SPOILERS are ahead for the Stranger Things series finale, which is now streamable with a Netflix subscription.
Stranger Things is a cultural juggernaut, and anyone who needs proof of that needn't look any further than the way fans have discussed its series finale. That fateful installment is filled with notable moments, many of which have picked apart by viewers. As fans continue to talk (and cry) about what went down during that final episode, Millie Bobby Brown shared a video of what happened when she watched Eleven’s big scene. Spoiler alert: the tears were flowing.
The moment where Eleven decides to sacrifice herself amid the destruction of the Upside Down is incredibly emotional. That's especially true since the heroine simultaneously takes time to say goodbye to boyfriend Mike, who's not ready to see her go. It’s a beautiful scene in the Stranger Things finale, and it seemed to also be quite moving for "El" actress Millie Bobby Brown. The actress dropped the following Instagram video, which shows her visceral reaction:
As can be seen above, the scene caused Brown to break down in tears as she thanked those in the room with her before exclaiming “this damn show!” It looks like she was in an ADR booth, which is part of the process actors often participate in during post-production to re-record dialogue.
It may be safe to assume that this session happened a little while after Brown had already wrapped on ST and said goodbye to her cast in person on set. I could surely imagine all the emotions of the series' conclusion really flooding back to her during the session.
Brown started playing Eleven since she was 11 and, now she’s 21. So half of her life has been spent as a Stranger Things star. I can’t even imagine the intense emotions that have accompanied her saying goodbye to this chapter of her life.
The Duffer Brothers-created sci-fi series finished its run on New Year’s Eve (even though tons of fans later became convinced there was a secret bonus episode) with a major question for fans to answer among each other: did Eleven really die? The CinemaBlend staff has reached its own consensus, especially considering there are some holes in Mike’s theory. Still, it's likely that Brown will simply be asked about the finale forever, given the Duffers said they told the actress what really happened.
While Eleven presumably died in a valiant sacrifice to save her friends and the world, the death count of Stranger Things wasn't as bloody as fans were expecting. The series ended with an emotional epilogue where the core group of friends (plus Max) played a game of D&D following their high school graduation. Mike suggested that Eleven could be alive somewhere but chose to stay away from Hawkins to protect them. That leaves a major layer of ambiguity over her fate.
Now that Stranger Things is over, Millie Bobby Brown is looking towards other projects, like the third Enola Holmes movie, which will debut sometime this year. Brown's also a new mom to the child she shares with husband Jake Bongiovi. Brown is definitely all grown up and ready to move on though, if her viral clip indicates anything, it's that she still has a soft spot for the show responsible for making her a star. And fans can now watch that series in its entirety on Netflix.
