Vecna’s not dead, the party’s not done, and Netflix wants to own your holiday season.
The long goodbye starts now. Stranger Things is back for one last trip to Hawkins and it’s dragging out its grand finale across three separate release dates, because why end clean when you can binge in pieces?
Season 5 kicks off with four episodes on November 26, follows with three more on December 25, and wraps with the grand finale on December 31. So yeah, hope you weren’t planning on leaving the couch over the holidays.
What’s the deal this time?
Set in the fall of ’87, Hawkins is still bleeding from the Rifts, Vecna’s ghosting everyone, and the town’s been locked into military quarantine. Eleven’s back in hiding, the government’s hunting her down (again), and the gang’s gearing up for the “final battle.” Expect flashbacks, feelings, and something big with teeth. Probably multiple things with teeth.
Cast? Stacked as usual.
Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Sadie Sink, and Joe f**king Keery all return. Plus, Linda Hamilton (yes, that one) is back as Dr. Kay, now a full time regular.
Vibes?
It’s still Spielberg meets King, but let’s be real these kids are grown, the lore is borderline Marvel level, and the stakes need to pay off hard. Stranger Things isn’t the scrappy synthwave shock it was in 2016. This is legacy TV now. Whether it ends with fireworks or a soft fadeout, we’ll be watching, with Eggos in one hand and mild dread in the other.
After nearly a decade of Demogorgons, nosebleeds, and synth heavy trauma, one thing’s clear we’re all finishing this fight, whether it rips our hearts out or not.
Watch the trailer now, and start the rewatch. You’ve got until November to remember who Vecna even is.
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