In 2022, the Duffer Brothers announced the fifth season of “Stranger Things” and stated that it will be the last in the series. According to Netflix.com, the first four episodes will be released on November 26, 2025, the next three will come out on Christmas Day, and the series finale will finally arrive on New Year’s Eve.
Many students at Gulf Breeze High School are excitedly waiting for season five’s release. Rylie Montgomery, freshman, said “I can’t wait for the season, I’ve been waiting for 3 years,” and Ansley Dean, freshman, said “I’m looking forward to seeing if Max survives.”
Season five has a lot to live up to. Season 1 introduced the show and the characters. Season 2 brought us deeper into Eleven’s story and introduced new characters like Erica Sinclair. Season 3 added Robin Buckley, who quickly gained the love of fans, and brought in the Russians who added more layers to the story. Season 4 introduced, and quickly killed off, characters like Chrissie Cunningham and Eddie Munson, and left us with a tension filled cliff hanger.
Anyone involved with the creation of season five have kept any plot spoilers under wraps, so the storyline is cloudy, and rumors are running wild.
In an interview with “People”, Stranger Things actor Finn Wolfhard who plays Mike Wheeler was quoted as saying “I am happy with [Mike’s] ending, and I don’t know, I was satisfied, but I was also very confused and sad,” when asked about his feelings on the conclusion.
A couple of weeks ago Netflix released the trailer for the final season. Though it is designed to pique fan’s interest while limiting details that could spoil anything, there is still a lot to be gained from the snippet. The trailer confirms Vecna’s return and hints that characters like Holly Wheeler will be getting more screen time.
In the trailer, Nancy Wheeler is seen trying to clean blood off her hands while crying. This brief glimpse seems to strengthen the rumors of the death of a major character. Fire also seems to be a theme throughout the trailer and given that the known weakness of the creatures of the upside down is fire, it is highly likely that it will play a pivotal role in defeating Vecna once and for all.
According to Netflix.com, there will be 8 episodes, each with their own suggestive and rather unsettling titles. For example, Episode 2 will be titled “The Vanishing of…”. The incomplete nature of this title leaves room for plenty of speculation as to what will happen in the episode. This theme is consistent within the entire series.
Rumor has it that a main character is destined to die in this final season, and everyone has a different opinion of who it will be. Whispers of Steve Harrington and Jim Hopper receiving the final blow have been frequent, but there is no evidence to back up these assumptions.
It could possibly be Will Byers, or Dustin Henderson, or possibly Eleven, who is the reason all the upside down was created in the first place.
What fans seem to be most excited to see is the direction the show takes regarding relationships between characters. The series already has established couples like Eleven and Mike, Nancy and Johnathan, and Dustin and Suzie, but there are many non-canon “ships” that have been slowly growing more popular over the seasons.
Will Robin finally get Vickie on a date? Who will Nancy choose in the end, Steve or Johnathan? Is Will going to confess his rumored feelings for Mike, and if so, how will Mike react?
To these questions we have no answer, but that does not stop the ever-plentiful rumors.
Some of the stronger rumors circulating are those regarding Will Byers’ sexuality. Many think he’s gay and the actor Noah Schnapp who plays Will is rumored to have confirmed it. Popular opinion says he is “in love” with Mike Wheeler, who, of course, is dating Eleven, but that does not stop the fans from obsessing over “Byler” (the name for the romantic pairing of Will and Mike).
These rumors will hopefully either be proven correct or completely disproven in the final season so they can finally be put to rest.
Though the events of the final season are murky, we can make some speculation on what is likely to happen. It is very likely that Vecna will be defeated. It is also possible that Max Mayfield will recover in some way, shape, or form, though there may be some permanent damage. It seems unlikely that all our beloved characters will make it through unscathed but who knows.
Hopefully all conflicts will be resolved, and the characters will be able to lead somewhat normal lives in Hawkins, IN and never have to worry about the Upside Down again.
Binge-watchers, get your popcorn ready.