Have you got Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ cassette ready? Good. Because you’re going to need it. We officially have a release date for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things.
While ‘volume two‘ (read: the epic season finale) of the highly anticipated fourth season gave us the Hawkins reunion we spent two years waiting for, it certainly left more questions than answered. Is Max (played by Sadie Sink) going to make it through alive? If not the Duffer brothers will have a problem.
Fortunately, Netflix has thankfully teased a few details about what we can expect from the upcoming season, including who will be returning for season five and what the season will be about. Whether you’ve already watched (and rewatched) the almost four hour long season finale or are still recovering from that Dustin and Eddie scene, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the upcoming Stranger Things Season five.
Stranger Things Season 5 Release Date
Variety reported that Netflix confirmed that Stranger Things season 5 will be released in three parts late this year. The first will debut on November 26, the second will arrive December 25 and the third, December 31. So, if you hate New Year’s Eve you’re in luck this year.
What Have The Duffer Brothers Said About Season 5 Of Stranger Things?
“Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things, at the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons,” the show runners wrote. “It proved too large to tell in four, but — as you’ll soon see for yourselves — we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season four will be the penultimate season; season five will be the last,” they added. “There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of ‘Stranger Things’; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes.
“But first we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mum, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down.” We’re not sure we’re emotionally ready for this.
What Is Stranger Things Season 5 About?
Given that the epic season four finale ended on quite the cliff hanger, it’s difficult to gauge what exactly the last season (and final showdown between Vecna and Eleven) will entail.
The teaser for season five gave a small peek of what’s in store. The video opened with the words, “In the fall of 1987, one last adventure begins,” followed by the names of each episode title, from the season opener ‘The Crawl’ to mysterious titles such as ‘Sorcerer’ and even an episode hinting at the inevitable storyline: ‘The Rightside Up’.
In an interview with Variety, the Duffer Brothers revealed that they’re “setting the stage for some big reveals in our final season”, including an explanation about why time froze in the Upside Down when Will was taken by the Demogorgon.
Related: You Won’t Believe How Much The Kids Of ‘Stranger Things’ Earn Per Episode
“The only thing we don’t fully delve into in volume two is Upside Down lore, we hint at it and I’m sure someone on Reddit will maybe piece it together, but a lot of those answer for the Upside Down — that’s really what the basis for season five is about,” they added.
The forthcoming season is expected to see a one-year jump from where we left off as season four teased events which occurred after March 1986. The end of that season saw the Hawkins crew defeat Vecna, however, he did survive and go into hiding, leaving us all wondering if the villain will return. Additionally, while we learned quite a bit about the Upside Down in season four, there’s are still a number of unanswered questions that the Duffer Brothers hope to answer in season five.
“The last remaining questions that are answered in that document, we’ve punted a couple of those to have some big reveals in Season five,” said Ross Duffer during Geeked Week in June 2022. “And that’s really going to affect what season five is about.”
Fan favourite Max is in a coma as of the end of season 4 so we’re hoping to see her recover and of course, we’d love to see Hopper and Joyce finally have their date at Enzo’s.
What Happened In Stranger Things Season 4?
Stranger Things season 4 premiered all the way back in 2022 and was released in two parts. Each episode ran for 60 minutes and the series ended with an epic battle with the evil Vecna and the Demogorgons in the upside down. Here, newcomer Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) sacrificed himself to save his friends. While Vecna was weakened he remains powerful enough to spread the Upside Down into Hawkins.
The Stranger Things Season 5 Episode List
Oh, yes. There’s an episode list! Netflix revealed there will be eight episodes for the final season of Stranger Things, and as a little treat to us all, they even released the episode titles. Take a peek:
- “The Crawl”
- “The Vanishing Of”
- “The Turnbow Trap”
- “Sorcerer”
- “Shock Jock”
- “Escape From Camazotz
- “The Bridge”
- “The Rightside Up”
Who Is Cast In Stranger Things Season 5?
The whole gang is here for season 5. This includes Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Noah Schnapp (Will), Priah Ferguson (Erica), Natalia Dyer (Nancy), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan), Maya Hawke (Robin), Joe Keery (Steve), David Harbour (Hopper), and Winona Ryder (Joyce). Sadly, Eddie’s death in episode nine of season four means we won’t be seeing the return of Joseph Quinn, however, there are a number of new names entering the cast for the final chapter.
Nell Fisher (Bookworm) and Alex Breaux (Depraved) are among a few new faces joining Stranger Things season five, and Linda Hamilton (The Terminator, Children of the Corn, Chuck), who’s also a major fan of the show, has announced that she will be joining cast of the final season.
While it’s a given that all cast members who survived Vecna’s curse will be returning (RIP Eddie), it’s unsure what their fate will be.
Will Eleven finally be able to help Max regain her sight? Does Will’s connection to the Upside Down and the Mind Flayer finally prove fruitful, or will it backfire like it does in season two? Again, does Steve find love?! These are questions that the Duffer Brother’s need to answer, stat.
Where To Watch Stranger Things Season 5 In Australia
Like all other seasons of the fan favourite show, Stranger Things season five will be streaming exclusively on Netflix.
