The thrilling adventure Stranger Things has captured the attention of millions of viewers for the last nine years and has finally reached its bittersweet end. With less than ten days until the first portion of Stranger Things season 5 is released, excitement is building quickly, and watchers are awaiting the answers to many cliffhangers left in season four. There has been a five-minute teaser of the newest season released to prepare fans for a whirlwind season.
When getting ready to watch the new season of Stranger Things, it’s good to remember a few key points. It all begins in Hawkins, Indiana, in 1983, when Will Byers disappears and his friends Mike, Lucas and Dustin start searching for him. During this search, they meet a new character, Eleven, a girl with powers who escaped from a secret government lab. Together, they fight the demogorgon, the first monster to be introduced from the Upside Down.
During the search, Joyce, Will’s mom, communicated with Will through Christmas lights. Meanwhile, Chief Hopper was uncovering the lab’s secret. The lab was a government facility where scientists were experimenting on kids with power, like Eleven and accidentally opened a gate to the Upside Down, letting monsters through. At the end, Eleven sacrifices herself to defeat the Demogorgon. Although they saved Will, he was coughing up a slug and having visions of the Upside Down.
In season two, Will is still suffering with visions, and is still possessed by the mind flayer, a powerful shadow from the Upside Down that seeks to control Hawkins through fear and domination. Eleven is alive and hiding with Hopper, where she learns more about her powers. New characters arrive, including Max and her stepbrother Billy. The group fights Demodogs before closing the gate to the Upside Down. The season ends with the Mind Flayer still looming over Hawkins.
In season three, the Starcourt Mall becomes the central location, hiding a secret Russian lab trying to reopen the gate. Billy is possessed by the Mind Flayer and serves as its main human host, leading to a fight against a monster created from melted humans. At the end, Hopper seemingly dies while closing the gate, though it is later revealed that he is alive in Russia. Eleven loses her powers after the final fight, and Joyce, Will, Jonathan, Will’s older brother and Eleven move away from Hawkins, breaking up the group.
(Maris Kanoy)
When season four came to an end, many things were left unfinished and unsolved, only making the three-year waiting process more difficult for fans. At the end of the season, Max dies and is brought back to life by Eleven, but she remains in a mindless coma. Eleven attempts to search for Max’s mind, but cannot find it in the void. Three of the main characters who are fighting against the Upside Down, Steve, Nancy, and Robin, find Vecna, the monster plotting to ruin the world. The three see him fall out of a window and vanish, leaving everyone with no idea where the antagonist has disappeared to.
Havoc once again rears its head in Hawkins as it is torn open by a massive “earthquake,” which is actually caused by interdimensional rifts. Because of this havoc, citizens of Hawkins begin to evacuate to avoid more casualties and devastating destruction. Adding to the devastating mix, Will begins once again to feel a tingle on the back of his neck, indicating that Vecna is not dead and will not give up until all of humankind is destroyed. Doom ultimately sets in when the Upside Down begins to seep into the real world. Season four ended with the somber scene of the group releasing the end as the world dies.
Netflix released the first five minutes of Stranger Things season five on November 7, 2025. The scene rewinds to 1983, around the time Will disappeared in the first season of the show. Will is in the Upside Down, being chased by a Demogorgon. He climbs a tree trying to try and get away, but when he jumps, he falls and is dragged away by the Demogorgon. Will is dragged to a decrepit house overtaken by creatures of the Upside Down, where Vecna confronts him, saying the ominous phrase, “At long last, we can begin”. Vecna connects a vine to Will’s mouth while saying, “You and I, we are going to do such beautiful things together, William”. This scene implies that Will encountered Vecna sooner than it had been thought in the previous seasons, and anything we previously knew could be changed. These first five minutes open the doors to many new and enthralling possibilities and theories for the final seasons of the hit show.
Stranger Things season 5 will bring the story back to the beginning while making the challenges bigger than ever. Will Byers will again be most likely to be the center of attention, with his connection to the Upside Down stronger and more important. Vecna is still alive and still the main threat.
The producers of the show promised huge action and suspense. The final season will connect all the mysteries from Hawkins, the Upside Down, and the lab experiences, giving the group a chance to face their past to save their future.
