Warning! All kinds of spoilers for ‘Stranger Things 2’ follow.
Bingers know that ‘Stranger Things 2’ ends on a happier note for its main cast than the previous season. The kids are at the Snow Ball, a school-hosted dance, in which they each find some affection from the opposite sex (even if Dustin is only getting hopeful words of encouragement from his friend’s older sister Nancy), the threat has been dealt with, and even Will is in the clear with no obvious upside down ailment lingering. Joyce suffered a loss in the death of Bob, but at least it’s over.
One of the show’s executive producers, Shawn Levy, weighed in on the final scene with Collider:
“We cannot top that Snow Ball. We will never make people happier than that dance will make people. So let’s not leave there with the promise to come. Let’s let people have a moment of joy. And then we have The Police song, ‘I’ll Be Watching You,’ and then indeed the camera turns and we see that something is.”
Sure enough, the shadow monster a.k.a. Mind Flayer is watching the upside down version of the school. As much as I’d be down with a season of these kids living normal carefree lives, it doesn’t appear we’ll be getting that. Leaving the audience with a sense of vague danger wasn’t the original plan. The writers considered laying more groundwork for Season Three. Levy continued.
“There were epilogue scenes that were considered for after that shot that would have hinted more at Season 3. But there was a decision made by all of us where we said let’s not back in to any promises again.”
The showrunners did not want to commit to following up on hints left in Season 2 like they did with Season 1’s coughed up slug and Eggos in the woods. Opting for more writing freedom is understandable and leaves more to the imagination of the viewers. That said, there is still a demodog on ice and the suggestion that Eleven’s “papa” is still alive (not to mention other superpowered kids.) There is plenty more in the party’s future.
