‘Stranger Things’: What you need to know before Season 5

A lot has happened since Stranger Things last released new episodes in 2022. The Writers and Actors Guilds have called a historic strike. production delay in the last season. The Duffer Brothers, as series creators Matt and Ross are known, developed play set in the world of Stranger Things, which premiered in London's West End and transferred to Broadway earlier this year. Star Millie Bobby Brown, who was 12 years old when the show premiered, became wife and mother.

The gap between seasons four and five is so long that many fans—except those who dutifully rewatched and took careful notes in preparation—might not remember what happened last. And key context and events from previous seasons may be even more blurred in our memories, such as Eleven trying to remember what happened in the rainbow room.

Let's refresh our memories together.

Set in the fictional Hawkins, Indiana, (mostly) in the 1980s, Stranger Things follows a ragtag group of kids and the handful of adults they trust as they battle evil and supernatural forces in their small town. High school students Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Max (Sadie Sink), and older teenagers Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Steve (Joe Keery) and Robin (Maya Hawke) work with Eleven (Brown), a girl with special psychokinetic powers, to protect the city from a parallel dimension called Upside Down, with monsters, electrical storms and otherworldly forces in the spirit of Lovecraft. Joining them in the fight are Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), Will and Jonathan's mom, police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbor) and several other important characters.

Here's a rundown of important storylines to remember, a reminder of where the series ended, and everything else you need to know to prepare for the fifth and final season, which will air in three parts, starting with Tom. 1 of November 26, Vol. 2 at Christmas and the finale on New Year's Eve.

Where are we staying?

Stranger Things season four ends in a literal dark place.

Vecna, the main antagonist of the fourth season, was looking for four victims whose death would open four gates to the Upside Down. Although his final victim, Max, was only dead for a minute (more on that later), he succeeded. The gates converge in downtown Hawkins, culminating in a big boom at the Hawkins Public Library. Although officials call it an earthquake, our gang knows better: The Upside Down merges with the real world.

In the final moments of the season, dark clouds are seen drifting across the sky while familiar dandruff-like particles from the Upside Down float through the air. Earlier in the season, Vecna ​​possessed Nancy, showing her a horrifying vision of mass death and destruction in Hawkins and four gates to the Upside Down tearing through the city. These are just a few steps in his mission to destroy humanity.

The end of the season also sees the long-awaited return of Hopper, who was trapped in a Russian prison until Joyce and Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman), their mutual friend and private investigator, helped break him out and bring him home. Eleven and Hopper, who share a father-daughter bond, reunite in one of the brighter moments of a dark season.

And although he achieved his goal, Vecna ​​is weak. Nancy, Robin and Steve set his body on fire as he attacked Max, who was in a trance. Fearless Nancy then shoots him several times until he falls out of the second floor of his lair. Although it appears at first that they have killed him, by the time the team rushes to the first floor, his body is gone and Will senses that he is still alive.

Characters who died in Season 4

Max Mayfield (sort of)

Vecna ​​hunted Max for most of the fourth season, and in the final episode, playing Kate Bush Repeating “Running Up That Hill” from her Walkman isn't enough to save her. Vecna ​​kills Max, but Eleven is able to revive her by using her powers to restart her heart. The last shot we see of Max is her hospitalized in a coma with broken bones and worried friends by her side.

She is alive, but her temporary death was enough for Vecna ​​to achieve his goal. Theories about whether Max's consciousness is stuck in visions of Vecna, or whether she will recover with powers that will allow her to spy on Vecna, have been circulating on social media since the release of Season 4, but fans of the character shouldn't worry. Sink is listed in the Season 5 credits and is briefly seen in the Season 5 trailer, with Lucas carrying her body as the Demogorgon, one of the monsters in the series, runs towards them.

Although he died in the season three finale, Billy Hargrove, Max's half-brother, is notable as his death took a great emotional toll on Max, filling her with guilt and grief, making her one of Vecna's targets.

