Ross Duffer Hails the Stranger Things Prodigy Who Broke the Internet

Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things 5, episodes 1–4. You have been warned.

Stranger Things is back and the internet is doing laps. The first four episodes are loud, weird, and flexing every VFX muscle Netflix will pay for. Kali pops up again, Will finally taps into something big, and in the middle of all that noise, one unexpected new kid is stealing scenes: Derek Turnbow, played by Jake Connelly, a total newcomer who basically jumped from local commercials to Hawkins overnight.

The breakout nobody saw coming: Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow

Derek starts as Holly Wheeler's classmate with the unfortunate nickname 'Dipsh*t Derek' and quickly graduates to 'I would absolutely follow this kid out of a military base.' He smuggles a few of the gang past armed personnel, verbally drops an officer on the spot, and manages to not get eaten while Demogorgons are doing crowd work. The character was written as a squeaky wheel; Connelly turns him into comic relief with actual purpose. Fans noticed.

How he got the job (yes, it involves a furniture ad and a tornado warning)

The Duffers found Connelly the old-fashioned way: by catching him in a local Chicago furniture commercial. Ross Duffer put it simply:

'Jake is a special kid. He had only been in a local Chicago furniture commercial [before this]. We found him and it's different than how we imagined Derek originally, but that's how it was with most of the actors we found.'

Connelly told Teen Vogue he only started acting a few years ago, doing small gigs around Chicago, including a couple Windows spots thanks to a family friend. It was very much a 'why not?' situation that snowballed into an agent, a stack of auditions, and then the call.

'You know what? Why not? Let's just take a chance on it.'

'Jake, you're going to Hawkins.'

That call, by the way, happened during a tornado warning with his whole agency on the line. Not exactly the traditional Hollywood story, which fits Stranger Things just fine. From Windows ads to the Upside Down in a couple years is a wild pivot, and Connelly looks like he's been doing this forever.

Will Byers finally levels up (and no, he's not just Eleven 2.0)

The end of episode 4 lands the season's biggest swing so far: Will, long connected to the Upside Down, reaches into that bond and flat-out controls Demogorgons. The moment is personal instead of scientific — a rush of memories, the friendships that built him, and Robin's nudge to own who he is — and then the power hits. If his arm movements look familiar, that's the point, but the Duffers are adamant this is not a copy-paste of Eleven's telekinesis.

'We started to plant the seeds all the way back in season two, building his connection to the Mind Flayer, which eventually we learn is very much connected to Vecna... Season five felt perfect because the story began with Will and his vanishing, so it felt very natural to recenter the story on Will for this final season.'

'We wanted everything to go full circle... But it was important to us that he wasn't a second Eleven. He doesn't exactly have his own powers. Obviously, it's a little bit more complicated than that.'

Translation: Will's ability is rooted in his history with the Upside Down and Vecna, not Hawkins Lab. It's messier, more spiritual, and it instantly makes him a top-tier player in the endgame.

Quick refresher

• Creators: Matt and Ross Duffer
• Cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin
• Seasons: 5
• Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

So where is all this headed?

Between Kali's return, Will's upgrade, and the rise of 'Delightful Derek,' season 5 is clearly swinging for full-circle payoffs. The Duffers are pulling threads from season 2 and tying them off now, which is exactly where this show usually shines.

Place your bets: does Will make it out of the finale after trying to shut those gates for good? I'm not convinced he does. Stranger Things 5 is now streaming on Netflix.