To have culminated into a stream-to-stage spanning franchise, Stranger Things must have been a mere thought, too. 2026's commencement with the The Right Side Up, the creators have confirmed that it very well was.

Netflix's horror conforming Stranger Things went back to square one for its finale. In a two-hour finale episode, The Rightside Up, Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer gave an ode to their original inspiration, the Montuak Project.

Stranger Things is known to have been first named Montuak before it was rebranded in the face of legal issues in 2014. The final episode set up Jim Hopper contemplating a move to Montuak, following a Chief of Police position.

Regardless of the characters' decision, the Duffer Brothers fulfilled their promise of tying back every thread they had unravelled. Stranger Things' recollection of the very idea it came from has eased the audience into the finale with excitement.

With a few tweaks for digestibility, Stranger Things has reflected a horror that exists in a yet-debated reality.

What is Project Montauk?

Stranger Things' very last episode was dropped on December 31, 2025. However happy the scene was for Hopper, his move to Montauk evoked an immediate reaction to a 1980s allege.

Hinted at in literature and other media, Project Montauk is a rumored experiment carried out by the US government at an Air Force camp in Montauk, New York. It had been to develop the possibility of psychological warfare, an evident concept in Stranger Things.

Stranger Things has come to an end after nine whole years, with a two-year break in between. Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer have duly given the show a completely stitched, if not well, ending.

What do you think of Stranger Things' finale's ode to the Montauk Project? Let us know in the comments below!

Written by

Adiba Nizami

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui