Stranger Things spin-off: Why there won't be a season 6 and the finale's secret 'key'
The season 5 finale contains a big clue for a Stranger Things spin-off
Stranger Things is officially over… well, not quite. Season 6 may be off the table, but there are multiple spin-offs in the works.
Still, it’s been an emotional two days for fans. The finale saw Eleven go up against Vecna and the Mind Flayer for the last time, while Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Max played one more game of Dungeons and Dragons before shutting the door for good.
Maybe you loved the finale, and you’re not ready to let go of one of Netflix’s best shows. Perhaps you’re among those who think the ending is comparable to Game of Thrones’ infamous conclusion (in this writer’s opinion, it isn’t).
Regardless, we’re not done with the Stranger Things universe yet. As well as an animated spin-off, a highly secretive project will pick up on one important clue from the season 5 finale.
***Warning: spoilers from the Stranger Things finale ahead***
Will there be a Stranger Things season 6?
No, Stranger Things season 6 isn’t happening. The season 5 finale was the last episode of the flagship show, so don’t expect to see Mike, Eleven, or any of its characters in another project.
The finale’s epilogue purposely leaves things on an ambiguous note. Is Eleven alive somewhere in a remote Icelandic town, or did she die when the Upside Down was destroyed? Do all of Mike’s theories about the crew’s future come true, or are they just stories he made up?
The Duffer Brothers have long insisted that Stranger Things isn’t Game of Thrones – aka, it isn’t ruthless or overwhelmingly tragic – so there’s good reason to be optimistic. However, that doesn’t mean we’ll ever find out exactly what happens next.
Speaking to Comic Book in 2017, co-creator Matt Duffer explained: “I don’t want it to be one of those shows that runs out of gas and they lose it because they’re losing interest. You wanna end when you’re on top.”
Stranger Things creator addresses if Eleven is alive
As for Eleven’s fate, Matt also told Netflix: “There are two roads that Eleven could take. There’s this darker, more pessimistic one or the optimistic, hopeful one. Mike is the optimist of the group and has chosen to believe in that story.
“We thought it would be beautiful if our characters continued to believe in that happier ending even if we didn’t give them a clear answer to whether that’s true or not.
“The fact that they’re believing in it, we just thought it was such a better way to end the story and a better way to represent the closure of this journey and their journey from children to adults.”
Stranger Things spin-off will address mystery from season 5 finale
There are two spin-offs in development: Tales from ’85, an animated series set between seasons 2 and 3 with new stars voicing existing characters.
The other project is more mysterious. It’ll be a live-action show following a new story, so it’s not a “continuation of the story of any of these characters in the flagship show, or of Hawkins,” as the creators told Radio Times.
However, in an interview with Variety, the Duffers revealed a big clue.
The season 5 finale returned to the mineshaft from Henry’s memories, revealing how he killed the scientist, opened his briefcase, and found a rock. When he picked it up, it gave him his powers, and it appeared to be connected to the Mind Flayer in the Abyss.
That rock could be central to the spin-off. “The spin-off is going to delve into that and explain that, and you’re going to understand it,” Matt teased.
“But it’s a completely different mythology. So it’s not a deep exploration of the Mind Flayer or anything like that. It’s very fresh and very new, but yes, it will answer some of the loose threads that are remaining.”
Is the Stranger Things spin-off called ‘Montauk’?
No, the Duffer Brothers have confirmed that the Stranger Things spin-off won’t be called Montauk.
Unless you’re a devout fan, you may not be aware that Stranger Things was not only originally set in Montauk, but that was its title.
In the finale, the Duffers came full circle with Hopper and Joyce considering a move to Montauk so he could become its chief of police. Viewers quickly predicted that this was a tease for the spin-off, but they’re wrong.
“There’s no Montauk spinoff. That was more of a wink to the fans, deep-cut fans that know that the show started as Montauk,” Ross Duffer told Deadline.
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