Start the countdown. The Upside Down is cracking open one last time.

After nine long years, Stranger Things is finally back for its fifth and final season—and yes, Vecna is alive. Netflix just dropped major details about the return of its cult series, and they didn’t come to play. The final chapter kicks off on November 26, 2025, and let’s just say: it’s not going to be pretty.

Spoiler alert? Good. Now let’s talk chaos. The season picks up in Fall 1987, and things in Hawkins have gone full apocalyptic. The Rifts are open. The government’s slapped the town under military quarantine. Eleven’s back in hiding. And Vecna? Missing in action—but not for long.

Netflix confirms the mission is clear: Find him. Kill him. End this nightmare. But of course, it’s Stranger Things, so nothing is ever that easy. As the anniversary of Will Byers’ disappearance creeps closer, a thick sense of dread returns to Hawkins. And this time, it’s not just Demogorgons and creepy vines. The party’s about to face something darker, stronger, and deadlier than anything that’s come before.

Now for the part that’s going to cause chaos in the group chat:
The season’s release is split into three parts — and yes, there are weeks between them.

• Episodes 1–4 drop Nov 26 at 8 p.m. EST.
• Episodes 5–7 hit Christmas night, Dec 25.
• The grand finale explodes onto screens on New Year’s Eve.

So no, you won’t be bingeing it in one go. Netflix is making you wait. But maybe that’s the point. It’s the end of an era. The beginning of the final war. And if the Hawkins crew is going out—they’re going out with a bang.