This past summer, Netflix subscribers were finally delivered Stranger Things Season 4, with the first seven episodes dropping on May 27, and the final two episodes, both of which were supersized, arriving on July 1. This now means we only have one more season left of Stranger Things to look forward to, and naturally fans are curious about how this sci-fi/horror saga will wrap up. On that note, creators Matt and Ross Duffer have shared an update on Stranger Things Season 5, namely how this final arc will compare to the previous four seasons.
The Duffer Brothers stopped by Netflix’s Tudum Theater on Sunday night to talk Stranger Things (via Deadline), and among the topics discussed was whether there would be any specific ‘80s pop culture influences that would shape Season 5, akin to how Season 4 drew inspiration from A Nightmare on Elm Street (and even bringing in Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund to play Victor Creel). Here’s what Ross Duffer had to say:
[Season] 5, the way we see it, is kind of a culmination of all the seasons, so it’s got a little bit from each. I think that what we’re trying to do is go back to the beginning a little bit, in sort of the tone of 1. But also scale-wise, it’s more aligned with what 4 is. So, hopefully, it’s got a little bit of everything.
So if you mix the tone of Stranger Things Season 1 with the scale of Season 4, then you get the feel of Stranger Things Season 5, which sounds about right. For a finale like this, the show needs to match, if not far exceed what Season 4 brought to the table, but it also doesn’t hurt for Stranger Things to go back to its roots a bit before we bid farewell to these characters. But that’s not to say that Season 5 will be entirely filled with familiar elements; remember that Stranger Things Season 4 ended with gigantic portals into the Upside Down opening in Hawkins, Indiana. As a result, Season 5 will see the danger to our world, as Matt Duffer put it, “all kind of out in the open,” as opposed to still being kept a private affair.
Ross Duffer also shared at the event that the Stranger Things writing staff is hard at work on Episode 2, with the script for Episode 1, titled “Chapter One: The Crawl,” having been given to Netflix “a couple of weeks ago.” And while many questions about Stranger Things’ deeper mythology were answered in Season 4, Ross Duffer said that there’s still ““quite a bit” to unravel going in Season 5. As he explained:
But just as important as the supernatural, we have so many characters now, most of whom are still living. It’s important to wrap up those arcs because a lot of these characters have been growing since Season 1. So, it’s a balancing act between giving them time to complete their character arcs, and also tying up these loose ends and doing our final reveals.
Other things we’ve learned about Stranger Things Season 5 over the last several months from The Duffer Brothers include them doing their best to resist adding new characters so that the focus can rest firmly on the “OG characters,” and that aside from the series finale, this last season’s episodes won’t be as long as the ones from Season 4. Jamie Campbell Brown, who debuted in Season 4 as Vecna/Henry Creel/One, has also said that Season 5 will see Vecna “pissed” and “properly vexed,” going so far as to compare his character to Jason Voorhees. It’s also worth mentioning that while Stranger Things is on its way out, there’s been talk about keeping this world going through spinoffs, although nothing has been cemented just yet.
We’ll pass along concrete Stranger Things Season 5 details as soon as they trickle in, including when the final season will premiere. Until then, take a look at the best Netflix movies to stream now.
