Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 4!
Creators Matt and Ross Duffer reveal some details about the beginning of Stranger Things season 5, saying it will be fast-paced right from the start. While many are still reeling from the final two episodes of Stranger Things season 4, which dropped July 1 on Netflix, others have already started looking ahead to what the Earth-shattering events of season 4 could mean for the show’s fifth and final season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic hindering production of its supersized episodes, it took several years for season 4 to hit Netflix and it has been met with glowing reviews and record-breaking viewing numbers.
Picking up eight months after the battle of Starcourt Mall, Stranger Things season 4 is split into several different plotlines. In Hawkins, Dustin, Max, Lucas, Erica, Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Eddie begin to investigate the mysterious and gruesome killings carried out by Venca. In order to defeat this new threat, Eleven reteams with Dr. Brenner at a secret facility to regain her powers. During the season 4 finale, these plotlines and several others converge as the protagonists win a momentary victory against Vecna, which sees the death of a beloved main character and their hometown of Hawkins being infiltrated by the Upside Down.
During a recent interview with Collider, the Duffer Brothers shared some details about the beginning of Stranger Things season 5. The final batch of episodes will not “ramp up” to the action like season 4, according to Matt Duffer, and instead will be fast-paced right from the start. Read what he shared below:
Season 5 is going to start pedal to the metal. We’re not going to do the ramp-up. There’s no time. There’s no normalcy, obviously, once you’ve reached the end of four. It’s just going to be going 100 miles an hour from the beginning.
So far, each season of Stranger Things has started with a period of tranquility before the conflict gets into gear. In season 1, the gang played Dungeons and Dragons in Mike’s basement before Will is captured by a demogorgon. Season 2 begins with them going trick-or-treating and season 3 introduces the shiny new mall setting. Even season 4 begins with a promising spring break before it all falls to pieces. Based on Matt Duffer’s recent comments, it appears season 5 will be the first to deviate from this format.
The final shot of Stranger Things season 4 saw Eleven and several others looking out over Hawkins as the horrors of the Upside Down are unleashed upon their hometown by Venca. Of course, this did not set up a return to the ordinary world for the next season as previous finales have. With season 4 already providing the setup for the show’s endgame, it makes sense that season 5 would skip all the intimate character moments and jump straight into the action and the battle for Hawkins.
