When it comes to ending a beloved show, the Duffer Brothers aren’t winging it.
The creators of “Stranger Things” have been studying the art of the TV finale, looking to some of the most acclaimed series for inspiration: “Six Feet Under”, “Friday Night Lights”, and “The Sopranos”.
Ross Duffer told “Variety“ that they spent time analyzing what made those endings work so well. “The best ones were very true to themselves,” he said. “The shows that are trying to be super clever, I think that’s where it can go wrong really quickly.”
His brother Matt added that they’ve actually had the end in mind for a long time.
“We knew roughly what the end scene was for years,” he said. “There were elements of it that were discussed for weeks, but the core idea of the ending, we had for a really long time. Anyway, we’re really happy with the way it ended. It’s nerve-racking to put it out. I’m sure people will have opinions!”
While we won’t know exactly what elements from those classic finales inspired them until the show’s fifth and final season drops on Netflix this New Year’s Eve, the Duffers did reveal one detail: the final episode will be titled “The Rightside Up” and run about two hours long.
If you’re curious what makes those other finales so memorable, here’s a quick refresher.
“Six Feet Under” gave us a haunting, emotional montage showing how each main character eventually dies. “Friday Night Lights” went a more hopeful route, flashing forward to show where everyone ended up. And then there’s “The Sopranos”, which cut to black mid-scene, leaving viewers to debate Tony Soprano’s fate for nearly two decades.
With “Stranger Things” . . . a show that’s balanced supernatural horror with heartfelt storytelling since day one . . . the bar is sky-high. But if the Duffers’ research pays off, Hawkins might just get an ending as iconic as the Upside Down itself.