Stranger Things Season 5 Unleashes Its Most Brutal Death Yet — Brace Yourself
The fuse is lit on a high-stakes standoff, and someone is about to get burned.
Stranger Things is heading into its final stretch with a very on-brand promise: less overall gore than last time, but one death so brutal it tops everything the show has done before. So yes, maybe fewer splatter set-pieces than season 4, but apparently one moment that will make your jaw hit the floor.
The goriest death yet (but somehow a calmer season?)
Creators Matt and Ross Duffer told The Times that season 5 is not as outwardly violent as season 4. The twist: it still features the single most violent death in the show’s history. Not exactly a spoiler, but consider yourself warned.
This show has a body count
If you’ve lost track of how many people Hawkins has chewed up, you’re not alone. The fan-run Stranger Things Wiki tallies more than 800 deaths across the first four seasons, from nameless bystanders to characters you actually cared about. Two that still sting: Barb, who basically kicked off the Upside Down mess back in season 1, and Eddie Munson, who went out swinging before getting swarmed by Demobats in season 4.
But the finale sounds... uplifting
Despite the tease of that nastiest-ever death, director Shawn Levy says the show sticks the landing and ends on a high note. He’s not hedging, either. Speaking to Collider, he went all-in:
"Having watched the final version of the final episode of the final season of Stranger Things, it is a masterpiece. The Duffers have stuck that landing. So 10 out of 10 perfect."
Bold words. If he’s right, we can probably stop worrying about a certain other fantasy show’s finale-level backlash.
When to watch
- Season 5, Volume 1 hits Netflix on November 26.
- The finale drops on New Year’s Eve.