'Stranger Things' series finale LIVE — latest episode updates, spoilers, theories and more
The end of 'Stranger Things' is upon us
Hawkins fans, this is it. The final chapter of Stranger Things is here! Season 5 volume 3 marks the end of a run that’s defined Netflix’s streaming era. After years of cliffhangers, theories, delays and Demogorgons, the series finale is streaming now, and we’ll be watching right alongside you, beat by beat, as the story of Hawkins comes to a close.
Since its 2016 debut, “Stranger Things” has grown from a surprise hit into a full-blown pop-culture phenomenon, launching careers, reviving ‘80s nostalgia, and turning the Upside Down into one of TV’s most iconic settings. Season 5 has steadily raised the stakes with each volume, and now all of that momentum funnels into a finale that promises answers, consequences and no small amount of emotional damage.
This live blog will track our real-time reactions to the series finale, breaking down major moments, big reveals and the choices that ultimately define how “Stranger Things” ends. Expect updates, analysis and plenty of feelings as we say goodbye to Hawkins for good.
Spoiler warning: This live blog contains full spoilers for all of “Stranger Things” so far.
Welcome!
Welcome to our "Stranger Things" season 5 volume 3 live blog, and what better night for a finale than New Year’s Eve. As the clock counts down to midnight, we’re spending the last hours of the year in Hawkins, tracking the series finale with episode context, quick refreshers, release details, and real-time reactions as everything comes to an end. We’ll be updating continuously as the finale unfolds, so keep this page open and ring in the New Year with the Upside Down one last time.
Here’s when you can stream the ‘Stranger Things’ season 5 finale
“Stranger Things” season 5’s finale is dropping on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31, 2025) at 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. ET.
That means you’ll still have time to head out to any NYE parties you might have on your calendar, but seeing as this is a feature-length finale, you might have to plan to be fashionably late.
If you’re watching in the UK, the season finale will be available to stream from 1 a.m. GMT on Thursday, January 1, 2026, while Australian readers can watch from 12 p.m. AEDT on January 1. If you’re reading in a different time zone, be sure to check Netflix’s comprehensive release date breakdown on Tudum. — MS
How long is the ‘Stranger Things’ finale?
Netflix revealed the finale’s runtime back in mid-December — and we’re in for a “supersized” final installment.
The series’ finale episode was initially billed as 2 hours and 5 minutes (125 minutes) long on Tudum, but Ross Duffer recently revealed on Instagram that the series’ finale will be even longer.
In a post captioned “final runtimes,” Chapter 8 (“The Rightside Up”) was listed as 2 hours and 8 minutes long (128 minutes total), making it the longest episode of the season, by some margin.
That’s not the episode of “Stranger Things” ever, though: that honor belongs to the season 4 finale, “The Piggyback,” which clocked in at 142 minutes (2 hours and 22 minutes). — MS
The ‘Stranger Things’ season 5 finale trailer sets the stage for one last fight in Hawkins
There are just hours left to go until we see the "Stranger Things" saga come to a close, and Netflix has released the full trailer for the season 5 finale. While it raises more questions than answers, it makes one thing very clear: whatever’s left of Hawkins is about to be pushed to its absolute limit.
The new footage finds Hopper (David Harbour) delivering a heavy, end-of-the-road pep talk to a battle-hardened Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) inside the Upside Down ahead of the final battle to save the world, interspersed with footage from throughout the previous seasons.
"Fight for the days on the other side of this," Hopper urges Eleven with a tearful plea. "Fight for a world beyond Hawkins. Let’s end this, kid."
It's an emotional call to arms after what's been a tumultuous Vol. 2, with Vecna's master plan coming to light among some seriously dark themes. Learning of the Upside Down's true nature, several tearful reunions (and splits), and plans coming together over the past few episodes have made it clear that the Duffers aren't here to play around with the series' epic final installment.
Hawkins has survived a lot over the years, but whatever happens next will bring this long-running Netflix hit to a close. It's time to get your final predictions in as we barrel to the end, so give the trailer a few more views ahead of the finale and see if your theories end up coming true. — BV
What is the Upside Down?
It's been a while since the first season of "Stranger Things" hit Netflix, nearly a decade to be exact. It's understandable that you might be a little foggy on how some of the show's more intricate mechanics actually work. Additionally, we've learned so much more about some of the show's finer tidbits over the years that it can be difficult to parse all of it at once. Case in point: the Upside Down.
