As the countdown to the final battle for Hawkins begins, a playful segment on late-night TV has sent the Stranger Things fandom into a state of absolute panic. Is our favorite “babysitter,” Steve Harrington, destined for a tragic end?
During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, creators Matt and Ross Duffer were asked to hint at the show’s conclusion using nothing but Funko Pop figurines. While the segment was lighthearted, the Duffers’ choices felt anything but accidental.
The creators staged a cryptic tableau that left the audience gasping:
The Fallen Hero: Most shockingly, the brothers placed Steve Harrington’s doll on the edge of the desk and slowly pushed it until it fell completely off the table—a move many interpret as a sign that he will not survive the finale.
The Status of Barb: To hammer home the stakes, they removed Barb’s doll entirely, reminding everyone that in this world, “gone” usually means gone.
Will & Vecna: They placed Will Byers’ doll directly on top of Henry Creel/Vecna, suggesting an intimate, perhaps final, psychological link between the two.
Eleven’s Trial: Eleven was placed in a glass of water, likely a nod to her return to the “void” or a sensory deprivation tank for her final confrontation.4
Finn Wolfhard’s “One-Word” Map to the Finale
Adding to the tension, Mike Wheeler himself, Finn Wolfhard, shared his own cryptic descriptions of the final four episodes.5 If these keywords are anything to go by, fans should stock up on tissues before Christmas morning.
| Episode # | Title | Finn’s One-Word Hint |
| Episode 5 | Shock Jock | “Crispy” |
| Episode 6 | Escape from Camazotz | “Shocking” |
| Episode 7 | The Bridge | “Enlightening” |
| Episode 86 | The Rightside Up7 | “Emotional”8 |
Wolfhard described the series finale, The Rightside Up, as a “significant moment of transition,” noting that the final days of filming felt like a “weird little version of school” ending forever.9
Vecna’s Endgame and the Truth of the Upside Down
The latest trailer for Volume 2 confirms that the stakes have never been higher.10 Vecna appears stronger and more unhinged, finally poised to merge the Upside Down with the real world.11
The footage also hints that the core mystery of the Upside Down’s origin—a question that has lingered since 2016—will finally be answered. With rumors of Kali (008) returning to help Eleven and the military lockdown of Hawkins intensifying, the show is gearing up for a cinematic conclusion that the Duffers promise will be “far darker and far scarier” than anything we’ve seen before.12
“You die, I die.” — A chilling line between Steve and Dustin in the new trailer that has fans convinced a heroic sacrifice is looming.13
Mark Your Calendars
The final showdown begins soon. Here is the remaining release schedule:
- Volume 2 (Episodes 5-7): Streaming on Netflix, December 25, 2025.14
- Series Finale (Episode 8): Releasing New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2025 (Select theatrical screenings also confirmed).15