Matt Duffer Regrets Answering ‘Stranger Things’ Questions Immediately After Finale

The series finale sparked a lot of debate among fans. The creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, addressed many questions and criticisms – like whether Eleven lived, why some characters disappeared, and the change in the Mind Flayer’s appearance. However, one of them now believes the initial negative reactions might have been too harsh.

With its massive popularity, the ending of Stranger Things was always going to be divisive. Fans had different ideas about what they wanted to see – some wished for more characters to die, others wanted more monsters, and some hoped for a deeper exploration of the relationship between Will and Mike. The creators, the Duffer brothers, offered explanations for their choices in interviews and quick Q&A sessions, but Matt Duffer later wondered if addressing the ending so soon after it aired was the best approach, particularly during an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast.

I regret doing those interviews after the event. I’m really not feeling well right now, and I honestly don’t know why we even did them yesterday. I’m completely exhausted – I was already recovering from the flu. If anyone is upset with anything we said, please be understanding.

‘Stranger Things’ Fans Have Been Very Vocal in Their Opinions


Netflix

It’s always risky to end a popular TV show – it’s hard to satisfy everyone. For example, the finale of The Sopranos famously just cut to black, leaving viewers frustrated. Similarly, the final season of Game of Thrones received a lot of criticism, with many fans believing the story would have been better if George R.R. Martin had finished the books he originally planned, as they felt the show’s ending didn’t live up to his vision.

The latest season of Stranger Things faced criticism, with the second-to-last episode receiving the lowest ratings of the entire show and fans upset about the season being divided into three parts. After the final episode aired, a petition asking Netflix to release extra footage that had been cut from the finale gained traction, but ultimately only collected around 400,000 signatures before losing momentum.

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The Duffer brothers offered thoughtful responses to questions about the show’s ending, and while they were open about their creative choices, they may have revealed too much too soon, while viewers were still processing the finale. Though their comments didn’t appear to cause any further upset, it’s possible more discussion and analysis will emerge as people come to terms with the fact that Stranger Things concluded as the Duffer brothers originally envisioned – regardless of whether fans were happy with that ending.

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2026-01-05 02:52