The wait is over. After three years filled with theories, predictions and anticipation, the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” has finally arrived. The first four episodes were released November 26, three episodes will come Christmas Day and the finale will be released on Netflix and in theaters on New Year’s Eve. Fans have been awaiting the answers to the nail-biting ending to season four, as the show was left off on a suspenseful cliffhanger.
A common complaint from the fans is that the producers took too long to release the new season. Season four came out in May of 2022, and fans feel that the gap between the two seasons is quite drastic. On the other hand, some feel the wait is worth it for the show to be properly made.
“I don’t think they took too much time. I mean, it’s a very complex show and they need to use a lot of CGI, so I think they took the right amount of time for it to be as good as it can be,” expressed Senior Faith Hohn.
If you do not want spoilers on season five, STOP READING HERE!!
“Stranger Things” seasons, although carrying the same plotline, have had different villains and side stories. In season one, the monster was the Demogorgon, as it took away Will and hunted the rest of the characters, and fans thought that was the main monster; Season two introduced the Mind Flayer. Then, Season four revealed that all of the monsters from the upside down were being controlled by one main being, Vecna. Now, the antagonist of season one is just an obstacle, rather than the main problem.
On November 26, 2025, the first four episodes of the season were released at 8 p.m. Episode one, “The Crawl, ” shows the preparation of a Crawl to the Upside Down and how the cast uses the resources of WSQK The Squawk, Murray (Brett Gelman) and Eleven’s supernatural powers to try to trap Vecna and defeat him once and for all. In terms of the four original boys, Dustin (Gaten Materazzo) is still defending his late friend Eddie Munson’s name, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) visits Max (Sadie Sink) while she is still in her coma, Will (Noah Schnapp) is still fighting his battles with the Mind Flayer and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) is coming up with all of the ways to defeat all of Hawkins’ monsters.
“The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler” (episode two) starts with Holly, played by Nell Fisher, being abducted by a Demogorgon and taken into the Upside Down, after her parents, Karen (Cara Buono) and Ted (Joe Chrest) were severely injured by the monster. This takes a toll on Mike and especially his sister Nancy (Natalia Dyer). As Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Steve (Joe Keery) contribute to the adventures in the Hawkins, they both fight for the attention of Nancy and constantly argue on the priorities of their situation. Meanwhile, Hopper (David Harbor) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) are inside the Upside Down since the Crawl, still tracking the Demogorgon.
One of the biggest plot points includes Will confessing that his previous visions felt as though he was seeing through the eyes of the Demogorgon, and Robin (Maya Hawke) suggests using Will as the middle man to locate Vecna and find Holly.
In “The Turnbow Trap,” (episode three) the crew attempts to take advantage of this information by setting a trap for the Demogorgon before it takes newly-introduced character Derek. It is revealed that Vecna plans to take multiple children following Holly’s abduction, but fans are still trying to figure out why. Now that Holly is in this new and unknown location with Henry (Mr. Whatsit, 001, Vecna), played by Jamie Campbell Bower, she finds a letter in the mail that is said to be from Henry leading her to a cave in the woods. Holly, in search of him, makes her way there. Once she arrives, she is chased by an (at first) unknown person. Eventually, the fans are shown that the real person chasing Holly was Max, leaving fans shocked.
In episode four, titled “Sorcerer,” Max reveals to Holly that Henry is not a good man, and that Holly needs to protect herself. She uncovers the truth about the place they are in, and that they are in one of Henry’s memories that Max has been trying to escape since she was put into her coma. At one point, she was very close, as she saw Lucas playing her favorite song, but the song ended before she was able to escape. This led to Henry chasing her all the way to the cave, where he suddenly showed absolute fear. (The reasoning for this is not revealed, but is implied to be discussed in the upcoming episodes.) As for the rest of the characters, they struggle with the military in the Upside Down, as Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) searches for El relentlessly, keeping her in hiding until she and Hopper infiltrate the MAC-Z. In the Right Side Up, they are attempting to save the children from the military’s plan to use them as bait.
Watch the next three episodes of “Stranger Things”on Christmas Day at 8 p.m. only on Netflix and the finale on New Year’s Eve on Netflix and in theaters!
