In honor of Stranger Things Day in 2024, Netflix has unveiled the eagerly anticipated episode titles for the fifth and final season of the phenomenally popular series. The streaming giant has also put to rest speculation swirling online, confirming that the season will arrive in 2025, rather than 2026.
Mirroring most of its predecessors with eight episodes, the fifth season of Stranger Things will buck the trend set by seasons two and four, which featured nine installments each. The episodes are titled: “The Crawl,” “The Vanishing of _____,” “The Turnbow Trap,” “Sorcerer,” “Shock Jock,” “Escape From Camazotz,” “The Bridge,” and “The Rightside Up.”
While the accompanying video (embedded below) disclosed all the episode titles, intrigue surrounding the second episode, “The Vanishing Of,” remains thick. A censored element in the title has left fans guessing. This mysterious vanishing act echoes the series' inaugural episode, “The Vanishing of Will Byers,” yet Netflix is keeping tight-lipped about the specifics.
Despite confirming the final season's 2025 debut in a brief teaser, Netflix has refrained from pinpointing the exact release date within the year. However, the video does suggest a timeline: “In the fall of 1987, one last adventure begins.” This could hint at a late-2025 premiere on Netflix, aligning with the summer and fall releases of previous Emmy-winning seasons.
Stranger Things Day, commemorated annually on November 6, marks the day Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) disappeared from Hawkins, Indiana, in 1983, igniting the series' narrative. Though the town abandoned hope of finding Will, his loved ones persisted, ultimately encountering the enigmatic Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).
The fifth and final season of the series will resume sometime after the cliffhanger-laden season four finale, which revealed Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) successfully wreaking havoc on Hawkins, splitting the town into four fragments.
While plot details for the final season of Stranger Things remain scarce, co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer have shared a few insights. Firstly, Will will play a pivotal role, potentially bringing the narrative full circle to season one, where he was imprisoned in the Upside Down. Secondly, the season will incorporate a time jump, as confirmed by Wednesday's teaser – albeit a modest leap forward from season four, which was set in spring 1986. Lastly, Vecna will make a triumphant return.
