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I want the ‘Stranger Things’ finale to blow me away — but I’m not sure it will
I’ve done a decent amount of writing about “Stranger Things” season 5 at Tom’s Guide, so I think my initial excitement going into the final season has been well-recorded by this point, but I’d be lying if I said my expectations hadn’t been lowered by what we’ve seen so far.
While I wasn’t super thrilled about the frequent “planning scenes,” expository sequences in Vol. 1, I was expecting this to be the set-up phase for what’s been billed as an epic send-off… but the general feeling of inertia and repetition got way more egregious as the season continued. Ultimately, I left Vol. 2 feeling decidedly unimpressed, if I’m honest.
The fact is, I thought the second batch of episodes was going to tee up a truly fitting final confrontation, but I think it was instead dominated by seeding more questions, even poorer writing, and more wheel-spinning, in my opinion. Overall, season 5 hasn’t impressed me, and with only one episode remaining, and while I’m more than happy to be incorrect, I’m not sure this is going to end up being the epic send-off that’s been teased thus far. — MS
The ultimate soundtrack showdown for ‘Stranger Things’
“Stranger Things” has always been defined by its unforgettable music, from ’80s classics to perfectly timed hits that make every twist and turn so much better. Which season do you think has the best soundtrack?
The Duffer Brothers’ finale verdict: ‘We feel really happy with how the show ended up’
During an interview with THR, the Duffer Brothers were asked if they “stuck the landing” on the series finale, and it sounds like they’re happy with how the show’s wrapped up.
“We feel really happy with how the show ended up,” Ross said, before turning to the final scene of the show (which the pair say they’ve had in their heads “for years”).
“We knew that no matter what we did, we could do eight hours of entertainment that people love, and then if you slip in the last five minutes, it’s all anyone’s going to talk about! So you just want to make sure you get those five minutes right, and then hopefully everything falls into place. We’re so proud of that scene and the performances from our cast in that scene, so we’re feeling good about it. But it’s always nerve-racking to put it out there for the audience.”
Matt Duffer acknowledged that “you can’t really work towards satisfying” everyone watching the show, but added that the pair gained more confidence in their finale after sharing it with their cast.
“At the end of the day, you do kind of have to shut out all the noise and just listen to your gut and the other writers with whom we’ve been working with for so long, and hope that what we feel is right resonates with everybody else,” he said. “The only thing that gives me some more confidence is the fact that the actors are as happy as they are, because they are so connected to those characters.” — MS
Swoosh-side down
When brands team up, the result can be pretty cool. Check out this Nike x Stranger Things collab unboxing video from TG’s Phil Rodrigues. There’s a particularly clever twist on the usual Nike swoosh that’s perfect for the show.
Is anyone going to die in the finale?
I was surprised that nobody died in volume 2 — not even a red shirt like Murray or Mr. Clarke. But it’s pretty much guaranteed that someone (likely a few someones) will be killed off in the series finale. The Duffer brothers love to punctuate their story with big deaths (see: Billy, Eddie). So, who do you think it will be? — KW
Prediction: I’m convinced everyone’s going to make it out alive
Let’s get into some theory-crafting, shall we? The first thing I’d focus on is the fact that I cannot see a world in which El (or any of our main ensemble, for that matter) doesn’t survive the final fight.
Across the series run, the Duffer Brothers have repeatedly shown they’re not interested in killing off their main cast members. Sure, they’ve been in danger a bunch, but they’ve always bounced back … unlike Eddie, Barb, or Bob.
Despite Kali urging El that they should stay behind when Hawkins and The Abyss collide (so no one can start up another secretive programme trying to create more kids with powers later down the line), following this logic, and the fact the Duffers have been throwing around the “It’s not “Game of Thrones”” line, I foresee the core “Stranger Things” party will be getting a happy ending, rather than someone making a heroic sacrifice. — MS
What is the Upside Down?
It’s been a while since the first season of “Stranger Things” hit Netflix, nearly a decade to be exact. It’s understandable that you might be a little foggy on how some of the show’s more intricate mechanics actually work. Additionally, we’ve learned so much more about some of the show’s finer tidbits over the years that it can be difficult to parse all of it at once. Case in point: the Upside Down.
