over on Netflix. The streaming service also expanded the universe with the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From '85, which is also streaming as part of the 2026 TV schedule.
