The Duffer Brothers have officially revealed new details about the highly anticipated Stranger Things season 5 finale, including its runtime and which of the show’s biggest mysteries will finally be resolved.
With the premiere of the Netflix series’ fifth and final season just over a month away, anticipation is at an all-time high as fans prepare to say goodbye to one of the most influential pop culture phenomena of the 21st century.
The pressure on the finale is immense it must conclude the stories of a beloved ensemble cast while answering one of the series’ longest-running questions: What exactly is the Upside Down?
In an exclusive interview with Variety, the Duffer Brothers confirmed that the show’s last episode will run “around two hours long” and will finally unravel the mysteries of the Upside Down, the terrifying parallel dimension that has haunted Hawkins since season 1.
“Every season would be like, ‘Should we talk about it?’ And we’d go, ‘No, let’s wait.’ And then finally, we’re like, ‘Well, we have to now!’” Ross Duffer told Variety, reflecting on the long-held secrecy around the Upside Down’s origins.
The final season is expected to explore unanswered questions stemming from earlier episodes from glimpses of Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) dark influence in season 4 to the mystery of Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) disappearance in season 1. Fans can expect to finally learn how the Upside Down came into existence, whether its air remains toxic, and the true extent of Vecna’s control.
The Duffer Brothers revealed that season 5 begins 18 months after the explosive season 4 finale, where Vecna’s terrifying power left the town in ruins. Despite the immense stakes, the duo said they had envisioned the ending “for years.”
It wasn’t something we had a strain to come up with. There were elements of it that were discussed for weeks, but the core idea of the ending, we had for a really long time.
Per Matt Duffer.
However, crafting the finale was far from simple. Kate Trefry, one of Stranger Things’ lead writers, explained that the process involved countless revisions.
We went back over and over and over and over, dozens of times. They would start writing it, they’d come back. We’d blow it up, and we’d just rinse and repeat.
she said.
According to Variety, the writing team drew inspiration from some of television’s most iconic (and divisive) finales including Six Feet Under, Friday Night Lights, and The Sopranos.
Series finales often define a show’s legacy, as seen with Game of Thrones, Lost, and How I Met Your Mother. Acknowledging the challenge, Ross Duffer commented, “The shows that are trying to be super clever I think that’s where it can go wrong really quickly.”
Despite the pressure, the Duffer Brothers are confident in their conclusion. “We’re really happy with the way it ended,” Matt Duffer said. “It’s nerve-racking to put it out. I’m sure people will have opinions!”
With expectations sky-high, fans around the world are waiting to see how this monumental series will close its story.
Stranger Things season 5, part 1, premieres on November 26, followed by part 2 on December 25, with the grand finale set for December 31 on Netflix US.
Source: Screenrant