Ahead of tonight's finale, it might be prudent to run down exactly how the Upside Down functions so that when it all comes together, you won't be left scratching your head. Beware, however, if you haven't yet seen Vol. 2: spoilers abound.
The Upside Down is an extradimensional realm that features a Hawkins, Indiana frozen in time. It's basically a "snapshot" of the town frozen on November 6, 1983, the day Eleven contacted the Demogorgon with her psychic powers.
As of season 5, we now also understand it as a "bridge" between the human world and the "Abyss", where the Mind Flayer resides. It's better described as a "wormhole" with the additional understanding gleaned from the new episodes.
To enter or exit the Upside Down you have to do so via gate, essentially a tear in the fabric of reality. Communication via the outside world is mostly possible through electricity, and it's typically teeming with hostile entities like Demogorgons.
Every creature and vine in this realm is part of a single hive mind. This means the monsters and the environment itself are psychically linked, allowing a central consciousness to see and feel everything that happens across the entire dimension at once.
That's the Upside Down in a nutshell, but there's likely still a lot we haven't learned. Expect all of its secrets to be revealed when the season 5 finale debuts tonight. — BV
Prediction: I’m convinced everyone’s going to make it out alive
Let’s get into some theory-crafting, shall we? The first thing I’d focus on is the fact that I cannot see a world in which El (or any of our main ensemble, for that matter) doesn’t survive the final fight.
Across the series run, the Duffer Brothers have repeatedly shown they’re not interested in killing off their main cast members. Sure, they’ve been in danger a bunch, but they’ve always bounced back … unlike Eddie, Barb, or Bob.
Despite Kali urging El that they should stay behind when Hawkins and The Abyss collide (so no one can start up another secretive programme trying to create more kids with powers later down the line), following this logic, and the fact the Duffers have been throwing around the “It’s not “Game of Thrones”” line, I foresee the core “Stranger Things” party will be getting a happy ending, rather than someone making a heroic sacrifice. — MS
Is anyone going to die in the finale?
I was surprised that nobody died in volume 2 — not even a red shirt like Murray or Mr. Clarke. But it's pretty much guaranteed that someone (likely a few someones) will be killed off in the series finale. The Duffer brothers love to punctuate their story with big deaths (see: Billy, Eddie). So, who do you think it will be? — KW
Swoosh-side down
When brands team up, the result can be pretty cool. Check out this Nike x Stranger Things collab unboxing video from TG's Phil Rodrigues. There's a particularly clever twist on the usual Nike swoosh that's perfect for the show.
The Duffer Brothers’ finale verdict: 'We feel really happy with how the show ended up'
During an interview with THR, the Duffer Brothers were asked if they “stuck the landing” on the series finale, and it sounds like they’re happy with how the show’s wrapped up.
“We feel really happy with how the show ended up,” Ross said, before turning to the final scene of the show (which the pair say they’ve had in their heads “for years”).
“We knew that no matter what we did, we could do eight hours of entertainment that people love, and then if you slip in the last five minutes, it’s all anyone’s going to talk about! So you just want to make sure you get those five minutes right, and then hopefully everything falls into place. We’re so proud of that scene and the performances from our cast in that scene, so we’re feeling good about it. But it’s always nerve-racking to put it out there for the audience.”
Matt Duffer acknowledged that “you can’t really work towards satisfying” everyone watching the show, but added that the pair gained more confidence in their finale after sharing it with their cast.
“At the end of the day, you do kind of have to shut out all the noise and just listen to your gut and the other writers with whom we’ve been working with for so long, and hope that what we feel is right resonates with everybody else,” he said. “The only thing that gives me some more confidence is the fact that the actors are as happy as they are, because they are so connected to those characters.” — MS
The ultimate soundtrack showdown for ‘Stranger Things’
“Stranger Things” has always been defined by its unforgettable music, from ’80s classics to perfectly timed hits that make every twist and turn so much better. Which season do you think has the best soundtrack?
I want the ‘Stranger Things’ finale to blow me away — but I’m not sure it will
I’ve done a decent amount of writing about “Stranger Things” season 5 at Tom’s Guide, so I think my initial excitement going into the final season has been well-recorded by this point, but I’d be lying if I said my expectations hadn’t been lowered by what we’ve seen so far.
While I wasn’t super thrilled about the frequent “planning scenes,” expository sequences in Vol. 1, I was expecting this to be the set-up phase for what’s been billed as an epic send-off… but the general feeling of inertia and repetition got way more egregious as the season continued. Ultimately, I left Vol. 2 feeling decidedly unimpressed, if I’m honest.
