I opened Netflix in my web browser this morning to something of a pleasant surprise – there it was, one of the streamer's most highly-regarded sci-fi shows, is returning "for the final season in 2025". Finally, official confirmation that it's not 2026, as previously rumoured!
I'm talking, but of course, about Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers' sci-fi horror epic, which aired its first season back in 2016, and which saw the rise to fame of its key protagonist, Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown. Like millions of other fans, I've watched the young stars grow – both physically and mentally – throughout the show's arduous journey.
And it got me thinking: Stranger Things was the show to change my mind about horror to some degree. Think back to episode one of the first season: within the first couple of minutes we see a scientist dispatched from above – by some then-unknown kind of monster.
It's the sort of opener that I wouldn't usually stick around for afterwards – but the show so naturally blends teen drama with thrills, a touch of comedy, and a layer of espionage that goes beyond your usual inexplicable blood'n'guts slasher. This show is nothing of the sort – it's grabs you within its first hour and has you rooting for its kid stars there on out, almost as if watching The Goonies in an alternate universe.
I've got to respect the show for that. It's rare that any one series would have me dipping more casually into other frighteners and gorse-fests – From, anyone? – but as we roll into 2025, I feel like it's a show that's made me more open-minded. And I sure am excited for the final season – for the closure it'll bring, for the sheer thrills, and the sheer fear as to whether everyone will make it or not.
It's clear Stranger Things is one of the reasons that Netflix is considered among the best streaming services. Indeed, season one netted 97% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics – and while seasons since have dipped a mite, even by season four the average fan rating was at 89% on the same site. That's very respectable.
Now all we need if for a Stranger Things season five trailer to drop. I'm sure that'll happen in due course – after the behind-the-scenes filming ones of last year – and no doubt set the internet ablaze with fan theories and speculation. But that's all part of the fun of this show – and I, for one, can't wait.
