As Stranger Things kicks off its final season, creators Matt and Ross Duffer are offering a last-minute must-watch list of the episodes to help refresh your memory before the end.
It’s been a long, long wait for fans of Stranger Things, but at last, Netflix is releasing the fifth and final season of the epic sci-fi horror series. They know this is going to be huge, and so are making it a big event with unique release schedule: the first five episodes drop over Thanksgiving, the next batch at Christmas, and the feature-length series finale on New Year’s Day.
Some may complain about spreading things out, but it seems Netflix wants fans to feel the full impact of the finale for their most acclaimed series. Many are looking forward to seeing how the show wraps up, and if the Duffer Brothers can stick the landing. But in the meantime, the Duffers have shared the four episodes they think are the “must-watch” installments to prepare for your epic binge watch of the last episodes (viaThe Hollywood Reporter).
What are the Duffer Brothers’ must-watch Stranger Things episodes?
Here’s a quick rundown of the four episodes, the Duffers name, and why each is important to the show.
“Will the Wise” (season 2, Episode 4): This was the first episode where Will was possessed by the Mind Flayer, who we now know was actually Henry Creel. Nancy and Jonathan are captured and taken to Hawkins Lab, where scientists are still studying the Upside Down. Meanwhile, Eleven discovers Hopper has been looking into the truth about her mother and tries to contact her, and Dustin's pet Dart transforms into a "Demodog," or juvenile Demogorgon.
“The Spy” (season 2, Episode 6): This episode pays off Nancy and Jonathan's long-simmering romance, with them finally hooking up while at Murray Bauman's house piecing together the Hawkins Lab conspiracy. That’s offset by the wild antics as the gang discovers Dart has not only grown into a beast, but that there are many more Demodogs in the tunnels beneath Hawkins. Will appears to have recovered and sends the soldiers into the tunnels, only for it to become clear they've fallen into a brutal trap by the Mind Flayer. It’s a crazy yet important episode, pushing the various plotlines while other characters finally become aware that Will is being manipulated by a malignant entity.
“The Massacre at Hawkin’s Labs” (season 4 Episode 7): At last, viewers are shown the titular event and how it happened, showcasing the danger of Henry Creel, a.k.a. One, a.k.a. Vecna. It also shows some shocking secrets of Hawkins and the Upside Down amid some amazing action against the Russians, where Hopper is finally reunited with Joyce Byers. Yet it's the essential backstory provided that makes this episode a standout.
“The Piggyback” (season 4, Episode 9): Obviously, the season 4 finale is considered essential viewing. It directly sets up the final season, putting every character in some sort of life-threatening danger as they battle against Vecna on multiple fronts. The final shot of the gang realizing the Upside Down is bleeding into the real world promises an epic conclusion.
It’s interesting how the Duffers’ choices are from seasons 2 and 4 rather than the acclaimed first year. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, they clarified why these are important.
“Season two is when we really started to build out the mythology and started to dive into everything, and how this was going to be an ongoing [series]. That’s where we started to really plant the seeds for the mythology, and I think probably that’s why that is as relevant as it is," Matt said. "Season four is also highly relevant — ‘Massacre at Hawkins Lab’ is a good one.”
Ross added, “That [episode] starts unveiling some of the Upside Down mythology and starts giving some answers, and, of course, all the stuff with Henry (Bower) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) continues to resonate throughout season five. Those are some good ones to revisit.”
Obviously, fans will have their own picks for the must-watch Stranger Things tales. Yet it’s fun to see what the show’s creators consider the most important episodes to get ready for Stranger Things 5.
Stranger Things season 5 Volume 1 starts streaming on November 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET on Netflix.