The Final Return to Hawkins

by Allison Church

After three long years, the agonizing wait is finally coming to an end. In just a few days, viewers will be able to return to Hawkins for Stranger Things Season Five, the final season. The show premiered in 2016, and many fans grew up watching it. Even the main cast started as children; now they are fully grown and thriving in careers that flourished from their roles in Stranger Things.

It has been about three years since the gang last graced our screens, but fans are just as thrilled now to tune in after that emotional cliffhanger. Hawkins was last seen broken, drowning in fire after the group failed to stop Vecna’s clock chime. In that battle, lives were lost: Eleven was overpowered, Max was severely wounded, Eddie died a hero. Yet determination runs throughout the group, and failure is not an option. Even after their first big loss, they are more than ready to return to the battlefield, and fans with popcorn and tissues are filled with anticipation.

For many fans, this long wait has felt endless—like being stuck in the Upside Down, where time stopped after Will disappeared in 1983. The already long wait was prolonged further by COVID-19 and the writers’ and actors’ strikes. After all those obstacles, the Duffer Brothers are ready to deliver a satisfying ending that has been in the works since season one.

With this being the last season, one big question is circulating throughout the fandom: Who will die this season? Season Four was the darkest of all the seasons, but can this season top it? As the series finale, the Duffer Brothers have fewer limitations, which is both exciting and terrifying for some beloved characters. At the moment, fans seem to agree that Eleven and Will are in significant danger this season, since much of the plot connects to Will’s disappearance in the first season and because Eleven opened the gate in the first place. Steve Harrington has been at risk since season one, because the Duffer Brothers originally planned to kill him then but fell in love with his actor, Joe Keery. Although these major characters face great risk, fans have also questioned the safety of the Wheeler family—specifically Holly Wheeler, who will take on a bigger role this season. The loss this season may be huge; however, it is unpredictable. Thanksgiving weekend will mark the beginning of the end for this show that has captivated viewers worldwide since 2016, so be ready for it to turn your world Upside Down.

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