The wait is finally over. After years of teases, delays, and fan theories spiraling into the Upside Down, Stranger Things Season 5 begins tonight on Netflix — the beginning of the show’s long-awaited final chapter.

Netflix is rolling out the eight-episode final season in three parts, giving fans one last extended descent into monsters, mindscapes, and Hawkins-level chaos.

When Does Season 5 Drop?

Season 5 arrives in pieces:

• Volume 1 (Episodes 1–4): Tonight, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
• Volume 2 (Episodes 5–7): Christmas Day, Dec. 25 at 8 p.m. ET
• The Grand Finale (Episode 8): New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2025

Yes — Netflix is ending 2025 by slamming the door shut on the Upside Down.

What’s in Tonight’s Drop?

The first four episodes hit Netflix at 8 p.m. ET, giving fans plenty of time to binge before the Stranger Things float appears in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday morning.

Who’s Returning for the Final Season?

Pretty much everyone you’d want:

• Winona Ryder (Joyce)
• David Harbour (Hopper)
• Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven)
• Finn Wolfhard (Mike)
• Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin)
• Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas)
• Noah Schnapp (Will)
• Sadie Sink (Max)
• Natalia Dyer (Nancy)
• Charlie Heaton (Jonathan)
• Joe Keery (Steve)
• Maya Hawke (Robin)
• Priah Ferguson (Erica)
• Brett Gelman (Murray)
• Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna)
• Cara Buono (Karen)
• Amybeth McNulty (Vickie)

New Faces:

• Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay)
• Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler)
• Jake Connelly (Derek Turnbow)
• Alex Breaux (Lt. Akers)

Prepare Before You Binge

If you don’t have time to rewatch the entire series, Netflix and USA TODAY dropped season-by-season recaps. Trailers are also live now to set the mood — and yes, it looks darker.

Whether you’re watching for the monsters, the nostalgia, or the heartbreak, tonight marks the start of the final ride in Hawkins.