Warning: This article may contain spoilers for Stranger Things.
It’s time to start stocking up on tissues in preparation for season five of Stranger Things. The hit show’s creators told fans at a Screen Actors Guild Q&A event Nov. 13 at the Netflix’s Tudum Theater in Los Angeles that they recently sat down with Netflix executives to pitch the final season of the hit Netflix series.
“We did get our executives to cry, which I felt was a good sign that these executives were crying.”
– Matt Duffer
The creative minds behind the sci-fi series said they are currently writing the script for episode two, and promised to wrap up the storylines in a satisfying way.
“It’s important to wrap up those arcs because a lot of these characters have been growing since season one. 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.”
– Ross Duffer
The Duffer Brothers also recently spoke with Collider about what fans can expect from the final season, especially after the events of the heartbreaking season four finale. Matt Duffer said season five will kick off where season four ended and the characters are not going to have time to rest.
“It’s gonna be intense from beginning to end … I think one of the things that’s exciting about Season 5 is this is about everyone finally coming back – coming back together – coming back to Hawkins. Hopper (David Harbour) back in Hawkins, Hopper back with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). The original group back together.”
– Matt Duffer
He said season five will be a culmination of all the seasons – mystery, monsters, and psychological horror – while also focusing on what matters, which are the characters the fans have grown to love since it premiered in 2016.
While season four had the characters scattered all over the world, season five will be focused on Hawkins, Indiana, where the Upside Down has literally emerged from the town’s depths. The stakes are higher than ever for the team after the devastating loss of two characters. Ross Duffer said the final season will also answer some unresolved questions the fans have been asking.
“The big reveals that remain, that are coming in Season 5, are really about the Upside Down itself, which we’ve only started to hint at … What we haven’t really discussed is what exactly the Upside Down is. Those are some of the last big reveals coming in Season 5. The goal of this one, unlike other seasons, like Matt was saying, is that sense of anticipation where you’ve set up what the stakes are, which we haven’t done for other seasons.”
– Ross Duffer
Stranger Things is now streaming on Netflix. Season five is expected to be released in late 2023 or early 2024.