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The fate of Eleven is the biggest discussion point coming out of the series finale of Stranger Things. At first, we believe she sacrificed herself to stop the cycle of evil made possible by her powers. But, in the episode’s final moments, her best friend Mike weaves an alternate tale that maybe, just maybe, leaves the door open to something else.
One of the people who took part in that memorable scene is Sadie Sink, who played the character Max. She was recently on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and was posed the question of whether or not she thinks Eleven is dead or alive. And while other cast members have avoided the question so far (more on that in a second), Sink did not.
“I think she’s dead,” Sink said. “Is that a hot take or something?” Fallon agreed, and then Sink explained herself a bit. “I think Mike’s story is just one last story. Then they say goodbye to childhood, and that’s just one final tale. And that’s it. I think it’s just like a coping thing.”
“I think it’s stronger [for her to be dead],” she concluded. “That’s my interpretation. I’m sorry.”
Of course, that last part is true. Eleven actually being dead would actually bring a close to any chance the government or general bad guys could have of using her blood to make other powerful beings such as herself. If she is still alive, even if she’s somewhere far, far away, there’s always the chance she’s discovered and captured, and the whole cycle begins again. It would be a pretty risky move, especially if you went to a place someone could find you. So yes, it’s stronger for her to be dead. But no one knows for sure.
Sink is just one person in that crucial scene, though. Another is Gaten Matarazzo, who played Dustin. When asked the same question about Eleven’s fate, he took the more diplomatic route. “I do [have an opinion], but I want to keep that private,” he told Variety. “I don’t know if others will, but I think that whatever works for you and makes the show wrap up better for you is correct. You have the right to debate it, but whatever you want it to be for you is great. I think they teeter that line very well, because I’ve already noticed a kind of 50/50 split amongst fans about whether they believe.”
Maybe Sink is just so fed up with not being able to say anything about Spider-Man that she decided to go the other way. And, no matter what, we like that she did.
Where do you fall here? Are you team Sink? Let us know below.
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