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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Entertainment
Louise Bonquin

INSANE: Stranger things alternate ending revealed why fans are livid over the series conclusion | Rare Historical Photos

Nearly a decade after Eleven first appeared on our screens, 'Stranger Things' Season 5 aired its finale on New Year's Day. The series, which premiered on 15 July 2016, with eight episodes, has now completed its journey as one of Netflix's most-watched original shows.

Now, in 2026, the final installment of 'Stranger Things' was supposed to be a celebratory farewell to fans who have been following the story of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the Hawkins kids for a long time. Instead, 'Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up' has stirred a heated controversy and discussions within the fandom, as viewers found it hard to accept how the Duffer Brothers chose to conclude a story that had been building up for almost ten years. The main source of the fans' anger is a collective heartbreak over Eleven's fate, as the finale opted for a bittersweet departure rather than the peaceful resolution viewers were rooting for.

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