On March 19, Variety released an interview with co-CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, on his 25-year stint with the company. He isn't "done disrupting Hollywood" either as he gears up to make his acting debut in an episode of The Studio on Apple TV+ streaming platform.
Along with huge milestones, Sarandos talks about how he's excited that Netflix's "biggest franchises" will return this year. He calls Stranger Things, Squid Games, and Wednesday the "biggest shows in the history of Netflix and maybe the history of television."
It's no secret that Stranger Things is ending with season five. Stranger Things TV Instagram broke the hearts of fans when they announced "season 5 would be the last" while season 4 was "the penultimate season" in a letter from the Duffer Brothers. We haven't been the same since the season four episodes were released in 2022. Netflix hasn't posted an official season five poster yet, confirming we only know the end is coming sometime this year.
In December 2024, alongside the onset photo of Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), and Winona Ryde (Joyce Byers), the caption read: "That’s a wrap on Stranger Things. See you in 2025." Shortly after the season five production wrapped, cast members began posting goodbyes to the show and their characters.
""Saying goodbye is so painful, but I leave with memories and love to last a lifetime..." Sadie Sink on playing Max Mayfield since season 2 of Stranger Things."
Ted Sarandos confirmed that Stranger Things will end on an "incredible" note, then described the final season, saying, "There won't be a dry eye." As fans know, the Duffer Brothers confirmed in February 2022 that "four to five seasons" was always the plan for the "complete story arc of Stranger Things." Despite Sarandos reminding fans the Stranger Things universe is "gigantic" and reaches beyond the series, season five is the last time we'll see the current story told.
Time Jump, surprise returns, sudden Deaths, and a biological Father
A time jump could make fans cry, but I'm not sure it'll be the plot to crush us. Even though it means the show is coming "full circle," it also means our main characters - El, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Max - have grown up before our eyes. With the cast aging, would we see a significant time jump from their teens to early 20s before the show concludes? I'm sure anything is possible, as we've seen an array of plotlines throughout the show's run.
In January 2024, the Stranger Things TV Instagram posted a photo of the cast after production began. The main cast, supporting characters, and Duffer Brothers were in attendance. Instagram users instantly noticed Joseph Quinn's (Eddie Munson) absence. One user (itss_santt.i) wrote, "Where's Eddie? I need Eddie back." According to Quinn's IMDb, he's been booked and busy since his stint on Stranger Things ended when his character died in the season four finale in 2022. If Eddie were to return, he probably wouldn't be the Eddie we remember. It would most likely be a darker version if fans correctly predicted that he's working for Vecna.
Although El's sister Kali Prasad (Linnea Berthelsen), also known as Eight, was an end to a mean in season three, fans predict she could play a "major role" in season five by returning to Hawkins to "help El fight Vecna." Unlike Eddie, Kali survived her short stint on the show and could return to reprise her role.
I predict a sudden main character death to destroy fans in the first episode or final moments of season five. Either way, we lose that character forever. The Duffer Brothers haven't killed off a significant character for four seasons, but it's hard not to consider. We've seen many deaths. With Max in an "indefinite coma, brain-dead, blind, but alive" after El saved her from Vecna's attack, fans could see her death play out in the final season. Honestly, no matter who dies, this plot twist will hurt.
Lastly, fans boldly predicted that El would discover who her biological father is after all this time. Previously, fans thought Dr. Brenner, known as Papa, fit the ticket, but "his death opens up the possibility of Vecna being El's father." Throughout four seasons, El only wanted to find her biological mother, Terry Ives (Aimee Mullins), especially after Hopper (David Harbour) took her in during season one. I think it's doubtful she'll pursue her biological father's identity.
Not much is confirmed for the Stranger Things fifth and final season except its dreaded goodbye to the hit series and the fantastic cast and crew behind it. Hopefully, we'll receive a release date and trailer soon. Until then, we'll prepare to say farewell to Hawkins later this year.