‘Stranger Things’ Fans in Kentucky Have a (Funny) Bone to Pick With the Blockbuster Finale

While we all waited to see how the now-iconic saga of fictional Hawkins, Indiana, would play out in the series finale of Netflix's blockbuster sci-fi series Stranger Things, we here in Kentucky had no idea we'd take issue with something very specific midway through the episode.

Where IS Fictional Hawkins?

Before I get to that bone that Kentuckians might have to pick with the Duffer Brothers, the writers of the final episode, it's good to know where this fictional burg would be if it existed. I'm not sure if there is a definitive answer, but Turtlepedia comes the closest to what I would expect; it informs us that Hawkins is about 80 miles from Indianapolis. Again, we're talking about a Fandom site, so everything on it falls into the "best guess" category, and I'm fine with that.

How Kentucky Comes Up in 'Stranger Things' Finale

Because Stranger Things was set in Indiana, I always wondered if Kentucky would ever come up, at the very least, in a discussion. Sure enough, it did, and when it happened, I made a comment that, I'm sure, many Kentuckians made as well. Or, at least, something similar. I'll let The Kentucky Shop explain; they did it best, in my opinion.

In terms of pronunciation, the city of Louisville has taken it on the chin for years. It was only within the last decade or so that I've noticed basketball analysts (like ESPN's Jay Bilas, for example) pronouncing it the way we do here in Kentucky. His pivot may be why others on "The Worldwide Leader" have self-corrected. (Notably, icon Dick Vitale still says Looey-ville.)

Maybe the Duffers should have watched this scene from Elizabethtown before hitting "submit."