Ahead of tonight’s finale, it might be prudent to run down exactly how the Upside Down functions so that when it all comes together, you won’t be left scratching your head. Beware, however, if you haven’t yet seen Vol. 2: spoilers abound.
The Upside Down is an extradimensional realm that features a Hawkins, Indiana frozen in time. It’s basically a “snapshot” of the town frozen on November 6, 1983, the day Eleven contacted the Demogorgon with her psychic powers.
As of season 5, we now also understand it as a “bridge” between the human world and the “Abyss”, where the Mind Flayer resides. It’s better described as a “wormhole” with the additional understanding gleaned from the new episodes.
To enter or exit the Upside Down you have to do so via gate, essentially a tear in the fabric of reality. Communication via the outside world is mostly possible through electricity, and it’s typically teeming with hostile entities like Demogorgons.
Every creature and vine in this realm is part of a single hive mind. This means the monsters and the environment itself are psychically linked, allowing a central consciousness to see and feel everything that happens across the entire dimension at once.
That’s the Upside Down in a nutshell, but there’s likely still a lot we haven’t learned. Expect all of its secrets to be revealed when the season 5 finale debuts tonight. — BV
The ‘Stranger Things’ season 5 finale trailer sets the stage for one last fight in Hawkins
There are just hours left to go until we see the “Stranger Things” saga come to a close, and Netflix has released the full trailer for the season 5 finale. While it raises more questions than answers, it makes one thing very clear: whatever’s left of Hawkins is about to be pushed to its absolute limit.
The new footage finds Hopper (David Harbour) delivering a heavy, end-of-the-road pep talk to a battle-hardened Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) inside the Upside Down ahead of the final battle to save the world, interspersed with footage from throughout the previous seasons.
“Fight for the days on the other side of this,” Hopper urges Eleven with a tearful plea. “Fight for a world beyond Hawkins. Let’s end this, kid.”
It’s an emotional call to arms after what’s been a tumultuous Vol. 2, with Vecna’s master plan coming to light among some seriously dark themes. Learning of the Upside Down’s true nature, several tearful reunions (and splits), and plans coming together over the past few episodes have made it clear that the Duffers aren’t here to play around with the series’ epic final installment.
Hawkins has survived a lot over the years, but whatever happens next will bring this long-running Netflix hit to a close. It’s time to get your final predictions in as we barrel to the end, so give the trailer a few more views ahead of the finale and see if your theories end up coming true. — BV
How long is the ‘Stranger Things’ finale?
Netflix revealed the finale’s runtime back in mid-December — and we’re in for a “supersized” final installment.
The series’ finale episode was initially billed as 2 hours and 5 minutes (125 minutes) long on Tudum, but Ross Duffer recently revealed on Instagram that the series’ finale will be even longer.
In a post captioned “final runtimes,” Chapter 8 (“The Rightside Up”) was listed as 2 hours and 8 minutes long (128 minutes total), making it the longest episode of the season, by some margin.
That’s not the episode of “Stranger Things” ever, though: that honor belongs to the season 4 finale, “The Piggyback,” which clocked in at 142 minutes (2 hours and 22 minutes). — MS
Here’s when you can stream the ‘Stranger Things’ season 5 finale
“Stranger Things” season 5’s finale is dropping on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31, 2025) at 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. ET.
That means you’ll still have time to head out to any NYE parties you might have on your calendar, but seeing as this is a feature-length finale, you might have to plan to be fashionably late.
If you’re watching in the UK, the season finale will be available to stream from 1 a.m. GMT on Thursday, January 1, 2026, while Australian readers can watch from 12 p.m. AEDT on January 1. If you’re reading in a different time zone, be sure to check Netflix’s comprehensive release date breakdown on Tudum. — MS
Welcome!
Welcome to our “Stranger Things” season 5 volume 3 live blog, and what better night for a finale than New Year’s Eve. As the clock counts down to midnight, we’re spending the last hours of the year in Hawkins, tracking the series finale with episode context, quick refreshers, release details, and real-time reactions as everything comes to an end. We’ll be updating continuously as the finale unfolds, so keep this page open and ring in the New Year with the Upside Down one last time.
