Stranger Things Season 5 is the fifth and final season of the acclaimed Netflix sci-fi horror series created by the Duffer Brothers. Set in the fall of 1987 in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, this season concludes the saga of a group of friends battling supernatural forces from the Upside Down, an alternate dimension. The season consists of eight episodes, released in three volumes: Volume 1 (episodes 1–4) on November 26, 2025, Volume 2 (episodes 5–7) on December 25, 2025, and the finale (episode 8) on December 31, 2025, all at 5:00 p.m. PST. The story picks up a year after the cataclysmic events of Season 4, where rifts opened in Hawkins, threatening its existence. The core group, including Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and others, unites to find and defeat Vecna, the malevolent entity behind the Upside Down’s horrors, who has now vanished, his plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government imposes a military quarantine on Hawkins and intensifies its hunt for Eleven, forcing her into hiding. As the anniversary of Will Byers’ initial disappearance looms, the group faces a darker, more powerful threat, requiring the entire “party” to stand together for a final battle. The season blends the intimate, character-driven tone of Season 1 with the epic scale of Season 4, described as “Season 1 and 4 having a baby, injected with steroids.” It features nostalgic 1980s references, intense action, and emotional resolutions, with episodes varying in length, some nearing feature-film duration (up to two hours). The cast includes returning stars like 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 Bauman), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna), and Amybeth McNulty (Vickie, promoted to main cast). Newcomers include Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay, Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler, Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow, and Alex Breaux as Lt. Akers. Directors include the Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, Frank Darabont, and Dan Trachtenberg, ensuring a cinematic close to the series.