Stranger Things fans only just realising why it's called that

The complexities of the final ever episode - which landed this week after years of anticipation - isn't the only thing that Stranger Things fans are trying to wrap their heads around.

Apparently, several fans of the sci-fi hit have only just discovered the origins of the name of the series.

For those who missed it, the ultimate episode of the fifth and final series hit our screens on New Year's Eve, almost a decade since it debuted on Netflix.

Throwing every surviving character into The Abyss, Eleven and her pals are seen taking on both Vecna and the Mind Flayer for one last high-stakes showdown to save the world.

Whilst Will, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Max, Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, Robin, and Joyce battle this giant beast in a twisted nightmare landscape, Jim Hopper and Murray Bauman set up a bomb to wipe the Upside Down out of existence.

Luckily for you, we won't give too much away as to how the series ends.

It's fair to say, however, as TV shows go, it's a pretty sensational grand finale, giving us drama, terror, tears, catharsis, and everything in between - even kick-starting several fan theories regarding potential spin-offs and loose ends not yet tied.

As we say, though, another talking point that has emerged since the series reached its dramatic conclusion is the show's title.

Taking to Reddit recently, one fan wondered where the 'Stranger' aspect came from and what exactly it's being compared to.

"I have always been curious about the show's name and what it means," they admitted. "Why is it not called 'Strange Things'? 'Stranger Things' does sound better, I guess, but still is there like a deeper meaning to this title?

"Some strange thing has happened which the show refers to, but it's not stranger than demogorgons, alternate dimension and telekinetic girl."

Stranger Things has officially come to an end (Netflix)

"What is that strange thing that is not stranger?" the same user went on to question, before admitting: "I'm probably diving just too deep into this lmao."

Attempting to respond, another user claimed the title comes from the common turn of phrase, 'Stranger things have happened'.

"I haven’t seen a post about it, so I figured I’d share my conclusion with anyone who hasn’t thought about it," they penned. "The term 'Stranger things have happened' is often used to describe situations where something weird occurs, but hey- something stranger has happened before.

"So the title of the show is letting the viewer know that the show is about those 'stranger things' that have happened."

Asked if anyone else agreed, a third user claimed: "I realised it the first time I watched it lmao."

A fourth added: "I would guess these ARE the stranger things. So, when people say 'stranger things have happened', it's all this mess lol."

Having made the same realisation, another fan of the show called out producers for failing to acknowledge the inspiration for the title in the last instalment.

Many fans are coming to realisation behind the show's name (Netflix)

"The fact that the final spoken line in the ST finale wasn’t 'Well, Stranger Things have happened' is a massive missed opportunity," they wrote on X.

Whilst this theory certainly makes a lot of sense, some fans have linked the show's name to a similarly supernatural work by Stephen King, titled Needful Things, which centres on evil forces preying on desires in small towns.

Arguably even more interesting is the fact that Stranger Things was originally titled 'Montauk'.

According to producers, this was planned as a nod to a conspiracy theory alleging a series of US government projects conducted at Montauk Air Force Station in Montauk, New York, aimed at developing psychological warfare techniques and researching time travel.

Prior to its release, however, the Duffer brothers - the brains behind the series - changed the name after deciding to base it in a small, fictional town.