The fact is, I thought the second batch of episodes was going to tee up a truly fitting final confrontation, but I think it was instead dominated by seeding more questions, even poorer writing, and more wheel-spinning, in my opinion. Overall, season 5 hasn’t impressed me, and with only one episode remaining, and while I’m more than happy to be incorrect, I’m not sure this is going to end up being the epic send-off that’s been teased thus far. — MS
The finale might have a tough job winning fans over, too
Clearly, Volume 2 split fans, too. I’ve seen divisive reactions on social media, episode 7 is now the lowest-rated episode of the entire season on IMDB, and the season 5 Popcornmeter score has dropped to 56%.
The biggest evidence yet comes from a viral online petition (which currently has over 345,000 verified signatures) demanding the “unseen footage” from the second volume, as, according to the creator, that second installment “didn’t live up to the expectations“ [sic].
Mr. Clarke actor Randy Havens did take to social media to try and definitively debunk this assumption, stating, “there’s no secret Snyder cut of the show, please don’t believe everything some random ass tells you on the internet” on an Instagram Story posted on Dec. 28 (via NME).
What the existence of this petition does suggest, though, is that this season finale’s going to have to work pretty hard to win over disappointed “Stranger Things” devotees. Is two more hours enough to win them back? — MS
The one relationship I hope the 'Stranger Things' finale brings full circle
Before the finale drops, it’s hard not to start mentally running through what can’t be left dangling. It's really the end. It's happening. And if we truly aren't going to see any more of the Hawkins kids after this day, this finale has to nail it. Including some of the relationships that have slowly been simmering below the surface the whole time.
And for me, that one loose thread that still needs to be tied up is the relationship between Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).
With everything that's happened, "Stranger Things" still revolves around Eleven and Hopper almost completely. Their relationship has been there from the very first season, and season 5 keeps pulling focus back to it, not for nothing.
They’ve been through too much for their bond to fade into the background now. What started as an unlikely pairing with Hopper fresh from losing his family blossomed into something heavier and messier over time. Hopper begrudgingly became Eleven's "tough love" father figure, there for her throughout everything she's been through, up to and including training her to use her psychic powers for good during the team's last stand in the Upside Down. Season 5 keeps putting pressure on that connection, which makes it feel like something the finale has to acknowledge.
However the bigger story shakes out, the ending needs to land on exactly where Eleven and Hopper stand with each other. Their relationship is one of the show’s load-bearing beams, so to speak, and leaving it unresolved without an emotional payoff where we see the two share the love they have for each other without sarcasm or pretense would make the whole ending feel incomplete.
Here's to our favorite "father-daughter" combo in "Stranger Things" and to a finale that hopefully gets it. — BV
Less than one hour to go!
Get your snacks ready — bonus if you’ve got a bag of Bugles — because we’re going to need a tankful of energy to get through what’s sure to be an emotional farewell.
Go behind-the-scenes on ‘Stranger Things’ while you wait for the finale to arrive
If you’re desperate to learn as much as possible about the season so far, I’d direct you over to Tudum, where Netflix has been sharing behind-the-scenes breakdowns of individual scenes and episodes, offering deeper insight into how the show came about.
Take, for example, this 13-minute deep dive into the penultimate episode, “The Bridge,” which offers a ton of insight into feeling on set in the wake of Max’s reawakening, shows how the design team brought Vecna’s “Pain Tree” prison for his kidnapped children to life, the reconciliation between Dustin and Steve, and Will’s coming-out scene (there’s a separate, in-depth BTS video on that final sequence online, too).
If you’re looking to learn more about the “Stranger Things” creative process (or the work that went into many of Netflix’s other major releases, for that matter), head over to Tudum’s Behind the Scenes page now. — MS
Did you catch this "Stranger Things" season 5 fashion snafu? Everything we know
With all eyes on the finale, "Stranger Things" still suffered an Upside Down-sized blunder that's since been fixed.
Earlier in season 5, Volume 2, eagle-eyed viewers noticed a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it wardrobe issue involving Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher). In one scene, she’s briefly wearing a shirt with an Under Armour logo. Under Armour didn’t exist back in the '80s, when the series takes place, making the logo a clear anachronism. The company was founded in 1996.
Once the mistake started circulating online via multiple X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit posts, Netflix quietly addressed it without skipping a beat (or calling more attention to it). The logo has since been removed from the scene, leaving no obvious nods toward Holly's more modern wardrobe just ahead of the series finale.
