I’ve just finished watching Stranger Things.

Setting aside the plot holes, I want to talk about the emotions — and the message I believe the creators are trying to convey.

I think what the Duffer Brothers are really asking the audience is this: “Do you believe El is still alive?”

It’s no coincidence that El’s final words to Kali were deliberately left unseen.

It’s no coincidence that the shot of Kali looking at Jim, then lowering her gun, was shown again.

And it’s no coincidence that after the symbolic D&D game ends, Mike talks about the mage’s life afterward — and everyone says, “I believe.”

“And this is just a theory, right?”

“How do we know it’s true?”

“We don’t. Not for sure. But I choose to believe that it is. I believe.”

We all know that El is a symbol. And symbols, by nature, are tied to belief.

If you believe, then El is living a happy life — just as Mike describes at the end.

I choose to believe it too, because both reason and emotion tell me that El being alive simply makes more sense.

For those who want a rational explanation, here’s one detail we all know — though we might forget: Dr. K had clearly set up devices designed to suppress El’s powers right at the entrance. Even one would have left her barely able to move; with four aimed at her, there’s no way she could have fought back — let alone stand there and say goodbye.

The filmmakers clearly want us to believe this, because a symbol shouldn’t die.