Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for the Stranger Things series finale.

When a show runs for nearly a decade and trains its audience to scrutinize every line of dialogue, prop, and background sound, fan theories are inevitable. Now, with Stranger Things ending on an intentionally ambiguous note, the internet did what it does best as fans went absolutely feral. Tin foil hats everywhere. While some theories were a bit of a stretch. Others were surprisingly thoughtful. And according to the Duffer Brothers, a few were actually kind of incredible — even if they were never going to happen.

Speaking to Collider’s Steve Weintraub, the Duffers asked about their favorite fan theory surrounding the series ending. Ross Duffer‘s answer? One that would’ve completely reframed the entire show — and emotionally destroyed everyone watching. To be clear: this was never the plan. And the Duffers are very aware of how that ending would’ve landed. Ross told Collider:

“There was one where Mike had invented this entire story in order to cope with Will’s death, because he actually did die back in Season 1, which if you really go with “none of this was real,” that was certainly an interesting way to go. No one would have liked it, but I thought it was an interesting theory, nonetheless.”

What Is the ‘Stranger Things’ 1+8+11 Theory?

Matt Duffer, meanwhile, gravitated toward a theory that was less emotionally cruel and more delightfully nerdy. He told Weintraub:

“You know what I liked? There was one that was the rolling of the D20, and, like, eight, one, and eleven adding up to 20, which is just a total fucking coincidence.”

For longtime fans, the appeal is obvious. Stranger Things has always been deeply rooted in Dungeons & Dragons mythology, and the idea that Eleven (11), One (Henry, or in this case, Will, who was channelling Henry’s powers and acting as a Vecna surrogate to defeat him), and Eight (Kali) mathematically forming a perfect D20 roll felt almost too neat. Matt acknowledged the creativity — while also pointing out why it never could’ve worked.

“But I think that that’s kind of rad,” he said. “But then you would have had to redeem Henry, which would have been not rad. But I just thought that was clever.”Still, what stands out is how much affection the Duffers clearly have for the fandom’s imagination. Even when theories veer wildly off course, there’s an appreciation for the thought and care behind them.

Stranger Things is streaming now on Netflix in its entirety. Check Collider for more comprehensive coverage on the finale of Stranger Things.

03112487_poster_w780.jpg

Release Date

2016 – 2025-00-00

Network

Netflix