This mistake was a much more glaring one than the previous issue, where in season 5 episode "The Turnbow Trap", Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly) is seen playing the NES game "Ghosts 'n Goblins". However, he's playing the arcade version, and not the NES version, on a cabinet in his bedroom. That error wasn't edited out, as it wasn't nearly as dire.
See how everything comes to an end (hopefully without any additional wardrobe issues) with the series finale, airing tonight. — BV
"One last fight and this whole nightmare will be over. It'll finally be over."
We so hope you're right, Mike!
"That came out wrong." Mike giving the world's worst supportive post-coming-out talk to Will. But still best friends.
I think we're all Vickie right now. Stress eating our way through this.
Epic Steve and Jonathan bonding moment. They both better make it through to the end.
Hopper leaves no one behind!
Damn it, El. This moment when she asks Hopper to trust her, to believe in her.
El launching herself at the giant spider beast. Beyond epic!
Is this... could it be the end of Vecna?
Joyce with the axe! But wait... there's another hour left to go.
El made her choice. And then silence. Just over here sobbing.
Coach Steve! Max is back in action. Lucas and Dustin ready to graduate, but graduate robes still give me flashbacks to Buffy and the Mayor.
Valedictorian Dustin flipping off the principal as Iron Maiden blares. Pretty badass.
Steve is the Sex Ed teacher?! "I get to teach about the miracle of life and how to not start it accidentally."
Why yes, Joyce does want to spend her life with a grumpy, stubborn old man who loves her very much.
Storyteller, you had us all in tears. Do you believe in happy endings? Even if we're all crying?
Do you believe?
"Stranger Things" ended with the possibility that El might still be alive, that her heroic self-sacrifice was only an illusion. Or was it just wishful thinking on Mike's part?
It was a clever way to end the series. We could choose to believe that El survived, that she's happily hiking in the hills of a far-off land with beautiful waterfalls, that she's safe and sound, even if none of them will ever see her again.
Will, Lucas, Max and Dustin are all crying in the Wheelers' basement as Mike paints the picture of her possible escape from certain death. And they each tell him, "I believe." We see each of them put away their game books, still wiping away tears as they head up the stairs to dinner.
Mike is last to join them after a quiet moment in which he, too, breaks down.
We learn that Mike goes on to become a novelist so, for him, the story never ends.
What happens to the characters after the finale?
The "Stranger Things" series finale saw the end of Vecna's defeat, which came about halfway through the series finale, but also left plenty of room for the characters to move on and, in some cases, away from Hawkins.
After the dust settled, we see how the characters are doing 18 months later amid reassurances that the bonds they made in battle won't soon be broken.
Steve is now coach of the school baseball team —and also the Sex Ed teacher — and has no plans to ever leave town. Nancy started college at Emerson but dropped out to take a newspaper job at the Herald. Jonathan is studying film at NYU and making an "anti-capitalist cannibal movie," while Robin is making new friends at Smith.
They agree to meet once a month at a place somewhere between Hawkins, New York and Massachusetts, with Robin volunteering her "weird uncle's" place in Philadelphia. On top of the roof of the radio station, they toast to, "Nothing keeping us apart," while they run through the list of Steve's latest girlfriends.
Meanwhile, Hopper proposes to Joyce, who happily agrees to marry "a tired, grumpy, stubborn old man who loves you very much." The two discuss moving to Montauk, which needs a new Chief of Police and pays 20% more than Hawkins does.
After one more D&D campaign, Mike foretells the futures of all the players: Dustin, aka The Bard and the school valedictorian, goes to college but still makes time to catch up with BFF Steve. Lucas and Max (The Knight and the Zoomer) "retire from battle" and settle in a small village where their love grows stronger every day. Will the Wise travels to the bustling city, where he soon finds his place, along with "deep happiness and acceptance."
The Storyteller, aka Mike, "keeps telling stories inspired by his friends." He shares with them the one story he can never tell, about how the Mage (El) survived with the help of Kali, if they choose to believe his retelling of events.
As for demon-fighting mom Karen Wheeler, she wears those scars with pride. And still makes a mean lasagna.
Meanwhile, Holly and the kids she helped rescue from Vecna have become the next enthusiastic generation of D&D players.
Love for Jamie Campbell Bower
the goat who stole the show from r/StrangerThings
The folks at Reddit are calling "Jamie Campbell Bower" the goat (greatest of all time) of the finale. They're saying his portrayal of Vecna/Henry stole the show.
"Jamie Campbell Bower was the perfect choice for Vecna/Henry," said one Reddit user.
