by: Lila Zamansky

Media Editor

After nearly a year of anticipation, delays, and theories, the long-awaited final season of Stranger Things has arrived, closing the portal to one of the most popular sci-fi series of the twenty-first century. With the first four episodes of the season released on Nov. 26, Volume two on Dec. 25, and the finale on Dec. 31, the season brings the story of Hawkins, Indiana, to an emotional and explosive conclusion. 

Production for Season Five began back in January of 2024, marking the start of the show’s last chapter. The cast members repeatedly described the finale as both epic and deeply sentimental, noting how surreal it felt to close out a story that shaped their careers and entertained millions. The directors of the show, the Duffer Brothers, approached the season knowing the weight of what it represents, not just as a conclusion but as a farewell. The series has been a sensation hit globally, becoming Netflix’s Top Ten in 93 countries. Additionally, Season Four was the first-ever English-language series to cross one billion hours streamed on a platform, an achievement that is surreal for Ross Duffer stating,  “When we started, Netflix was an underdog, we were an underdog… so it is a strange thing, ten years later, to be the opposite of that.”  

Carrying the fast-paced, horror-driven energy of earlier seasons, Season Five pushes deeper into the show’s emotional core. Season 4 was released in 2022, leaving on a long, inevitable cliffhanger that set high expectations for what was to come next. The Hollywood Reporter called the early twist  “some of the boldness of the Duffers’ most ambitious early-season twists of the entire series.” Without spoiling too much, the story centers on Will, whose hidden psychic connection to Vecna is revealed, allowing him to see and eventually control the Upside Down, thus leaving fans stunned. Additionally, a shocking disappearance rattles the group, Eleven and Hopper face new enemies, and the rest of the gang splits up in the real world, put into high-risk missions, revealing how deeply the Upside Down has infiltrated Hawkins. The exciting first volume balances action and emotion, grounded in the relationships that made the show a phenomenon in the first place. 

Fans reacted to Volume one with a mix of shock and excitement flooding social media within hours of the release, with theories, breakdowns, and celebrations over long-awaited answers. Many were left speechless after the final episode, as Will suddenly gained powers that control the Upside Down. According to the Duffer Brothers, that is the reaction they anticipated and hoped for. In their interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Duffer Brothers emphasized their production incorporates emotional depth and closure to resolve the mysteries that have lingered since Season One. Long-standing fan questions about the Upside Down, Eleven’s powers, and how everything ties back to Will and Hawkins will finally be answered in the finale.

Stranger Things is preparing to end with ambition,passion, and a level of closure that honors a decade-long journey. With two more volumes still to come, fans everywhere are bracing themselves, not just for the twists, but for the emotional rollercoaster that will mark the end of an era.

(Sources: BBC, Hollywood Reporter, The Guardian)