\nGo behind-the-scenes on \u2018Stranger Things\u2019 while you wait for the finale to arrive<\/p>\n
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![\"Maya](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/44G9fzffpB8LvH23D5UUA3.jpg\")
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(Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re desperate to learn as much as possible about the season so far, I\u2019d direct you over to Tudum, where Netflix has been sharing behind-the-scenes breakdowns of individual scenes and episodes, offering deeper insight into how the show came about.<\/p>\n
Take, for example, this 13-minute deep dive<\/a> into the penultimate episode, \u201cThe Bridge,\u201d which offers a ton of insight into feeling on set in the wake of Max\u2019s reawakening, shows how the design team brought Vecna\u2019s \u201cPain Tree\u201d prison for his kidnapped children to life, the reconciliation between Dustin and Steve, and Will\u2019s coming-out scene (there\u2019s a separate, in-depth BTS video on that final sequence online, too).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to learn more about the \u201cStranger Things\u201d creative process (or the work that went into many of Netflix\u2019s other major releases, for that matter), head over to Tudum\u2019s Behind the Scenes page<\/a> now. \u2014 MS<\/p>\n 2026-01-01T00:05:27.905Z This is it, the “Stranger Things” series finale!<\/p>\n Get your snacks ready \u2014 bonus if you\u2019ve got a bag of Bugles \u2014 because we\u2019re going to need a tankful of energy to get through what\u2019s sure to be an emotional farewell.<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T23:51:42.746Z \n (Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n Before the finale drops, it\u2019s hard not to start mentally running through what can\u2019t be left dangling. It’s really the end. It’s happening. And if we truly aren’t going to see any more of the Hawkins kids after this day, this finale has to nail it. Including some of the relationships that have slowly been simmering below the surface the whole time.<\/p>\n And for me, that one loose thread that still needs to be tied up is the relationship between Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).<\/p>\n With everything that’s happened, “Stranger Things” still revolves around Eleven and Hopper almost completely. Their relationship has been there from the very first season, and season 5 keeps pulling focus back to it, not for nothing.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve been through too much for their bond to fade into the background now. What started as an unlikely pairing with Hopper fresh from losing his family blossomed into something heavier and messier over time. Hopper begrudgingly became Eleven’s “tough love” father figure, there for her throughout everything she’s been through, up to and including training her to use her psychic powers for good during the team’s last stand in the Upside Down. Season 5 keeps putting pressure on that connection, which makes it feel like something the finale has to acknowledge.<\/p>\n However the bigger story shakes out, the ending needs to land on exactly where Eleven and Hopper stand with each other. Their relationship is one of the show\u2019s load-bearing beams, so to speak, and leaving it unresolved without an emotional payoff where we see the two share the love they have for each other without sarcasm or pretense would make the whole ending feel incomplete.<\/p>\n Here’s to our favorite “father-daughter” combo in “Stranger Things” and to a finale that hopefully gets it. \u2014 BV<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T23:35:32.465Z \n (Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n Clearly, Volume 2 split fans, too. I\u2019ve seen divisive reactions on social media, episode 7 is now the lowest-rated episode of the entire season on IMDB<\/a>, and the season 5 Popcornmeter score has dropped to 56%.<\/p>\n The biggest evidence yet comes from a viral online petition <\/a>(which currently has over 345,000 verified signatures) demanding the \u201cunseen footage\u201d from the second volume, as, according to the creator, that second installment \u201cdidn\u2019t live up to the expectations\u201c [sic].<\/p>\n Mr. Clarke actor Randy Havens did take to social media to try and definitively debunk this assumption, stating, \u201cthere\u2019s no secret Snyder cut of the show, please don\u2019t believe everything some random ass tells you on the internet\u201d on an Instagram Story posted on Dec. 28 (via NME<\/a>).<\/p>\n What the existence of this petition does suggest, though, is that this season finale\u2019s going to have to work pretty hard to win over disappointed \u201cStranger Things\u201d devotees. Is two more hours enough to win them back? \u2014 MS<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T23:20:48.210Z \n (Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n I\u2019ve done a decent amount of writing about \u201cStranger Things\u201d season 5 at Tom\u2019s Guide, so I think my initial excitement going into the final season has been well-recorded by this point, but I\u2019d be lying if I said my expectations hadn\u2019t been lowered by what we\u2019ve seen so far.<\/p>\n While I wasn\u2019t super thrilled about the frequent \u201cplanning scenes,\u201d expository sequences in Vol. 1, I was expecting this to be the set-up phase for what\u2019s been billed as an epic send-off\u2026 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\u2019m honest.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t impressed me, and with only one episode remaining, and while I\u2019m more than happy to be incorrect, I\u2019m not sure this is going to end up being the epic send-off that\u2019s been teased thus far. \u2014 MS<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T23:00:27.529Z \u201cStranger Things\u201d has always been defined by its unforgettable music, from \u201980s classics to perfectly timed hits that make every twist and turn so much better. Which season do you think has the best soundtrack?<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T22:31:28.154Z \n (Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n During an interview with THR<\/a>, the Duffer Brothers were asked if they \u201cstuck the landing\u201d on the series finale, and it sounds like they\u2019re happy with how the show\u2019s wrapped up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe feel really happy with how the show ended up,\u201d Ross said, before turning to the final scene of the show (which the pair say they\u2019ve had in their heads \u201cfor years\u201d).