A lot has happened since “Stranger Things” last released new episodes — just look at the stars of the hit sci-fi horror series.
Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, married Jon Bon Jovi’s son, Jake Bongiovi, and adopted a girl.
Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike, starred in a “Ghostbusters” movie, directed his first feature film and released a solo album.
Joe Keery, who plays Steve, went viral for his music. He released a new album and made his debut at both the Coachella and Glastonbury music festivals. He’s also up for a Grammy next year.
Now, after three apparently busy years, the wait for a new season of “Stranger Things” is finally over.
The Netflix show releases the first four episodes of its fifth and final season Wednesday night.
Here’s a look at the release schedule — and what to expect from the new season.
When does ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 come out?
The first four episodes (Volume 1) of Season 5 hit Netflix Wednesday at 6 p.m. MST.
Per Deseret News, the titles of these episodes are:
- “The Crawl”
- “The Vanishing of (name redacted)”
- “The Turnbow Trap”
- “Sorcerer”
Although the final season picks up 18 months after the Season 4 finale, the opening scene — which Netflix shared earlier this month — shows a flashback to the first season, when Will Byers is trapped in the Upside Down, hiding in his makeshift fort and shakily singing The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” for comfort.
This opening scene appears to pick up where Season 1, Episode 7 ends, showing what happens to Will once a demogorgon in the Upside Down comes for him, per Deseret News.
After a battle ensues between Will and a demogorgon, there’s a fairly big reveal: Although viewers were first introduced to the monster Vecna last season, it becomes clear he’s been a part of the storyline — and connected to Will — all along.
“At long last,” Vecna tells Will in the Season 5 opening scene. “We can begin. You and I, we are going to do such beautiful things together, William. Such beautiful things.”
The opening scene teases a greater role for Will — who was somewhat sidelined last season — this time around, and suggests that the connection between Will and Vecna will be a major storyline.
The title of the second episode also points back to Will, mirroring the very first episode of the show — “The Vanishing of Will Byers.”
Fans have speculated that Holly Wheeler, the younger sister of Mike Wheeler, will be the “Stranger Things” character who goes missing in Season 5 — mainly because the character has been recast with “Evil Dead Rise” actor Nell Fisher in the role, potentially pointing to a bigger storyline for the character, according to Screen Rant.
When do the next ‘Stranger Things’ episodes come out?
“Stranger Things” fans won’t have to wait too long for the next batch of episodes following the first four.
Netflix will release Volume 2 — the next three episodes — on Christmas Day at 6 p.m. MST.
The episode titles are:
- “Shock Jock”
- “Escape From Camazotz”
- “The Bridge”
The final episode — “The Rightside Up” — concludes a show that premiered nearly a decade ago. It will hit Netflix and play in select theaters starting at 6 p.m. MST on New Year’s Eve, per Deseret News.
“The last 30 minutes of it are pretty clear in our heads,” “Stranger Things” co-creator Ross Duffer told Entertainment Weekly long before production on Season 5 began. “So if we can make the journey entertaining, I think that we have an end that will hopefully satisfy. You can’t satisfy everyone, but the hope is that it’s something that feels right for this story.”