The Biggest Debate in ‘Stranger Things 5’: Were There 3 Waterfalls?

io9 2025 spoiler

This is one of the biggest emotional moments stranger things 5 Closing. Mike Wheeler spins a story about what may have happened to Eleven, who most of her friends believe to be dead. As he tells the story, we see footage of Eleven walking on a beautiful cliff. A cliffhanger, which the show has led us to believe, will end with the appearance of three waterfalls. As the story reaches its climax, so does Eleven, and the camera pans out to reveal two waterfalls.

In the days following the conclusion of stranger thingAired out, I’ve been arguing with friends and family about this very moment. Mike and Eleven, in particular, fantasized about going somewhere with three waterfalls. The show even reminds you of this 20 minutes before the reveal when Mike and Hopper are talking in the town square.

“I had this plan,” says Mike. [Eleven]We were going somewhere far and no one was able to find us. And I said this about going to the place with three waterfalls. I don’t even know if he believed me or not. Who will do it? Three waterfalls? This is very stupid. Childish. It was an imaginary plan.”

Why, then, are there only two waterfalls in the big, final moment? Well, because maybe there was someone else too.

Clearly, there are two separate waterfalls in the final shot. But another one might have been revealed a few seconds earlier. Looking again, two shots earlier, Eleven walks on the cliff, and in the distance there is a mysterious white mark on the rocks. It does not appear to be active, and there is an empty space there, suggesting that water has not fallen there for a long time. But, potentially, it could be the mysterious third waterfall. Here is the image.

strange things waterfall 1
© Netflix

Another possibility is standing before us. In that last image, if you look to the right, which is partially covered in shadow, you see what appears to be a thin, small patch of white. Could that be a third waterfall? Or even a quarter?

strange things waterfall 2
© Netflix

Fans immediately learned that the footage was filmed at the Haifoss and Grani waterfalls located in Iceland’s Ujorsardalur Valley. Travel bloggers have been all over this revelation, and while most admit that there are actually only two waterfalls, some have mentioned a nearby third waterfall called Hjalparfoss, which is “a short distance away.” Perhaps this means it is not one of the other two possible waterfalls seen in the show.

Now, it’s possible, although unlikely, that the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, completely forgot this important information they gave us and only showed two waterfalls. Or, more likely, they hoped that fans would see one of those other white features and count it as a third waterfall, which would fulfill Mike and Eleven’s imagination.

However, herein lies the problem. Be it two, three, or even four There should be no question. stranger things It’s made so clear that Eleven would want to go somewhere with Three Waterfalls, leaving it in doubt at all feels like a big mistake. The two main waterfalls are very clean and beautiful. Undisputed. Why leave the third to chance? Couldn’t they have found a clean third spring somewhere else? Or, should they have used some of their big budget to digitally enhance this real-life location?

But maybe that’s the point. Perhaps the fact that there are only two visible waterfalls here is intentional. Remember, Mike’s story about Eleven should not be taken as fact. Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s fiction, and the Duffers have made it clear that they want the audience to decide whether we believe Eleven is alive or not. So, perhaps the fact that Eleven is in a real place that is so close to (and can directly mimic) Mike’s imagination is proof that she is alive. Or maybe it’s the opposite. There aren’t three obvious waterfalls, a sign that it’s all a fairytale, and she’s gone.

As for Eleven’s ending, we guess it’s up to you. Do you want to believe that the third waterfall is seen in the first shot? Is that second piece the third waterfall? Do you go to the real location or the one we see in the show? Personally, I think there are two, because they are so obvious at this point. How are you?

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.



<a href

Leave a Comment