Stranger Things has returned more than three years after the Season 4 finale, and creators want fans to watch the new episodes with a warning in mind.
The show, whose promo was overshadowed by controversy involving Millie Bobby Brown and her on-screen father, David Harbour, is back with the first batch of episodes from its fifth and final season.
Fans will follow the Hawkins group as they seek to find and eliminate the monstrous Vecna.
Image credits: Netflix
Viewers were so eager to watch the group face their final battle that Netflix reportedly crashed when the highly anticipated episodes were released on Wednesday (November 26) at around 5:00 p.m.
Instead of the episodes, fans were met with an image from Nailed It! with the message, “Something went wrong. Sorry, we’re having trouble with your request. You’ll find lots to explore on the home page.”
According to Variety, the streaming platform also experienced a brief outage when the final two episodes of Season 4 were released in 2022.
Image credits: Netflix
For those who enjoy coming up with theories regarding the fate of the Hawkins kids, showrunner Matt Duffer has a few recommendations.
“It’s fun actually when [the fans] have all these theories as to what’s going to happen. It’s fun to read them,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
Matt said “the vast majority” of fan theories are wrong, though “occasionally, someone gets something” and correctly predicts the script.
Netflix crashed when the first episodes of the fifth and final season were released on Wednesday
“But I really hope they go in like they would to any other season and enjoy it for what it is.”
Matt advised fans to prepare for the show by grabbing some chocolate pudding, Eggos, popcorn, or “whatever you need to help enhance the experience.”
Image credits: Netflix
The 41-year-old, who co-created the sci-fi series with his identical twin brother Ross, also confirmed that no new monsters will torment the group in Season 5.
“We talked about it, but a lot of this season is about returning to the prior seasons, and we didn’t want to overstuff it with new creatures. So, as we worked on the season, we thought, ‘Let’s just have fun with what we’ve previously established.”
Matt Duffer said fans shouldn’t hold on too tightly to their theories and expectations
Image credits: Netflix
In addition to Stranger Things, one of the most successful Netflix shows of all time, the Duffer Brothers have also written and directed the 2015 horror film Hidden and written and produced episodes of the Fox sci-fi series Wayward Pines.
Image credits: Netflix
Ross recommended that fans rewatch the early seasons, explaining that the storyline will “come full circle” and answer all the questions dating back to the very first season.
The final episode will be released theatrically, in addition to being available to stream on December 31—an idea pitched by the brothers.
“We’re really stoked about it — not that that’s the only way to watch it [because it will stream at the same time] — but that some fans are gonna be able to watch it that way is really exciting,” Matt said.
Volume 2 will be released on Christmas, and the season finale will be out on New Year’s Eve
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The brothers said they’re looking forward to sneaking into movie theaters and watching the finale with the fans.
“We’ve never had that experience before, so we’re excited. It’s also going to sound and look better,” Matt added.
Stranger Things is one of the most popular Netflix shows of all time, with Season 4 being viewed over 140 million times
Image credits: Netflix
Image credits: Netflix
Before the New Year’s Eve finale, Volume 2 (three episodes) will be released on Christmas.
In the weeks leading up to the Volume 1 premiere, a Daily Mail report alleged that Millie Bobby Brown had filed a bullying and harassment complaint against her co-star David Harbour.
The show was created by Matt and Ross Duffer, who are twin brothers
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The 21-year-old allegedly filed the complaint against the 50-year-old before production began on Season 5, a source told the outlet, adding that the document included “pages and pages of accusations.”
An investigation allegedly “went on for months” after Mille filed the complaint, and she reportedly had a representative with her on set while filming the final season.
Image credits: Netflix
However, the young star appeared to debunk speculation of on-set animosity during the Los Angeles premiere on November 4, where she smiled alongside David and laughed with him on the red carpet.
The release of the new episodes comes amid reports of a tense relationship between Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour
Image credits: Kevin Winter
Image credits: Netflix
During an interview, Millie described her bond with David as “really special.”
“I’ve obviously had a really special bond with David because we have a father-daughter relationship, and we do every scene together,“ she told Entertainment Tonight of their on-screen dynamic.
“It’s been so special to have him along the journey for me,” she concluded.
“I have a feeling they’re gonna Game of Thrones it,” one user quipped
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