"That actor really nailed it! I personally love a good villain story! Vecna has one of the best back stories (for me personally)," said another in a Reddit thread.
There was a lot of love for the finale, but Bower is definitely one of the most talked-about aspects, with some people even comparing his performance to that of Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise (high praise in my book, as Skarsgard's version of IT is haunting and incredible).
Stranger Things ending explained
Are you confused by anything in the Stranger Things ending?
Fortunately, Netflix's Tudum has a rundown of the biggest questions you might have about the Stranger Things finale. Give it a read through and have all of your biggest questions answered.
LEGO Stranger Things
Did you see this awesome LEGO set? The Creel House set is coming on January 4, 2026, which is quite exciting if you're a fan of the show.
'Stranger Things' finale reviews are in
The "Stranger Things" finale has drawn decidedly mixed reactions from critics; here's what some of the reviews have to say right now.
The finale earned a C+ rating from IndieWire, with Ben Travers arguing the show "plays out beat by predictable beat," adding: "there's fulfillment to be found in a story resolving as it should, even if that means it lacks the edge to be remembered in the days, weeks, and years to come."
RogerEbert.com's Brian Tallerico offered a 2.5/4-star verdict on the series finale. "So did the Duffers stick the landing and send these popular characters off in style? Yes and no," he said.
Tallerico adds: "The finale falls victim to some of the issues that plagued the entire inferior season, but it’s hard to deny the power of the last half-hour, the scenes when the show returns to the people we love instead of the chaos and finds itself one last time."
For Empire, Leila Latif offered a 3-star rating for the "Stranger Things" finale, writing: "Big, heartfelt and impeccably made, "Stranger Things'" finale is solid but oh so safe, favouring comfort and closure over terror, devastation and the boldness its mythology promised."
TheWrap's Bob Strauss, however offered a more positive take, calling it "thematically coherent, unerringly character-based and pretty damn gripping," adding: "Matt and Ross Duffer's magnum opus came to a satisfying enough finish, while leaving room for the countless millions who care deeply enough about it — itself quite the accomplishment in our atomized pop culture era — to nitpick the thing to death." — MS
'Stranger Things' finale impressed at the box office
If you weren't aware, Netflix decided to release the big finale in theaters and on the streamer at the same time... and it looks to have been a pretty shrewd decision, judging by early box office reports.
Per THR, we've learned that the "Stranger Things" season 5 finale — which aired on Netflix and appeared in approx. 600 cinemas on New Year's Eve and at encore performances through New Year's Day — "likely generated $20 million to $25 million in revenue, setting a new record for a Netflix title dipping its toe in the theatrical waters."
That figure puts "Stranger Things: The Finale" ahead of the impressive $18 million earned from the special sing-along release of "KPop Demon Hunters" last summer. Does this mean we'll see more Netflix event screenings in the future? — MS
The Duffer Brothers dive deep into the final scene
Major spoilers in this post, FYI!
We've known going in that the Duffer Brothers have had that final scene in mind "for a very long time," and if you want to get a deeper understanding of what it represents to the series creators, you can!
Over on Tudum, Netflix published a new article wherein Matt and Ross reflect on the final sequence, wherein Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, and Max complete their final Dungeons & Dragons campaign, and Mike shuts the door to his basement.
In the interview, the pair reflect on why the series ends where it does, what shooting that scene felt like in the moment, the kids' respective endings, Eleven's fate, and much, much more. It feels like required reading for "Stranger Things" fans — MS.
What's next?
If you've spent the time since the finale dropped wondering how you'll get over the end of "Stranger Things," we haven't quite said goodbye to the show or its universe just yet.
First off, we know that an animated series, "Stranger Things: Tales From '85" is on its way at some point this year. We got a look at the show in action in the above trailer on Nov. 6, and know that it's set in winter 1985, and will see our heroes fighting "new monsters and unravel[ing] a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town", per the series' logline. For more info, head to Tudum.
There's also the small matter of a live-action "Stranger Things" spin-off, though we have precious little info on that front. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ross Duffer confirmed they were in "very early days on a live-action spinoff."
What that other series will be about remains to be seen. Right now, all we currently know is that it's "connected to the "Stranger Things" universe," it's set in a different decade and about different characters, and the Duffers won't be showrunning that spin-off (but will be heavily involved), per his comments.
One thing that is clear, at least for now? The finale was the end of the line for Mike, El, Will and the rest of the gang. Or, as Ross Duffer puts it, "this is the end of the story for these characters of Hawkins, for the Upside Down." — MS
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