Stranger Things

By: Lillian Fritz '32

Beware: Spoilers below!

This December, the first four episodes of the final season of one of the best shows of all time came out. Stranger Things season 5 is expected to be a contender for the Emmys and possibly add to their collection of 12 wins and 57 nominations. Volume 2 (episodes 5-7) will come out on Christmas Day, while the final episode “Right Side Up” will come out December 31 and will be airing in theaters on New Years Eve and January 1 with a runtime of 2 hours and 5 minutes.

In volume 1 (episodes 1-4) Vecna continues to take victims including Holly Wheeler. While this happens, the military (led by Dr. Kay) hunts Eleven. In the final episode of volume 1, Will unleashes his powers and saves his friends from demiogorgons. Stranger Things is one of the biggest shows of all time and has a lot of devoted fans (including myself) and with each of those fans comes another theory of what's going to happen next.

 Some of the most popular theories are that the whole thing was one giant D&D game starting in the first episode, Max will wake up from her coma to defeat Vecna, and Vecna is a pawn and the final monster will come in volume 2. Many fans have also theorized that Vecna, Jim Hopper, Max Mayfield, Will & Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Murray Bauman, Eleven, and Steve Harrington, will die in season 5. 

No matter if these theories are correct, I’m certainly excited for volume 2 of the last season to come out. However, The Duffer Brothers have confirmed that in 2026 there will be an animated spin-off show of Stranger Things titled “Stranger Things: Tales From 85” with an entirely new cast, which is set to take place in between seasons 2 & 3. 

But if you can’t wait to keep the adventure going, then there are also books following some of the characters, including “Suspicious Minds”  focusing on Eleven’s mom Terry Ives, “Stranger Things: Darkness On The Edge Of Town” which reveals Hopper’s past as a NYPD detective, “Runaway Max” this novel explores Max’s life in California before she moved to Hawkins, “Rebel Robin” a coming of age story in which Robin attempts to figure out her identity, “Lucas On The Line” set after season three, it explores love and identity through Luca’s perspective as he deals with the aftermath of the summer’s events, and lastly, “Stranger Things: Flight Of Icarus” Taking place before season 4, this book centers on Eddie Munson and his band before he became part of The Hellfire Club.

So, whether the theories are true or not, the conclusion of Stranger Things promises a thrilling end to one of television’s biggest shows. Fans are counting down the days until volume 2 drops on Christmas and the Finale hits theaters. And while saying goodbye seems tough, Stranger Things will always live on with the spin off “Tales Of 85” and for those who need more action right now, you can still read the books or rewatch the series until the final credits roll.