We Analyzed That New 'Stranger Things 5' Video So You Don't Have To
It's been 745 days since we saw the end of Stranger Things season 4. Max narrowly escaped Vecna with her life. Nancy and Jonathan reunited, as did Eleven and Hopper. Oh, we also learned the Upside Down has infiltrated Hawkins and is splitting the city in two. And after two years, we FINALLY got our first behind-the-scenes video from Stranger Things season 5, in honor of being halfway done with filming. There are so many moments from the new season to talk about — which is exactly why I've already rewatched the video multiple times and done all the analysis for you ;). Let's go, nerds!
Right off the bat, we see a shot of Castle Byers in the Upside Down (which we know thanks to the vines crawling all over it). We know the Upside Down is stuck on the day Will got taken in the pilot, which means there's a good chance Castle Byers could become a safe house for any characters who get stuck on the other side — which might end up being Will himself, based on the clip of him walking away from the group, clearly in a trance.
The Stranger Things season 5 video also confirms we'll be getting quite the time jump: Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven ended season 4 with a buzzcut, but in this new video, her hair is long enough to put into a looped ponytail. Both Nancy and Dustin have also grown their hair out quite a bit, which definitely leans toward the late-80s shag.
And our favorite kids (er, teens) aren't the only characters who are growing up: Nancy and Mike's little sister Holly (who we met as a toddler) is getting closer to being a pre-teen. She also seems to be a target of Vecna, based on a clip where she's standing in her room and all the lights are flickering. Run Holly run!
Netflix/YouTube
A small clip also lines up with the first set leak we got in January 2024. In the leaked photo, Dustin stands in front of Eddie's grave, which now has graffiti all over it. And in the behind-the-scenes video, Dustin stands in the graveyard with a bunch of jocks one moment and has a busted nose in another. I'm thinking we'll see a fight between Dustin and these other Hawkins students, and I'm hoping Dustin is able to hold his own!
We can also see Joe Keery standing with executive producer Shawn Levy in a red-lit room covered in Upside Down vines. "I NEED STEVE TO SURVIVE SEASON 5" is my new mantra, even though my confidence he'll do so is dwindling by the day. I will be bringing tissues to my watch party.
And, finally, just like in the early seasons of the show, our favorite groups-within-the-group are back together again. Mike, Lucas, Will, and Dustin are teamed up, but so are Jonathan, Steve, and Nancy (and Steve and Dustin!). The series is going back to its roots, and it truly gets so much better when everyone is together.
Are you excited for Stranger Things 5? I'm thrilled that, based on the characters' costumes, the final season will be in the fall or winter — I love a winter TV show! Let us know your hopes, thoughts, and hot takes on Facebook.
Lead image via Steve Dietl/Netflix