Eddie Munson

This fan favorite character played by Joseph Quinn died in the final episode of season 4, but went out with the flames. Eddie and Dustin were in the Inverted Position carrying out their part of the plan to attack Vecna, and Eddie destroyed Metallica. “Master of Puppets” on his guitar to distract the Demobats defending Vecna's lair. Dustin says the musical trick is “the most metal thing ever,” but it's not enough to keep them safe from the terrifying creatures.

After Dustin passes through the gate back to the real world, Eddie stays behind to shoo away the bats and buy the group more time. He is eventually attacked by the creatures and dies in Dustin's arms after protecting his friends.

Eddie initially became friends with Mike, Lucas and Dustin over their shared love of Dungeons & Dragons, forming the Hellfire Club to play the game together. Eddie's death will likely impact Dustin in the upcoming season, who can be seen wearing a Hellfire Club jersey in the trailer.

Dr. Martin Brenner

Dr. Brenner, or “Eleven's Dad” as his test subjects called him, was killed by military fire when officers invaded his research facility in search of Eleven. They believed that she was behind the strange events and murders occurring in Hawkins.

Brenner (Matthew Modine) played a significant role in the scandalous scandal. MKUltra programreal-life secret CIA research program on mind control and chemical interrogation. He took young Henry Creel (who would eventually become Agent 001/Vecnoy) under his wing after discovering that he had psychokinetic powers and attempted to replicate these powers in other children, including Eleven.

In his final moments, Brenner tells Eleven that he is proud of her and that all he ever wanted was to help her and protect her despite the mental and physical abuse he inflicted on her.

Other important things to remember

Will's connection to Upside Down

Since he was trapped in the Upside Down in the first season, Will was unable to break his connection to this dimension. In Season 2, he is possessed by the Mind Flayer and feels pain when the vines in the Upside Down are damaged or when the Demogorgons are injured. He is connected to the dimension's “hivemind” and can sense Vecna's presence, usually through a strange sensation in the back of his head.

“Sister” of Eleven

Although all of the test subjects raised with Eleven were killed by Henry/001 in the Hawkins Lab massacre (Season 4, Episode 7), one of her “siblings” managed to escape the lab before that fateful day. Kali, or 008, made a brief appearance in the season two storyline – Eleven temporarily joined her gang of misfits to help Kali on a mission to get revenge on the people who worked at the lab.

Kali did not appear in seasons three and four, but other than Eleven and Henry/Vecna, she is the only known person to have powerful psychokinetic abilities.

“First Shadow”

Play “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” is a prequel telling the story of Henry's origin and how he eventually became Agent 001 and Vecna. Although it is considered a standalone work, the Duffer Brothers collaborated with Stranger Things writer Kate Trefry to create the story of the play, and they have confirmed that it is canon in the Stranger Things universe.

Some fans who have compared details from the play and the series say that the play suggests that Vecna ​​may not be controlling the Mind Flayer as he assumed. Rather, the Mind Flayer is controlling him, or at least it has corrupted his human self.

Fans who have been following the show to see if this theory holds water note that Dustin, whose theories about the Upside Down are generally correct, suggested the same thing in season four. When talking about the Mind Flayer, he says, “If Demogorgon was just his foot soldier, then Vecna ​​would be his five-star general.”

What we know will happen next

Netflix released first five minutes new season in early November, in which we see flashbacks to Will's time in the Upside Down. The Demogorgon drags the unconscious Will to Vecna's lair, and Vecna ​​ominously says that they can begin their work “at last.” “You and I, we're going to do such wonderful things together, William,” he continues.

It looks like we can expect a showdown between our heroes and Vecna, but perhaps we can also get further explanation as to why Will was chosen as the target to begin with.

Is this the end of Stranger Things?

In a word, yes. But there will be new stories set in the world of Stranger Things. Netflix recently unveiled the first look at the animated spin-off series Stranger Things: Tales from '85. The series will take place between the events of Seasons 2 and 3 and will feature the main characters fans know and love. The Duffer Brothers have collaborated with showrunner Eric Robles to create the series, which has yet to set a premiere date.

The Duffer Brothers are also developing a spin-off with new characters and the “clean slate” they teased in a recent interview with the publication. Diversity.