The end of an era is coming soon, and now we’re one massive step closer to it, as Season 5 of Stranger Things just wrapped its production. In celebration of this big update that also solidified the fact that our final trip to the Upside Down will be part of the 2025 TV schedule, Netflix posted the sweetest BTS photos while Ross Duffer uploaded a sentimental statement about finishing filming. Now, as we mix all that and the nostalgia together, I’m left sitting here in my feels.
This trip down memory lane that also has me stoked about what’s to come began with a co-post from the official Stranger Things account and the series’ co-creator Ross Duffer. It featured a handful of behind-the-scenes photos (which you can see below) of the kids with Winona Ryder, the Duffer Brothers, the Steve, Nancy and Jonathan actors, and so much more.
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Admittedly the one that really got me was the final image of Maya Hawke, Joe Keery, Finn Wolfhard and Charlie Heaton. They’re all smiling so big, and seeing the Robin, Steve and Mike actors with their arms around each other makes me all emo.
Plus, just generally seeing the kids all grown up with their older co-stars puts all this in perspective. The young actors are taller than most of their colleagues now, and they’re all also adults, which is wild to think about. And it’s crazy to comprehend this fact both in terms of their lives and my own, because like them, I was a kid when Season 1 came out.
So, we’ve all truly been on a wild ride over the years with Stranger Things, and Ross Duffer’s statement about wrapping touched on that too, as he wrote in part in his Instagram post:
We’ve been telling this story for nearly a decade now. Many of our cast members joined us when they were kids, just ten or eleven years old. It wasn’t just a show for them—it was a defining part of their childhood. They’ve grown up before our eyes, becoming more than actors—they’ve become family. But it’s not just the cast we consider family. Our crew—many of whom have been with us from the very beginning—holds a special place in our hearts. Their dedication and passion have been the backbone of this journey.
After a year of production and over two years of waiting, it’s surreal to think that Season 5 of Stranger Things is completely filmed and way closer to being released.
Now, the wait for its premiere on Netflix’s 2025 schedule is really on, and that makes me feel excited, nostalgic, sad and a myriad of other emotions. This is all because between getting the Season 5 episode titles and seeing Duffer’s post along with these BTS photos, it really feels like we’re in the endgame now.
To contextualize that statement, we’ve been waiting for Season 5 since the summer of 2022 – that was the year I started working at CinemaBlend. Season 1 came out in 2016 – my senior year of high school. My life has changed dramatically since the show's premiere, and I can't help but feel so much nostalgia and bittersweet sentiment for this journey we've all been on.
I imagine a bunch of Stranger Things fans are looking back on how their lives have changed while this show has been on too, and if they’re like me, they’re in their feels. So much has evolved both in Hawkins and in real life, and it genuinely feels like the end of a major chapter now that this Netflix megahit is coming to a close next year.
So, while I make sure I’m stocked up on tissues for what’s bound to be an action-packed and emotional season of one of Netflix’s most binge-able shows, you can go back and watch Stranger Things' first four seasons with a Netflix subscription. Then, as we get closer and closer to this highly anticipated conclusion, make sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend, because we’ll be keeping you updated on all things Upside Down.