<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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\u2019s all anyone\u2019s 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\u2019re so proud of that scene and the performances from our cast in that scene, so we\u2019re feeling good about it. But it\u2019s always nerve-racking to put it out there for the audience.\u201d<\/p>\n Matt Duffer acknowledged that \u201cyou can\u2019t really work towards satisfying\u201d everyone watching the show, but added that the pair gained more confidence in their finale after sharing it with their cast.<\/p>\n \u201cAt 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\u2019ve been working with for so long, and hope that what we feel is right resonates with everybody else,\u201d he said. \u201cThe 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.\u201d \u2014 MS<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T22:01:16.912Z Nike x Stranger Things Collection Unboxing! Epic Hawkins Collab \ud83d\udd26\ud83d\ude33\ud83d\udcaf – YouTube Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T21:29:48.090Z I was surprised that nobody died in volume 2 \u2014 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? \u2014 KW<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T21:00:21.302Z \n (Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get into some theory-crafting, shall we? The first thing I\u2019d focus on is the fact that I cannot see a world in which El (or any of our main ensemble, for that matter) doesn\u2019t survive the final fight.<\/p>\n Across the series run, the Duffer Brothers have repeatedly shown they\u2019re not interested in killing off their main cast members. Sure, they\u2019ve been in danger a bunch, but they\u2019ve always bounced back \u2026 unlike Eddie, Barb, or Bob.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cIt\u2019s not \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d\u201d line<\/a>, I foresee the core \u201cStranger Things\u201d party will be getting a happy ending, rather than someone making a heroic sacrifice. \u2014 MS<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T20:31:09.590Z \n (Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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. \u2014 BV<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T20:00:39.307Z So much happened in episodes 5-7, and there were many great moments. What was your fave?<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T19:47:24.841Z Stranger Things 5 | Finale Trailer | Netflix – YouTube Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n 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<\/a> for the season 5 finale. While it raises more questions than answers, it makes one thing very clear: whatever\u2019s left of Hawkins is about to be pushed to its absolute limit.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “Fight for the days on the other side of this,” Hopper urges Eleven with a tearful plea. “Fight for a world beyond Hawkins. Let\u2019s end this, kid.”<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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. \u2014 BV<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T19:32:04.375Z \n (Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n Netflix revealed the finale\u2019s runtime back in mid-December<\/a> \u2014 and we\u2019re in for a \u201csupersized\u201d final installment.<\/p>\n The series\u2019 finale episode was initially billed as 2 hours and 5 minutes (125 minutes) long on Tudum, but Ross Duffer recently revealed on Instagram <\/a>that the series\u2019 finale will be even longer. <\/p>\n In a post captioned \u201cfinal runtimes,\u201d Chapter 8 (\u201cThe Rightside Up\u201d) was listed as 2 hours and 8 minutes long (128 minutes total), making it the longest episode of the season, by some margin.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not the episode of \u201cStranger Things\u201d ever, though: that honor belongs to the season 4 finale, \u201cThe Piggyback,\u201d which clocked in at 142 minutes (2 hours and 22 minutes). <\/strong>\u2014 MS<\/p>\n 2025-12-31T19:15:52.733Z \n (Image credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n \u201cStranger Things\u201d season 5\u2019s finale is dropping on New Year\u2019s Eve (Dec. 31, 2025) at 5 p.m. PST \/ 8 p.m. ET. <\/strong><\/p>\n That means you\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re 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\u2019re reading in a different time zone, be sure to check Netflix\u2019s comprehensive release date breakdown on Tudum<\/a>. \u2014 MS<\/p>\n
\nLess than one hour to go! <\/p>\n
\nThe one relationship I hope the ‘Stranger Things’ finale brings full circle<\/p>\n![\"Jim](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/hFCwNSSZRAdAjxwAyTqbWn.jpg\")
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\nThe finale might have a tough job winning fans over, too <\/p>\n![\"Demogorgon](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/oeictCEApyQEeMeoKWNRU.jpg\")
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\nI want the \u2018Stranger Things\u2019 finale to blow me away \u2014 but I\u2019m not sure it will <\/p>\n![\"Sadie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/xLj4Ez6SMQ3MmaP6sbxYuK.jpg\")
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\nThe ultimate soundtrack showdown for \u2018Stranger Things\u2019<\/p>\n
\nThe Duffer Brothers\u2019 finale verdict: ‘We feel really happy with how the show ended up’<\/p>\n![\"Sadie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9gv9oR7MJdoKJvbz4xu64f.jpg\")
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\nSwoosh-side down<\/p>\n
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\nIs anyone going to die in the finale?<\/p>\n
\nPrediction: I\u2019m convinced everyone\u2019s going to make it out alive <\/p>\n![\"Finn](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/yZBLCnBvvH6mWmeUu5dkrc.jpg\")
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\nWhat is the Upside Down?<\/p>\n![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ZnfgwCqSnzE6g4EFNg6XVM.jpg\")
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\nFavorite moment from volume 2<\/p>\n
\nThe \u2018Stranger Things\u2019 season 5 finale trailer sets the stage for one last fight in Hawkins<\/p>\n
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\nHow long is the \u2018Stranger Things\u2019 finale?<\/p>\n![\"Caleb](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Vj825dDbY7DnxZSfBM3Kw8.jpg\")
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\nHere\u2019s when you can stream the \u2018Stranger Things\u2019 season 5 finale<\/p>\n![\"Eleven](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gmAG6mx6SuzV3LkCoSQ55U.jpg\")
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