The Stranger Things series finale may have sneakily teased the spinoff

This article contains major spoilers for the series finale of “Stranger Things.”

“Stranger Things” has ended, but a particular scene from the finale’s epilogue could hint at a potential spinoff. You may have heard of “Montauk,” the sci-fi horror concept created by the Duffer brothers before refining it in “Stranger Things”. This early concept had thematic overlaps with the show in question, but took place in the town of Montauk instead of Hawkins. In the series finale, we see Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) have a date at Enzo’s house, where the former proposes and suggests moving to Montauk. This sudden name drop is a deliberate cry, which the Duffers explain in an interview with Tudum Netflix:

“That final scene with them [Hopper and Joyce] had been planned for some time. What Hopper went through is very difficult, especially with Eleven, and we liked the idea of ​​him and Joyce having the opportunity to start a new chapter in their lives. […] And of course we did the Montauk scream [where Hopper has a job offer] because the show was originally scheduled to take place in Montauk. It was like a nice little nod to the superfans of the series who knew this nugget.”

This, of course, might just be a nice little Easter egg for those in the know, but Montauk could also be the focal point of a future spin-off. “Montauk” seems to be very close to the showrunners’ hearts, as it later became the foundation for “Stranger Things” and the specific ’80s nostalgia associated with it. Considering we’re already getting an animated spinoff series (titled “Stranger Things: Tales from ’85”) this year, a Montauk-centered spinoff story doesn’t seem too far-fetched.

The ‘Stranger Things’ finale ended on a bittersweet note. Even though the final season is full of revelations, not every question is answered, including the mechanics of Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) plan and the Mind Flayer’s true motivations. Likewise, we are not privy to the finer details of military interest in the Abyss, some of which are ” responded in the play “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” (which also traces a nuanced origin story for Henry/Vecna). A possible “Montauk” spinoff could explore another small town hiding secrets and explore the government conspiracy angle from a new perspective.

The term “Montauk” is inspired by the real-life conspiracy theory surrounding the Montauk Project, which claims that the U.S. government conducted experiments to develop psychological warfare weapons in Montauk, New York. This theory also states that these military experiments included research into alien life forms, time travel, mind control, and teleportation. Although most of these aspects were fictionalized in “Stranger Things”, there was an increasing lack of cohesion between the subplots over time, until the focus shifted completely to Vecna. A Montauk-centered story has the potential to have a darker, harsher tone than the original series. The original concept for “Montauk” was supposed to be a found footage story with macabre horror elements, which could be a refreshing re-entry point for the franchise.

On the other hand, perhaps it’s best to let a 10-year-old franchise end on its own terms, given how uneven (if extremely eventful) the journey has been. Hawkins has always felt half-baked as a citydespite being the sole focal point of five entire seasons. Perhaps it’s for the best that Montauk doesn’t get the same treatment.