Did Stranger Things secretly spoil its own ending? Mike’s words could be the key

There’s just one episode of Stranger Things remaining, and thanks to a speech by Mike, we might already know how the show ends.

We’re in the Stranger Things endgame now. The Hawkins heroes are busy making plans to bring Vecna down, while their nemesis has cast a spell on the town’s children that could have world-ending consequences.

Speculation has been widespread concerning who will die in the series finale, especially as creators the Duffer brothers have previously killed off beloved characters like Barb, Bob, and Eddie Munson.

But the siblings have also promised that there won’t be a Game of Thrones-style bloodbath at the end of the show. And if the climax is upbeat, they might have already hinted at how the show will conclude through Mike. Meaning POTENTIAL SPOILERS ahead…

If Mike’s to be believed, Stranger Things will end at a waterfall

During Chapter 1 of Stranger Things 5, Mike shares a magical moment with Eleven, where the duo look to their future and speculate about what they will do when she “totally demolishes” Vecna.

“In my campaigns, if the party wins, then they all live happily ever after,” Mike tells Eleven. “Usually, what happens is the party doesn’t return to their local village, because too much has happened. They’ve seen too much. So they travel to a faraway land. A peaceful land. Somewhere beautiful, with like three waterfalls or something. And they all start again, together.”

Mike admits that the three waterfalls thing might not be possible, but regarding the other stuff, “yeah, of course – if Vecna’s gone, then what’s stopping us?”

Mike doubles down on that dream in Chapter 5, telling Eleven that “The military will always be looking for you. We’ve always known that. Which is why we aren’t staying in Hawkins. When this is all over, we’re leaving. Escaping to some far-off land. Remember? Somewhere where they can’t find us. Somewhere where there’s at least one waterfall.”

So will the concluding image of Stranger Things be Mike and Eleven standing by a waterfall, or three? The Duffer brothers say they’ve known the ending for some time, telling Backstage: “We’ve been dreaming about the final 10 minutes of the show for years.” Could they already be telling us what that is?

Eleven isn’t so sure, telling her friend that life isn’t like one of his campaigns, meaning “you don’t get to write the ending.” But every season has been like a D&D campaign, so why not? Mike certainly thinks so, responding with “I don’t [write the ending], but maybe we do, because this is our story.”

And if a waterfall isn’t the location of the final shot, maybe an Italian restaurant is, as during that same Season 5 episode – and while they are being stalked by Demodogs – Robin name-checks Enzo’s, and promises Vickie that “if by some miracle we survive this, I am going to take you there, and we are getting dessert!”