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You can’t be a true fan of “Stranger Things” until you know a few key details about its next (and last) season.
The eagerly awaited curtain call of Netflix’s supremely popular supernatural drama is packed with secrets – but in this article we’re dealing only with facts.
From the unexpected “Terminator“ connection to shocking fan theories full cast list, here are eight things you didn’t know about “Stranger Things” Season 5.
Stranger Things Season 5 Fan Theories
One of the most pervading fan theories centers on the disappearance of a new character: Holly. Played by newcomer Nell Fisher, Holly is the younger sister of Mike and Nancy Wheeler.
The fan theory suggests Holly will go missing, prompting Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) to set off and find her. It would give Holly a meaningful plot arc, and make the story come full circle for Will, who went missing in the first season.
Is Linda Hamilton in Stranger Things Season 5?
Yes, Linda Hamilton is in “Stranger Things” Season 5. Most known for her iconic role as Sarah Connor in the “Terminator” films, Hamilton has talked about her time filming on the “Stranger Things“ set.
“We took a year to shoot eight episodes,” Hamilton told Comingsoon of the unusually protracted time Netflix is spending to make the series, calling it a “long haul.” Read on to find out the reason why.
Is Stranger Things Season 5 The Last Season?
Yes, so expect huge set-pieces, cinematic special effects, and relentless action. That’s according to Hamilton, who spoke about this season’s impressive scale.
She continued: “I was like, well, ‘This has to be a partial ’cause there’s no way they’re going for this entire stunts, special effects, big acting, lots of character stuff.’ And that’s my first day, because every day that they shoot, they have big scenes like that.”
Why Was Stranger Things Season 5 Delayed?
The production was delayed because of the 2023 WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes, and shooting started in January 2024. That’s after David Harbour said in 2022 that “Stranger Things” Season 5 would begin shooting in 2023.
However, work began almost immediately after “Stranger Things” Season 4 premiered in July 2022. During that time, the show’s release date shifted. Check out its staggered release timing below.
Stranger Things Season 5 Release Date
“Stranger Things” Season 5 is being split into three parts. Here’s when you can stream each one.
- Volume 1: November 26th at 5pm PT / 8pm ET
- Volume 2: Christmas, 5pm PT / 8pm ET
- The Finale: New Year’s Eve, 5pm PT / 8pm ET
Stranger Things Review Scores
“Stranger Things“ hasn’t always had great review scores. In fact, in terms of critical consensus, the series has been slowly declining during its almost nine-and-a-half year lifespan. Here are the Rotten Tomatoes scores for all four seasons.
- Stranger Things Season 1: 97%
- Stranger Things Season 2: 94%
- Stranger Things Season 3: 89%
- Stranger Things Season 4: 86%
Stranger Things Season 5 Synopsis
Netflix’s official synopsis for “Stranger Things: Season 5 reads; “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.”
Stranger Things Season 5 Cast
There are a few surprise additions to the “Stranger Things” Season 5 cast. As well as Nell Fisher as Holly and Linda Hamilton as Dr Kay, there’s also the arrival of Alex Breaux and Jake Connelly.
Breaux plays Lt. Akers, while Connelly plays a character called Derek. The full “Stranger Things” Season 5 cast consists of:
• Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
• David Harbour as Jim Hopper
• Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
• Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
• Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
• Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
• Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
• Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
• Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
• Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
• Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
• Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
• Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
• Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna
• Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler
• Amybeth McNulty as Vickie
• Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler
• Jake Connelly as Derek
• Alex Breaux as Lt. Akers
• Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay
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