Why Montauk was mentioned in the 'Stranger Things' finale and what it means

The Montauk reference in the finale links back to the show’s origins and has prompted spinoff speculation

The Stranger Things series finale included a brief but meaningful reference to Montauk, prompting viewers to question its significance and whether it hinted at a future spinoff.

In the final episode Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour, tells Joyce Byers, portrayed by Winona Ryder, that he has received a job offer in Montauk, New York. While the moment appeared casual, it carried deeper meaning for long-time fans of the Netflix series. Stranger Things was originally developed under the working title Montauk before the setting was changed during production.

Creators Ross and Matt Duffer initially pitched the project as an “eight-hour sci-fi horror epic” set in Montauk and surrounding areas of Long Island. According to the original concept, the story was rooted in 1980 and “inspired by the supernatural classics of that era, we explore the crossroads where the ordinary meet the extraordinary … emotional, cinematic and rooted in character, Montauk is a love letter to the golden age of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King — a marriage of human drama and supernatural fear.”

Montauk was selected as inspiration due to its connections to other influential works, including Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, which used the area as the basis for the fictional Amity Island. The Duffers were also influenced by real-world conspiracy theories associated with the location, most notably the Montauk Project, which claims the US government conducted secret psychological experiments at Camp Hero.

Although the show was ultimately retitled Stranger Things, the finale’s reference led some fans to speculate about a Montauk-based spinoff. Matt Duffer addressed this directly, saying, “Ross wanted to put the Montauk thing in, and this is what I didn’t want to happen, is people thinking that there’s going to be a spinoff in Montauk.”

The Duffer brothers have confirmed a spinoff is in development, but they have stressed it will not follow existing characters. “It is 1000 percent different from [Stranger Things],” they said, adding that while it shares a connection, the link lies in storytelling rather than setting or characters.

Stranger Things is currently streaming on Netflix.