Drop everything you’re doing right now — unless you happen to be holding a child, nitroglycerin or a giant platter of cream pies — because the latest action-packed look at
Stranger Things Season 5 has arrived, and it’s clear that the 2025 TV schedule will be wrapping up with a ton of dead bodies in and around Hawkins, Indiana. We just have to keep the faith that none of our core heroes will be amongst the fallen. (Okay, none is probably too grand a hope in this case, if the finale is meant to make fans sob.)
Have you watched the above trailer yet? You totally need to, because everything covered below will probably sound like a stream-of-consciousness mess if not. With that said, let’s break down this promo for what could be the biggest upcoming horror TV show to ever exist, with one of the most intriguing highlights being that final not-quite-showdown between Vecna and Will Byers.
The Song Choice; Queen’s “Who Wants To Live Forever?”
Nothing makes chasing monsters and saving your friends more dramatic than an orchestrated remix of a Queen song. Freddie Mercury’s piercing vocals would bring the light even to a place like the Upside Down. The track was released in 1986, which isn’t quite the most current song from this timeline, but the lyrics are no doubt too meaningful for the Duffer brothers to have passed up.
Hawkins Is Surrounded, Which Just Makes For A Bigger Body Count
The trailer makes it clear that there’s a government-enforced border around Hawkins, which we all know isn’t really going to do anything to stop anything from getting in or out. Vecna gives a shit about a barricade, as is made very obvious by the last quarter of the trailer. The monstrous villain apparently goes murder-crazy within one of the military outposts, littering the ground with uniformed corpses.
The Requisite D&D Reference
While Dungeons & Dragons has been a go-to source of comfort and familiarity for the younger characters, Eleven makes it clear to Mike that this final battle goes far beyond the safety of dice rolls and tales crafted by Dungeon Masters.
This isn’t like one of your campaigns. You don’t get to write the ending. Not this time.
I bet Mike still finds a way to influence the ending as if he was writing it.
Dustin And Steve’s Tearful Hug
My goodness, the emotion on Gaten Matarazzo’s face when he and Steve are hugging each other so tightly. Clearly something awful happens, but the stress on his face makes it seem like they just found out Joe Quinn’s Eddie Munson was still alive, and then had to watch him die all over again. I doubt that’s the case, given what the Duffers have said about Eddie’s fate, but still.
Eleven’s Powers
Given this is the final season, it’s finally time for fans to see Eleven gain full control over her powers, which the co-creators have compared to Star Wars’s presence of the Force. It’s on display earlier whenever Millie Bobby Brown’s character takes a running leap that looks far more like limited flying than long-jumping. And then later, she sends out a power blast that looks as if it could take out an entire city. I suspect the way the footage is edited together during those few seconds won’t reflect the final product, but I hope all of that colorful energy we see in the footage stems from Eleven.
Uh Oh, Lucas
Strangely enough for a final-season trailer, we don't actually see many of the protagonists facing down obvious dangers, even though as fans we know they're there. One of the core shots seen here that does apply, though, is Lucas lying on his back looking nervous as hell as one of the Upside Down's beasts approaches. I don't actually suspect anything too lethal will happen here, but I do wonder why he's all by himself down there.
Nancy Is In Beast Mode
How badass would it be if one of Stranger Things' spinoffs is dedicated to Natalia Dyer's Nancy Wheeler as an action hero going around the country, kicking bad guys' asses, taking names, and chewing bubblegum? She already looked like a total boss wielding a flamethrower in a previous trailer, and now she looks patently influenced by co-star Linda Hamilton's iconic character Sarah Connor.
What Is Vecna Going To Do To Will?
The trailer kicks off with the vine-covered monsters gravely rasp, and ends in the same way. Only this time, we see that Vecna somehow took Noah Schnapp's Will captive, and seems to be free to do whatever he wants with the dude, saying:
William, you are going to help me. One. Last. Time.
As if Will has been doing chores around Vecna's house all summer or something. I don't know if you can call it "help" when you're forcing someone to do it, ya freaky bastard. I can't tell if I'm more excited or bothered by the fact that we're five seasons into this show and I'm not 100% sure how Vecna will utilize Will on the whole, and how risky it all is physically and/or mentally for the teen. Obviously it's nothing great, or else WIll wouldn't be forced there against his...will.
Will Vecna's final move be the one that finally tears the Byers family apart, or will Eleven & Co. make all the right moves in time to save Will, Hawkins and the rest of the world from Demogorgon-demolished chaos? So many questions, so many hours until we get any of them answered.
Stranger Things Season 5 will kick off its first chapter starting on Thursday, November 26, with the second and third drops happening on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.
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