Stranger Things Season 5: The Final Season’s Episode Count Revealed
Stranger Things is going out with a bang: the eight-episode final season drops November 26, 2025, in three waves—four episodes on November 26, three on December 25, and a two-hour finale on December 31. Say goodbye to Hawkins as the series signs off on New Year’s Eve.
Stranger Things is going out with one last Hawkins-sized swing: eight episodes, three drops, and a New Year’s Eve finale that will hit Netflix and actual movie theaters at the exact same time. Yes, Netflix is finally doing a theatrical event for one of its shows. About time.
How they’re rolling this out
Season 5 premieres November 26, 2025, and it’s split into three parts. Volume 1 lands four episodes right away, Volume 2 brings three more on Christmas Day, and the finale is a two-hour capper on December 31. Netflix will release everything globally at the same moment, so times shift by region: in the US it’s 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET; in the UK it hits 1 AM the next day; Europe at 2 AM CET; India at 6:30 AM IST the next day. Same timing for all three drops.
The episodes, titles, runtimes, and dates
- Episode 1 - "The Crawl" - 1 hour 8 minutes - November 26, 2025
- Episode 2 - "The Vanishing of ..." - 54 minutes - November 26, 2025
- Episode 3 - "The Turnbow Trap" - 1 hour 6 minutes - November 26, 2025
- Episode 4 - "Sorcerer" - 1 hour 23 minutes - November 26, 2025
- Episode 5 - "Shock Jock" - runtime TBA - December 25, 2025
- Episode 6 - "Escape from Camazotz" - runtime TBA - December 25, 2025
- Episode 7 - "The Bridge" - runtime TBA - December 25, 2025
- Episode 8 - "The Rightside Up" (Finale) - about 2 hours 1 minute - December 31, 2025
A few notes buried in there:
- Season 5 is eight episodes total, which is one fewer than Season 4’s nine.
- Volume 1 clocks 4 hours and 31 minutes across its four episodes.
- Episode 2’s full title is being coy on purpose. Based on promo materials and trailer footage, it sure looks like it’s pointing to Holly Wheeler disappearing.
Theaters, baby
The finale is doing something no Netflix series has ever done: a simultaneous theatrical and streaming launch. "The Rightside Up" will play in over 350 theaters across the US and Canada on New Year’s Eve, with screenings continuing into January 1, 2026. The Duffers have wanted a big-screen sendoff for years, and this is the victory lap: bigger sound, bigger picture, and a room full of fans reacting to the last ride together. Netflix will announce which theaters and how to get tickets closer to the date.
About those runtime rumors
If you heard whispers about bloated episodes, the Duffers already swatted that down. They posted the actual numbers and said the focus this season is momentum, not length for length’s sake. You can feel that in the first drop: three tight hours and change, then an 83-minute Episode 4 as the opening crescendo.
How the split shapes the story
Ross Duffer has been clear that Volume 1 isn’t just setup. It plays like its own complete arc with a real climax, and the three-part rollout wasn’t an afterthought — they wrote to that structure from the jump. So yes, expect big swings in the first four, not just table-setting.
Where to watch
All of Season 5 streams exclusively on Netflix worldwide. You’ll need an active Netflix subscription, and everything drops at those region-specific times: US at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET; UK at 1 AM GMT the following day; Europe at 2 AM CET; India at 6:30 AM IST the following day.
Final thought
Three launches, a leaner episode count, a theatrical finale — it’s a very Stranger Things way to close the gate. Got theories for "The Rightside Up" or that Episode 2 mystery? Hit me with them.