Stranger Things is a bona fide ratings smash. The Duffer Brothers’ show, which started life as a 1980s sci-fi homage, has become a worldwide sensation since it first aired in 2016.
It is now a massive franchise that has spawned countless spinoffs, including a West End show and a live immersive experience. In 2022, season four was the most-watched show of the entire year across all streamers. And now (after a two-year wait), season five is finally.
With anticipation starting to build once more, here’s what we know about our upcoming return to Hawkins.
Will season 5 be the last?
Sadly, yes. Back in February 2022, the Duffer Brothers released a letter ahead of the season four premiere cofirming the news.
"Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things," the duo wrote in their letter. "At the time, we predicted the story would last four or five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but — as you'll soon see for yourselves — we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last."
“With nine scripts, over 800 pages, almost two years of filming, thousands of visual effects shots, and a runtime nearly twice the length of any previous season, Stranger Things 4 was the most challenging season yet, but also the most rewarding one.”
Who’s returning for the final season?
*Spoiler alert for season four*
From the looks of it, the entire gang is back for more – minus Joseph Quinn, whose season four character Eddie tragically died in the Upside Down.
Those would be Millie Bobby Brown, whose character El will likely be dealing with the fallout of failing to save her friend Max from being tortured by Vecna.
She’ll be accompanied by Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo as Mike, Will, Lucas and Dustin.
And in terms of the adults, there’ll also be Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton – and David Harbour and Winona Ryder will be rounding things out as Police chief Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers, Will’s mother.
What’s the plot?
We don’t know much, though of course the show is set to follow up on the massive season four cliffhanger.
That cliffhanger saw Max (Sadie Sink) almost killed by the villainous Vecna, and the Upside Down break through into the world of Hawkins. The final image we were left with was of the town on fire, and massive crevasses opening in the ground.
In a caption posted alongside the episode titles, Netflix teased that the show would be set “In the fall of 1987, one last adventure begins." That would mean an 18-month time jump between the season four finale and beginning of season five.
Plenty of time for a whole lot more chaos to unfold, and we’re assuming that the majority of season five will focus on the gangs’ attempts to put the Upside Down back where it belongs, and banish Vecna and the demogorgons once and for all.
Is there a trailer?
Of sorts: a trailer containing the series’ episode titles dropped this week. Find it at the top of the page.
What else do we know?
We do know the episode titles for the new series, which Netflix dropped this week. These are:
The Crawl
The Vanishing of... (the name is pixellated out in the trailer... who’s going to vanish? We’re not sure yet)
The Turnbow Trap
Sorcerer
Shock Jock
Escape From Camazotz
The Bridge
The finale will be called The Rightside Up – a callback to the season one finale named The Upside Down.
When’s it out?
Though we haven’t been given a concrete date yet, the show is set to release in 2025, likely in the first half of next year. Keep your eyes peeled!
