Netflix has released a trailer for the final episode of Stranger Things 5, which premieres in theaters and on the streamer on December 31st.
The finale, titled “The Rightside Up,” is the eighth episode of the show’s fifth and final season. Netflix released the first four episodes of season 5 as “Stranger Things 5: Volume 1” on Thanksgiving Day, and the next three episodes as “Volume 2” on Christmas Day.
Volume 2 ends with Episode 7, where Max (Sadie Sink), who manages to regain consciousness, reveals archvillain Vecna’s plan to merge the world with a parallel dimension on the other side of the Upside Down called the Abyss. The characters infiltrate the Abyss, rescue the kidnapped children of Vecna, and plan to destroy the Abyss with a bomb. In the final scene, Vecna, still disguised as the human Henry Creel, joins hands with her brainwashed victims in an enchanted seance that transports them to the Abyss.
Matt and Ross Duffer created “Stranger Things” nearly a decade ago, and Netflix released Season 1 in July 2016. Paranormal Mystery quickly became a phenomenon, with seasons 2 and 3 released in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Like Season 5, Season 4 was released in two volumes in May and July 2022. The series also spawned the play Stranger Things: First Shadow, which premiered in London’s West End in 2023 and is currently playing on Broadway.
In a recent interview with Variety, the Duffers said one of the big unanswered questions heading into the finale is “how can we get a happy ending,” given that even if Eleven manages to save the world, she’ll still be hunted by the military. They explained that, on a thematic level, Eleven’s story is a push and pull between Mike’s idealistic view and Cali’s cynical worldview.
“There’s a supernatural threat, and that’s represented by Vecna this season. But the military has always been a threat since season one. Even when Brenner is gone, he’s constantly replaced by someone else. In this case, in season five, he’ll be played by Kay,” Ross Duffer said. “So compared to Mike’s worldview of butterflies and rainbows appearing, we needed Carly to represent a perhaps more pessimistic but perhaps realistic version. And Carly says, ‘What’s this going to be like? And what’s the solution so we can live a normal life?’ That’s a really big part of Eleven’s journey this season.”
“Stranger Things” is one of the most popular shows in Netflix history, recently surpassing 1.2 billion total views on the streamer.
The final episode has a running time of 2 hours and 5 minutes and is the series’ first big screen release, playing in more than 500 theaters in the United States and Canada. First screenings will begin at 5pm PT on New Year’s Eve, coinciding with the release of the episode on Netflix. According to Ross Duffer, 1.1 million people have signed up to experience the Stranger Things 5 finale in theaters. He also claimed that 3,500 showings in over 620 theaters have been sold out.
Watch the trailer below.
