One of the most discussed and largely polarizing TV episodes of the millennium so far, Stranger Things’ series finale has wowed some fans, perplexed others, and for a select group, Eleven’s debatable and vaguely explained fate was the last straw. As opposed to the rumored “secret episode” that fueled a wave of #ConspiracyGate posts on social media, Netflix unveiled the sprawling behind-the-scenes doc One Last Adventure. It didn’t change how I think things played out, but the doc showcased a batch of unused finale ideas, including one involving Dr. Kay.
For One Last Adventure, director Martina Radwan had untethered access to the bulk of the production, and spent time both in the writers room as well as on the sets. At one point during the second half, the camera pans across a whiteboard with a series of finale events on it laid out in sequential order, as seen below. (Just to stress it here: none of the early ideas noted on the board are meant to represent what plays out in the finalized finale.)
