Like every other good thing that comes to an end, even the Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things must conclude with Season 5. The hit Netflix sci-fi series that premiered in the summer of 2016, has finally reached its climax and is now waiting to hit the streamer in 2025 to bid adieu to the fans.
Meanwhile, as we wait for the incoming transmission from Hawkins on Stranger Things S5, let’s take a look at what’s waiting for us in the finale.
Given how long the episodes were in season 4, guess how long the episodes in season 5 will be.
How long are Stranger Things S5 episodes?
Popular television shows are often known for concluding their run with either short and crisp finale making fans long for more, or massive feature-length movies answering every remaining question in their way.
So what could be waiting for us in the case of Stranger Things S5? Well, after S4’s two-part, nine-episode, 13-hour season, S5 might even end with eight mini-movies.
But to answer people’s curiosity correctly, the Duffer Brothers appeared for an interview on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2022. Opening up about what fans can expect out of the length of the final season’s episodes, Matt and Ross Duffer stated that S5 will not follow the same suit as season 4.
We don’t expect [season 5] to be as long… We’re more likely to do what we did here, which is to just have a 2.5-hour episode [finale]… It’s going to be moving fast, going to be moving 100 miles per hour.
I’m sure the wrap-up will be a lot longer. It’s going to be Return of the King-ish with, like, eight endings.
While the Duffer Brothers mentioned that Season 5 will have shorter episodes compared to the previous installment, with the finale being a 2.5-hour showdown—actress Maya Hawke reignited curiosity with her take on the upcoming season. Defying the showrunners’ remarks, Hawke teased during her appearance on the Popcrushed podcast that the episodes in S5 are set to be even longer, much like “eight movies”.
We’re making, basically, eight movies. The episodes are very long… Season 4 and Season 5 are very connected.
Season 4 had a part I and part II because they separated them, so the last two episodes came out at a different time, which is unusual for streaming. But this is its own season. It is a continuation, but it’s the finale. And it has been a long time since last season.
Maya Hawke’s comments about the length of season 5 episodes seem quite contradictory compared to the Duffer Brothers. But given that the showrunners had spoken about the length back in 2022 when they had just begun their production, it seems Hawke is right to tease about longer episodes in 2024, after going through rigorous shooting which took an entire year.
Has Stranger Things Season 5 wrapped filming?
After such a tantalizing report surrounding the extensive seasons of Stranger Things finale, there remains only one question—are they done with the show’s production?
Well, after overcoming significant delays due to Hollywood strikes and the pandemic, since the Duffer Brothers began production in January 8, 2024, Variety recently revealed on Friday that the production has been wrapped on the fifth and final season of the show.
Although the release date for Stranger Things season 5 is yet to be revealed, Netflix announced that the show will premiere in 2025. Bringing back the entire OG cast of the show—Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, and others—the series also brought new faces like Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Linda Hamilton for S5.
Episode titles of Stranger Things Season 5
Well, now that we’ve already sunk ourselves deep into the Upside Down, let’s check out the episodes for the final season of Stranger Things. According to reports from Netflix, while the names of each episode have been revealed, only part of episode 2’s title has been blurred out. And now, Vecna is not to be blamed for the screen glitch, because it has been purposefully kept under wraps for surprise.
Set in the fall of 1987, in the land of Hawkins, Indiana, here are the episodes of Stranger Things S5:
| Stranger Things episode | Episode title |
| Episode 1 | The Crawl |
| Episode 2 | The Vanishing of … |
| Episode 3 | The Turnbow Trap |
| Episode 4 | Sorcerer |
| Episode 5 | Shock Jock |
| Episode 6 | Escape from Camazotz |
| Episode 7 | The Bridge |
| Episode 8 | The Rightside Up |
What is Stranger Things season 5 about?
Although Netflix has strategically kept the official plotline for season 5 under tight wraps, People noted that the upcoming episodes will likely follow Eleven and her friends as they try to defeat Vecna, now that his Upside Down has invaded their town. Meanwhile, previously in a conversation with The Wrap, the Duffer Brothers had teased their endgame will be emotional.
We do have an outline for Season 5 and we pitched it to Netflix and they really responded well to it. I mean, it was hard. It’s the end of the story. I saw executives crying who I’ve never seen cry before and it was wild.
Further, corroborating the Duffer Brothers’ remarks about the upcoming season, even David Harbour who plays Hopper in the show, had confirmed to Variety that the season 5 ending is set to be “quite moving and quite beautiful”. Meanwhile, creating hype surrounding his titular character for the final season and raising people’s expectations, Jamie Campbell Bower told NME about what to expect from Vecna.
I don’t think he’s slunk off licking his wounds in misery. He’s rebuilding, and he’s out for blood.
With all the information received so far, it seems, Stranger Things season 5 is poised to be an intense and interesting showdown.
Will there be a Stranger Things spin-off?
Now, the only thing that remains to be addressed is—whether there’s a possibility of future spinoffs.
To answer it in short, yes, there’s a massive scope for the OG Stranger Things storyline to give birth to reboots and spinoffs in the future. Considering the Duffer Brothers‘ open letter to fans via Netflix in February that teased new mysteries and adventures in the world of Stranger Things, there seems to be a solid chance for spinoffs.
There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes.
Duffer Brothers said via Variety in May 2022,
We do have an idea for a spin-off that we’re super excited about…but we haven’t told anyone the idea yet, much less written it. We think everyone—including Netflix—will be surprised when they hear the concept because it’s very, very different.
But as of now, considering how the show is awaiting its conclusion, let’s buckle up for what it has to offer in the finale. Will Eleven be able to defeat Vecna and if so, then what might befall her and Hawkins? Will she survive the finale? What will happen to Max? There seem to be a lot of questions awaiting to be answered.
Stranger Things is currently available to watch on Netflix.
