The Hawkins gang is back for one last time. Netflix has dropped the highly anticipated official trailer for Stranger Things Season 5, the final chapter in the Duffer Brothers’ long-running hit and critically acclaimed sci-fi horror gem. Given how Season 4 concluded, all hell is about to break loose in this ultimate showdown.
The gang gave it their all and nearly lost some beloved members, like Max (Sadie Sink), in the last season. Despite their efforts, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) managed to survive, and havoc began unleashing in the small, beautiful town of Hawkins, Indiana. Which is why our heroes must once again team up to take Vecna down for good.
The final season of Stranger Things is coming out in three parts this year. Fans will get the first four episodes on November 26, followed by three more on December 25, and the big finale on December 31. Even though the wait feels long, the new trailer has arrived at just the right time. It doesn’t give away too many specifics, but it does drop major clues about what to expect.
All Eyes Are on Steve
From being one of the most hated characters to becoming one of the most beloved, Steve Harrington (played by Joe Keery) has had quite the journey. His support for Robin in Season 3 after she came out, the way he helps the gang, and his heartwarming bromance with Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) are just some of the reasons fans adore him.
Which is why it would be both shocking and heartbreaking if anything bad were to happen to Steve this season. Before Season 4 dropped, many fans theorized that Steve might meet his end in a grand act of sacrifice in the Upside Down. But instead, it was Eddie (Joseph Quinn) — the eccentric, guitar-shredding, D&D-loving Metallica fan — who made the ultimate sacrifice to save Dustin and the rest of the group.
What Will Happen to Max?
Max came dangerously close to death in Season 4. The finale showed her in a coma, but the new trailer reveals her trapped in some kind of water vessel alongside Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). This suggests she will wake from the coma in Season 5, but she doesn’t look to be in great shape.
Stranger Things has yet to kill off a major character permanently. Could Max be the first? Only time will tell.
Are We Seeing the Last of Nancy and Jonathan?
In the Stranger Things Season 5 trailer, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) seem to be facing more than just relationship issues. They share a tearful moment, possibly in the Upside Down, where Jonathan says something ominous:
“After what we’ve been through, this thing, it ties us together forever.”
It sounds a lot like a goodbye. But Stranger Things is full of surprises, so there’s still hope they’ll make it out alive.
People of Hawkins Still Hate Eddie
Despite Eddie’s heroic sacrifice in Season 4, he remains the most hated guy in Hawkins. Many townspeople still blame him for Chrissy’s (Grace Van Dien) tragic death.
Last season, Eddie died a hero, buying time and helping to stall Vecna. But instead of being hailed, he’s vilified. The Season 5 trailer shows Dustin visiting Eddie’s vandalized grave, covered in cruel messages. Clearly, Eddie’s bravery still hasn’t been fully recognized.
It All Comes Down to Eleven and Will
Every character has played a key role in the fight against Vecna and the terrifying creatures of the Upside Down, but time and again, Eleven and Will (Noah Schnapp) have found themselves at the story’s emotional core.
The show began with Will’s disappearance into the Upside Down and Eleven escaping from the lab to meet his friends. It’s fitting, then, that the final season may focus heavily on one (or both) of them to wrap up the story.
In addition to their roles in the battle, the season may also explore the evolving dynamic between Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven, and how Will fits into that triangle. We saw Will struggling with his identity in Season 4, inching closer to revealing his true feelings for Mike. That emotional thread may finally come full circle.
The Upside Down Will Burn
The Hawkins crew is back with a bold new plan to defeat Vecna and destroy the Upside Down. After last season’s music strategy offered only a temporary fix, the new trailer shows Mike initiating a “burn” over the radio.
It appears they plan to literally set the Upside Down on fire, possibly using radio frequencies. Figures in fireproof suits wielding flamethrowers flash across the screen, hinting at a radical new tactic to end the nightmare once and for all.