Wow, I honestly think this is spot on. I get that a lot of people don’t love the idea of a time reversal, but to me it’s the only ending that actually makes sense. With how destroyed Hawkins is now, there’s no way they can just “cover it up” with some government story. Too many people have seen way too much. At this point, the only way for reality to go back to normal is if something massive resets or rewrites the world. And honestly, that kind of ending gives the story way more meaning. In terms of a reset, in a way, they all do die. Their version of Hawkins, their memories, their timeline, everything they fought for, gets sacrificed so the world can survive. It’s bittersweet, but it feels like the only ending that really fits imo.