NEED TO KNOW
The creators of Stranger Things are teasing the show’s conclusion.
After Volume 1 of the final season of the Netflix hit dropped on Nov. 26, Matt and Ross Duffer spoke with Variety about what’s still to come. While the latest episode ended with a huge surprise for one major character after a major showdown, the brothers said the series won’t be ending with a bloodbath.
“I’ve said this before: The show is not Game of Thrones,” Matt said.
“I’m hoping it surprises people. But there’s no Red Wedding, if that’s what you’re asking,” he said, referring to a massacre on GoT. “That would be depressing.”
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Season 5 began with a flashback of season 1, where Noah Schnapp’s Will Byers was kidnapped and spent time in the Upside Down, during which it was finally confirmed that Vecna (a.k.a. Henry Creel, played by Jamie Campbell Bower) had grander plans in store for him.
Throughout these first four episodes, Will uses his connection to Vecna to anticipate his next victims to help save them. Will later has a vision and sees the “hive,” where Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) and other children are being kept by Vecna, and knows it is something he wasn’t supposed to see.
After Vecna releases him in the final scene, Will can see the demogorgons about to attack his friends Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Robin (Maya Hawke) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) in their attempt to save the kids being summoned by Vecna, and suddenly, they all freeze.
As Will’s childhood flashes before his eyes, the camera cuts back to the demogorgons mid-attack. Will uses his newfound powers to stop them in their tracks, then kills each creature with his mind.
Netflix
Episode four ends with him wiping blood away from his nose, and despite there being several near-death moments throughout Volume 1, no one died. Ross explained that he and Matt didn’t want to have any major deaths in that first iteration of the season for a reason.
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“Once we decided we knew we wanted to do the Will power stuff this season, we knew that that’s how we had to end Volume 1,” he said. “So there’s the low point of all the kids being taken, but the high point of Will has these powers. That was always the discussion.”
“Vecna taking these children was the low point we needed for the end of Volume 1,” he added.
Vol. 1 of Stranger Things season 5 is now streaming on Netflix. Vol. 2 drops Dec. 25 with three episodes, and the finale drops Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET.
