‘Stranger Things’ Doc Reveals Writers and Actors Were Confused with Finale

The new Stranger Things documentary has finally dropped — and it’s giving fans more insight about the show’s lackluster ending.

Titled One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things, the documentary was released on Monday, January 12, nearly two weeks after the Season 5 finale dropped on Netflix. In the behind-the-scenes look of the show’s last season, it’s pretty apparent creators Matt and Ross Duffer were under immense pressure to finish out the series strong. Matt even admits the thought is “terrifying” because audiences can turn on a show if the finale is disappointing, and people may “discard the rest of the show” depending on how it ends.

It looks like what Matt feared may have come under fruition, as the season 5 finale has drawn immense scrutiny for its confusing ending, plot holes and inconsistent writing. In the doc, it’s pretty clear that there are several red flags as filming takes place, with several production assistants, writers and even actors confused with the writing. So, let’s break down some of the most jarring parts of the doc, shall we?

1. The Final Episode Began Filming Before It Was Written

One of the biggest reveals is that production started without a finished script for the finale. Matt openly admits they went into filming episode eight without having written it, saying the prospect was “scary” because it was the most important episode of the entire show.

In one particularly alarming moment, a production assistant explains they are shooting episode eight even though “we don’t even fully know what’s going on.” Ross then admits he has never read the full finale script while they are actively filming it, saying he has “never done anything like this before.”

Throughout the documentary, Ross also admitted that the brothers were being “hounded” by Netflix and production to deliver the finale script.

2. The Presence of Demogorgons

Following the finale’s release, many fans wondered what happened to the Demogorgons in the finale, especially during the final scene in the Abyss — where the creatures have been confirmed to come from.

The documentary reveals that there were original plans for the Abyss to be filled with Demogorgons, Demodogs and bats. In the discussion, one writer argued it would be “crazy if there’s nothing there,” with Matt even agreeing, but the idea was later dropped due to fears of “demo-fatigue.”

3. Actors Expressed Their Concerns

The doc shows several moments where even the actors in the show point out some continuity issues — especially with their own characters. The kicker? Many of those issues are still apparent in the final draft of the show.

One moment includes Maya Hawke, who plays Robin, reminding the Duffers that Lucas (played by Caleb McLaughlin) doesn’t know of her character’s relationship with Vickie (Amybeth McNulty). She asks the brothers if the couple should be holding hands in the scene, as that fact seems to be overlooked.

In another scene, Natalia Dyer, who plays Nancy Wheeler, asks the brothers why Vecna specifically took Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) — and the question doesn’t exactly get answered.

4. No Scientific Experts

In another scene, Natalia asks about the science behind a specific moment in the season, asking the Duffer brothers if they had consulted with scientists and experts to make sure everything was factually correct.

“Is this based on real scientific theory?” she asks the brothers, who laugh off the question and respond with: “It’s all very realistic.” Natalia doubles down, asking: “Are you consulting somebody?” Their response, exactly? A unified “Uhhh.” So, that seems like a no.

5. The Duffer Brothers Admit They Don’t Enjoy Writing

In one surprising moment, one of the Duffer brothers admit they don’t like writing anymore — and joked that they should have been actors instead

Matt and Ross also reveal that they wanted to direct the last season more than write it — but because of timing and the rush of production they were forced to hire guest directors.

6. Eleven’s Ambiguous Ending Was a Last Minute Decision

As fans know, Eleven’s ending in the show was left open to interpretation — however, it wasn’t always that way in the writers’ room.

A separate part of the documentary had whiteboards shown with a plan for the finale episode, showing that originally her plan recounted by Mike at the end was less ambiguous — and Hopper was even in on it! It also stated that there would be a scene where “Hopper tends to Kali” where they share the plan for El to escape.

It’s clear that the Duffers debated whether Eleven’s choice should be clear or not — Ross wants ambiguity, but Matt thinks it’s clear. And neither seems fully convinced — which is probably why the ending feels so muddled and flat.