Stranger Things Season Five: Has it been too long?

On Netflix’s live-streamed event TUDUM, the cast of Stranger Things announced the release dates for the fifth and final season. This season will be released in three parts – the first four episodes on November 26; the next three on Christmas Day; and the finale on New Year’s Eve.

The synopsis for the season is as follows: “The Fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.”

Fans will have waited over three years for the story to continue

The show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, previously revealed that this final season will answer many of the fans’ questions about the show’s lore. But what are the fans’ thoughts on these revelations about the finale? It seems there are mixed emotions and opinions amongst long-time fans of the show about season five.

After speaking with fans of the show, many seem to feel that it has been such a long time since the last season, that people, myself included, are no longer as invested or have even forgotten most of what happened in the last season. Filming for season five was scheduled to begin May 2023 but was delayed until January 2024 due to industry strike action. The second volume of season four was released July 1 2022, meaning that by the release of the final season, fans will have waited over three years for the story to continue. After the success of season four, hopes were high for the big conclusion, but the unprecedented wait time has led it to drop off many of our radars.

Another fan commented on the production’s decision to release the season over three parts. She explained that she felt annoyed at this decision, suggesting that they are “clearly just capitalising on the popularity of the show and…making us wait more.” She says that it had “better be really good” to make up for the drawn out process and excessive teasing of details. Whilst fans are optimistic for the quality of the season, they have been equally frustrated by the lead-up and promotional decisions.

Undoubtedly Stranger Things 5 will be a success

The filming delays also have implications for the show’s narrative. When Stranger Things premiered, I was 11 years old. By the time the first volume of season five drops, I will be 21. Season one was set in November 1983; season five resumes the story in the Fall of 1987, supposedly just four years after the show’s beginnings. The original group of teenage boys that the show began by following were 12 years old and should now only be 16. Without incorporating some sort of time-skip into the future, which evidently the Duffer Brothers have not written into this season, it is difficult to understand how the actors’ seemingly rapid aging will be believable.

Despite some practical issues for the actors and the fans’ universal frustration at the long break between seasons, undoubtedly Stranger Things 5 will be a success. The show has a nostalgic quality that never fails to engage audiences young and old. The numerous questions answered and raised by season four are keeping fans intrigued in spite of the long wait and will inevitably draw back in all those who thought they had lost interest.

Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix.