Spoiler warning: This contains some details about what has happened in the show so far, but does not reveal anything about the final four episodes.
As the holiday season approaches, “Stranger Things” fans have another reason to celebrate: the highly anticipated conclusion to the series is nearly here.
Netflix’s immensely popular sci-fi fantasy horror series, known for its nostalgic 80s aesthetic, is set to deliver its final episodes, bringing the saga to a close.
The residents of Hawkins face unprecedented peril as season five unfolds, with Demogorgons and the formidable Vecna unleashing chaos. The stage is set for a decisive showdown.
The penultimate episodes will be released on Boxing Day in the UK at 01:00 GMT, and in the US on Christmas Day at 20:00 EST.
The series’ concluding episode, clocking in at two hours and five minutes, will be available for streaming in the UK on New Year’s Day from 01:00.
US audiences can view it on December 31st at 20:00 EST, with select screenings in 500 cinemas across the US and Canada.
Hawkins is under siege, with dimensional rifts unleashing Demogorgons from the Upside Down, prompting a military quarantine of the town.
The pursuit of Eleven, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown, intensifies as she and Hopper (David Harbour) confront malevolent forces in an Upside Down military base. Their path crosses with a grotesque flesh wall and the formidable Dr. Kay, played by Linda Hamilton.
A significant revelation occurs as Will discovers his supernatural abilities, while an ominous presence stirs in a cave with Max, Holly, and Vecna in his earlier guise as Henry Creel.
With numerous unresolved plotlines, viewers hope the finale delivers a satisfying resolution, avoiding the pitfalls of divisive endings seen in series such as “Game of Thrones” and “Lost”.
Executive producer Shawn Levy has stated that the final episode has been meticulously crafted to satisfy its extensive global fanbase.
“They have had their hearts broken by shows they loved, that failed fans in the end,” he recently told Variety, adding that creators the Duffer brothers “did not want, and do not want, and refuse to be one of those shows.”
Intrigue surrounds Henry Kreel, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, and his apprehensive stance outside the cave sheltering Max Mayfield and Holly Wheeler.
The two appear trapped within Henry’s early memories, with Holly in his childhood home and Max in the cave.
Fans on Reddit and TikTok have theories… linked to the stage play “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” which remain undisclosed here.
The narrative establishes that Henry murdered his mother and sister, framing his father. Subsequently, Henry ended up at Hawkins Lab, where Eleven banished him, transforming him into Vecna.
Holly (Nell Fisher), the sister of Mike and Nancy, was abducted by a Demogorgon from her home, where her mother fought to protect her.
Questions linger regarding Holly’s cassette tape of Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now,” gifted by Henry, whom she refers to as Mr. Whatsit.
Netflix’s Tudum explains that the name “came from the name of Mrs Whatsit from “A Wrinkle in Time”, Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 science fantasy novel,” which Holly was reading in season five.
Max, played by Sadie Sink, remains in a coma in Hawkins after nearly succumbing to Vecna.
The rest of the group, along with Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), are striving to save their friends and the town of Hawkins.
The resolution remains to be seen.
Joyce Montepiedra speculated in GameRant that “music helps redirect the victim’s attention back to reality and away from Vecna’s mind games.”
When Max neared death, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” anchored her to reality, saving her life.
Earlier in series four we learned that Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s 1950 song, Dream A Little Dream Of Me, helped Henry Creel’s father, Victor, escape his son’s murderous manipulations.
Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) and Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) discovered, after visiting Victor in an asylum, that music can penetrate consciousness and disrupt Vecna’s control.
Montepiedra emphasizes the importance of Hawkins’ radio station, featuring a show hosted by Robin and Steve Harrington, played by Joe Keery.
“Introducing a radio station in season five is intentional and serves a purpose,” she writes.
“Radio stations are ideal for reaching the masses from a singular location.
“And if the main characters who gain control of the radio station are the ones who know the link between music and Vecna’s curse, then they can provide the citizens of Hawkins with constant protection in the guise of entertainment.”
The show will delve into this storyline, as Noah Schnapp recently told Deadline this would be explored.
“For Will, we start to learn the parallels between Will and Vecna,” he said.
“It almost felt very Harry Potter to me that I had to go back and re-watch the movies, because the Harry Potter-Voldemort relationship felt very close to Will and Vecna, just kind of exploring those parallels and what that means.”
He also expressed satisfaction with the series’ conclusion.
“I feel very satisfied and excited for all our characters and how the show wraps up,” he said.
“I think it does a great job closing everyone’s individual story and doing a service to all of them.”
Despite the show’s conclusion, a sequel would be a tempting opportunity for the Duffer brothers.
“Stranger Things” has reached Netflix’s Top 10 in all 93 countries measured by the company, according to Variety, with season four becoming the first English-language series to surpass one billion streamed hours on the platform.
However, the Duffer brothers have ruled out a sequel.
“This really is the end of the story of Eleven and Mike and Lucas and Dustin and Steve and all these characters, and Hawkins specifically,” GamesRadar quoted Ross Duffer saying.
Matt added: “There’s not really anything else worth exploring.
“The book is closed, and the ending wouldn’t be very impactful if we left it cracked open for some sort of sequel.”
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