Millie Bobby Brown finally addressed one of Stranger Things’ most talked-about questions following the show’s series finale. The star spoke publicly about Eleven’s fate. She also explained the reasoning behind her character’s final decision in the closing moments of the story.

I took my 'Stranger Things'-obsessed 10-year-old to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' on Broadway. When the finale came, we had some unspoken backstory.

Stranger Things returned for one last time, and for the most part, it covered over some of the gaping holes left by volume 2 and provided a wholesome ending.

This doesn’t mean Stranger Things Season 5 was a storytelling failure, of course. The reality is that a good story is far more than just a Wikipedia entry, a checklist of facts and questions answered.

Eleven appears to sacrifice herself during the finale by choosing to remain inside the gate between Hawkins and the exploding Upside Down. However, in an 18-month time jump, Mike ( Finn Wolfhard) suggests to their friends that she tricked everyone into thinking that she was dead and was actually exploring the world.