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Stranger Things' David Harbour has some pretty, er, staunch opinions on Eleven's survival
Argue all you want about Stranger Things' now infamously ambiguous ending; you're not going to change the mind of Sheriff Jim Hopper, AKA David Harbour

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Spoilers for Stranger Things season 5 follow. But also, it's been six months.
As you know if you've been online at all in the past six months, the Stranger Things series finale ended with what appeared to be Millie Bobby Brown's psychically-powered hero Eleven sacrificing herself for the survival of her friends in Hawkins. However, a post-climactic moment later in the episode had those same friends telling each other stories about the character's survival, and ever since, fans have hotly debated whether or not that more hopeful take on the ending is the right onw.
For David Harbour, the answer is a big 'no.'
Harbour, who plays the series' lovable father-figure Sheriff Jim Hopper, revealed his opinions during a recent article with Variety, published June 10. During the wide-ranging discussion, Harbour got into the relationship his onscreen character had with Brown's, which he called an example of "perfect interlocking puzzle pieces," but didn't let that get in the way of (very bluntly) delivering his verdict on the ambiguous ending.
"A lot of people think maybe she’s in Spain or whatever" Harbour told his interviewer, "But right from the very beginning of that series — we love this little girl, but you really can’t have a little girl in Hawkins, Indiana, with supernatural powers running around. She just cannot exist. [...] Right from the beginning of the series — you gotta kill her."
Of course, Harbour admits that he thinks there's always one way Eleven can make it out of the final battle with the Mind Flayer alive: that is, if "Netflix needs to raise their subscription rate. Then — ladies and gentlemen: 'Eleven,' the new series!" But we'd kindly like to remind the Thunderbolts* star that there are always other ways to bring back dead characters that don't have to be so mercenary.
Isn't that right, Sheriff Hopper?
Stranger Things is streaming now on Netflix.
As we all collectively wait for Stranger Things season 5, here's the keys to getting ready:
- How to watch Stranger Things in chronological or release order
- Getting to know the Stranger Things season 5 cast
- There needs to be more death in Stranger Things, says co-star Gaten Matarazzo
- The Stranger Things time jump between season 4 and 5 has been confirmed by Netflix - and it raises some serious questions
- "They land the plane," David Harbour describes the Stranger Things finale, which he calls its "best episode"
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