The Duffer Brothers recommend which Stranger Things episodes to rewatch before season 5
After being delayed several months by the writers’ strike and the actors’ strike, season 5 of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things (which is also the last season of the show) finally went into production at the start of 2024 with a twelve-month shooting schedule, wrapping at the end of December. We’ve heard that series creators the Duffer Brothers have been working hard to get the season ready for release by the end of the year – and now we know exactly when the premiere date is. Netflix recently announced that Stranger Things season 5 will be released in three parts, with volume one on November 26, 2025, volume two on Christmas Day, 2025, and the series finale on New Year’s Eve, with each volume being released at 8pm Eastern time. In the build-up to the volume one premiere, a lot of Netflix subscribers have surely been binge-rewatching the four seasons that are sitting on the streaming service right now. But if you don’t have time to revisit all thirty-four episodes, the Duffer Brothers have recommended rewatching four specific episodes that help set up the new season.
The recommendations come in a The Hollywood Reporter article where the Duffers also say their aim with the final season was to come full circle, say they “don’t think” any new monsters are introduced in the final episodes, address fan theories, discuss the animated series Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, and more.
Stranger Things has the following synopsis: A love letter to the ‘80s classic genre films that captivated a generation, Stranger Things is a thrilling drama set in the seemingly normal Midwestern town of Hawkins, Indiana. After a boy vanishes into thin air, his close-knit group of friends and family search for answers and are pulled into a high-stakes and deadly series of events. Beneath the surface of their ordinary town lurks an extraordinary supernatural mystery, along with top-secret government experiments and a dangerous gateway that connects our world to a powerful yet sinister realm. Friendships will be tested and lives will be altered as what they discover will change Hawkins and possibly the world — forever.
If you only rewatch four episodes instead of four seasons, the Duffer Brothers recommend:
Season two, episode four, “Will the Wise”
Season two, episode six, “The Spy”
Season four, episode seven, “The Massacre at Hawkins Lab”
Season four, episode nine, “The Piggyback”
Matt Duffer explained, “Season two is when we really started to build out the mythology and started to dive into everything, and how this was going to be an ongoing [series]. That’s where we started to really plant the seeds for the mythology, and I think probably that’s why that is as relevant as it is. Season four is also highly relevant — ‘Massacre at Hawkins Lab’ is a good one.” Ross Duffer added, “That [episode] starts unveiling some of the Upside Down mythology and starts giving some answers, and, of course, all the stuff with Henry and Eleven continues to resonate throughout season five. Those are some good ones to revisit.“
Here’s what we can expect from season 5: 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.
The cast includes Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Brett Gelman (Murray), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Amybeth McNulty (Vickie), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Jake Connelly (Derek Turnbow), Alex Breaux (Lt. Akers), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay). New to the cast for Stranger Things season 5 are Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise), newcomer Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux (Joe Pickett).
Stranger Things is produced by Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment. Series creators The Duffer Brothers serve as executive producers alongside Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen of 21 Laps Entertainment, Iain Paterson, and Curtis Gwinn. The Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont ended an 11-year break from directing to take the helm of an episode of this final season.
Are you rewatching Stranger Things episodes or seasons ahead of the season 5 premiere? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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