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The end is officially in sight for Netflix’s blockbuster sci-fi series Stranger Things. The streaming giant has revealed that the highly anticipated fifth and final season will roll out in three parts: Part 1 drops on November 26, Part 2 on December 25, and the series finale is set to land on December 31, closing out the saga just as 2025 begins.
Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things has become a cultural juggernaut since its debut, and the entire core cast is returning for this final showdown. That includes Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), and Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna). Joining them is Terminator icon Linda Hamilton in a mysterious new role.
Season 4, released in two volumes in summer 2022, was a super-sized, high-stakes chapter that ended with a devastating battle in the Upside Down. Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) became a fan favorite before making a heroic sacrifice. Vecna, although weakened, survived the encounter and continues to pose a major threat, with his influence seeping into Hawkins. While the group emerged alive, Max’s fate remains uncertain—she was left in a coma after being brutally manipulated by Vecna.
Sadie Sink, who plays Max, remained tight-lipped when speaking to Variety about Season 5. “They love having me run,” she teased, a likely nod to the Season 4 moment that went viral alongside Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.”
Matt and Ross Duffer hinted that Max’s role in the final season will be significant but remained vague on the details. “She’s going to play a part in the season,” Matt said. Ross added, “But we don’t want to reveal how that’s possible.”
The Duffer Brothers also praised Sink’s performance, with Matt calling one recent scene “absolutely heartbreaking,” noting how much she’s grown in her craft.
Stranger Things fans should brace themselves: the countdown to the end has begun, and it promises to be an emotional ride.
