As Stranger Things fans undoubtedly know well by this point, the hit Netflix series is set to wrap with the upcoming fifth and final season. There are plenty of questions that need to be answered before the final credits roll after how Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 ended... and the show certainly is taking time to get it right with what actress Maya Hawke described as "basically, eight movies." Co-creator Ross Duffer shared some behind-the-scenes images, and even though there are some exciting options, I found one particularly relatable.
The Duffer Brothers have dropped sporadic updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses of Season 5 since production started, but with two years and counting since the most recent episodes released for Netflix subscribers, it's no wonder that even crumbs like a candle line have us fans freaking out. Check out the latest batch of BTS images from Ross Duffer below:
While it's great to see Joe Keery as Steve and I'm already speculating about whether or not that's a tank in the background of the video, the second pic in the photoset is that one that really sums up my feelings about waiting for Season 5. I'm not entirely sure which of the Duffer Brothers is pictured, and I'm only guessing that the other man pictured is executive producer/director Shawn Levy, but how they look is how I'm feeling about the extended hiatus ahead of the fifth season: exhausted and exasperated.
Sure, there are variables like the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike to contribute to the long wait, but I for one would rather have eight episodes that are regular length for TV than upwards of two years for eight movie-length installment! (I reserve the right to completely change my mind on that once Season 5 debuts, though.) I don't take the image of Joseph Quinn as Eddie shredding is a spoiler that he'll be back.
A new video from earlier in July seems to confirm some things about Dustin and the other teens, although I'm still not convinced that we're not in for a big time jump after some pics of Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin were shared by Ross Duffer back in March. There's also no need to try and count the marbles marking the number of days shot; the Stranger Things X account confirmed just a couple of weeks ago that the show was halfway through filming Season 5.
Hopefully we can count on the final season premiering at some point in 2025. I for one wouldn't mind if Netflix releases the season in two batches like Season 4 was, particularly if we're in for eight movie-length episodes. For now, we can always cross our fingers for more tidbits about Season 5 and revisit the first four seasons of Stranger Things on Netflix. There are also plenty of fun options on the way in the 2024 TV schedule, even if the Duffer Brothers' show isn't going to be on it.
