At long last, the fifth and final season of Stranger Things is upon us. In a few short days, Netflix will premiere Stranger Things 5, and nothing will ever be the same for our lovable gang of heroes from Hawkins, Indiana. Vecna has rent the barrier between our world and the Upside Down, and it's an all-out war as the town turns into a roiling pit of darkness.
If you're as excited for Stranger Things 5 as we are and want to make sure you watch the new season as soon as humanly possible, you're in the right place. Netflix is taking an unusual approach with Stranger Things 5, as befits the final season of the streamer's most famous show. Stranger Things season 5 is being split into not two, but three parts, with the first dropping in late November and the other two following in late December. On top of all that, the Stranger Things 5 release time is unusual as well.
Grab your calendar app or wherever else you record important dates, and let's break down when each part of Stranger Things season 5 comes out, as well as their release tiems.
Full Stranger Things 5 release schedule
Part | Date | Time | Episode Count |
|---|---|---|---|
Volume 1 | November 26 | 8:00 p.m. ET | Episodes 1 - 4 |
Volume 2 | December 25 | 8:00 p.m. ET | Episodes 5 - 7 |
The Finale | December 31 | 8:00 p.m. ET | Episode 8 |
As you can see above, each part of Stranger Things 5 releases in a primetime television slot at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT. Volume 1 drops the night before Thanksgiving in the U.S. and consists of the first four episodes, Volume 2 drops on Christmas and will contain the next three episodes, and The Finale will air on New Years Eve. Yes, that's right, we're going to be spending our holidays in Hawkins this year!
In addition to the listed times when Stranger Things 5 will premiere on streaming, The Finale is also getting a limited theatrical run on New Years Eve and New Years Day. Showings start at 8:00 p.m. ET, the same time that The Finale hits Netflix. Keep an eye on your local theaters to see if they'll be playing it.
As for the episode breakdown, Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer previously teased that season 5 will feel "like eight blockbuster movies," rather than eight episodes of television. So even though Part One of season 5 contains the shortest Stranger Things episode since season 3, we're still expecting it to pack a punch. I'm almost anticipating Vol. 1's four episodes and Vol. 2's three episodes to each feel like their own mini-season, with The Finale serving as a feature-length climax.
Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 trailer teases an "insane" battle ahead
Since Stranger Things 5 Vol. 1 releases in a few short days, it should be no surprise that Netflix has released a final trailer to build up the hype. You can watch it above, and start getting in the mood to return to the Upside Down. After Vecna escaped the Upside Down in season 4, all bets are off, as the Hawkins gang gathers for one last adventure to try and take him down before it's too late. Here's the official description for Stranger Things 5:
“The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.”
We'll be covering Stranger Things 5 extensively here at Winter Is Coming, so make sure to check back once the episodes are out for more!