Netflix has come to the end of its biggest ever era. Stranger Things, the show that has become the streamer's most successful original of all time, has bowed out with its series finale - one that brought an end to the fifth season's ambitious storylines, as well as the show's overarching ones.
It was an emotional episode that left fans divided. Some weren't happy with how emotional it was while others felt that certain characters were sidelined. But that's the beauty of the fan communities: The debate of it all. And with Stranger Things 5, fans have been debating plenty.
That said, it was the credits that provided fans with one of the biggest opportunities for discussion, and it has led many of them to wonder if their favorite show was all just a game. Be warned: There are MAJOR SPOILERS for Stranger Things season 5 episode 8 ahead.
Stranger Things' "it was all just a game" theory explained
The series finale of Stranger Things closed with beautifully illustrated end credits perfect for the fantasy show we were watching bid us farewell. Scored to David Bowie's "Heroes", it featured vivid artwork that recreated some of the show's most memorable characters and moments. However, when it all came to a close, the last shot was a posterized version of the season 2 key art, featuring Will, Mike, Eleven, Dustin, and Lucas looking up at the Mind Flayer in the sky. That poster is on a cover for The Stranger Things Players Manual - A Fantasy Role-Playing Game.
Naturally, this led to fans wondering if it's the Duffer Brothers' way of telling us that the events of the series were all just a game. It's also backed up by the fact that the final scene of the whole series is a recreation of how it all started: Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin - now along with Max - having just finished playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons in Mike's basement. The very game that gave them the nicknames for the threats that they would battle through the years: The Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer.
Moreover, Mike reveals to the gang his theory about Eleven still possibly being alive after seemingly sacrificing herself in front of her loved ones and the military when the Upside Down was wiped from existence. In explaining how he thinks that El survived, he uses the terminology of the game, referring to her as the Mage (and Hopper the Paladin). He then reveals what he thinks his friends' futures will look like, referring to Lucas and Max as "the Knight and the Zoomer", Dustin as "the Bard", and Will as "Will The Wise". He is "the storyteller".
So, was it all just a game? Technically, it's up to us as viewers to make our minds up. At least when it comes to Eleven's fate, that is - as the Duffers have left it intentionally open-ended for the fans to decide whether they think Mike's vision of what happened is true. Do you "believe" as he, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max do? As for the rest of the theory, that's where things get complicated.
While it is poetic to think that Mike was simply playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends in his basement all these years (and not actually experiencing the events of Stranger Things), there are some discrepancies to that theory - particularly the fact that they met Max in real life and that she is now a part of their party. There's also the fact that Holly Wheeler is now friends with the same kids that she experienced Vecna's heinous plans alongside.
All in all, it's safe to say that this was just a tasteful nostalgic nod to the fact that Mike and his friends truly did experience their own Dungeons and Dragons-like adventure. The show may have started and ended with them playing that beloved game, but the series itself had them go on a very real quest - one that turned them all into very real heroes.
Stranger Things 5 is now streaming on Netflix.