Why The Duffer Brothers Told a Stranger Things Actor to Dial Back the Tears in the Finale
After a decade building Stranger Things, creators Matt and Ross Duffer say they’re done with 10-year marathons—the goodbye is just too brutal.
Stranger Things is coming back for its last ride, and the Duffers really want you hydrated. They’ve been saying season 5 is a heartbreaker, and not just because the gang is headed for a final showdown with Vecna. Even filming the supposedly lighter moments turned into a tear factory by the end.
When your comedy beats come with a lump in your throat
By the last stretch of a nearly year-long shoot, the cast knew they were wrapping up ten years of their lives in Hawkins. That knowledge made even the fun scenes weirdly hard to play. Ross Duffer told Variety there were takes where the actors were already tearing up way too early, and production had to nudge them back into a brighter tone. Translation: the emotions showed up before the script said they should.
"I did spend 12 hours in a rolling cycle of weeping."
That’s Maya Hawke (Robin) on what one big day did to her. She also says the experience permanently changed how she works, in a good way, because the real-life stakes matched the on-screen ones. Over on Team Hair Icon, Joe Keery (Steve) said everyone was exhausted after twelve months and itching to finish... until they hit the finish line and immediately wanted one more lap. You can feel the whiplash.
It wasn’t easier behind the camera
Matt Duffer admitted the goodbye marathon hit him and Ross just as hard. He doesn’t see himself spending another decade on a single project again, and closing this one out meant saying farewell over and over as different groups wrapped. He tried not to cry each time. It did not go great.
What we actually know about season 5
Plot-wise, Netflix is still playing the mystery card, but the official setup is basically this: after the Rifts tore open, the whole crew has one mission — track down Vecna and end him. The problem is he’s missing, and as the anniversary of Will’s disappearance creeps up, that old dread starts pressing down on Hawkins again. The big battle is coming, and the threat this time is nastier than anything they’ve dealt with before. To win, they’re going to need everybody on the board — the entire party — standing together for the final round.
Dates to circle
- Volume 1: November 26 — the first four episodes hit Netflix
- Volume 2: December 25
- Volume 3: December 31
So yeah, expect quips and bike rides, but also bring tissues. If the cast could barely keep it together during the funny bits, we’re in for it when the monsters show up.