Stranger Things season 5 finale: Runtime, release date and predictions
Prepare for one of the longest Stranger Things episodes ever when the finale drops
Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 is finally here, but that means the show’s finale is near – and if you want to know how long its runtime is, when it’s out and what could happen, you’re in the right place.
It’s hard to imagine Stranger Things coming to an end. After all, a new season has always been on a distant horizon; the fifth season may have taken over three years, but at least we knew it was coming.
In less than a week, one of Netflix’s best shows will reach its epic (and no doubt emotional) conclusion. Will Steve die, will we learn more about Vecna’s past, and what will happen to Eleven?
These are all reasonable questions, as well as, “When is Stranger Things season 5 episode 8 out? And how long is it?” Luckily, we have the answers.
When does the last episode of Stranger Things season 5 come out?
The Stranger Things season 5 finale will be available to stream on Netflix from 1am UK time on New Year’s Day.
If you’ve seen the trailers and posters for the new season, you may be under the impression that episode 8 will drop on New Year’s Eve.
Unfortunately, this release schedule is only for viewers in the US and Canada.
For most people in other territories, it’ll be added to Netflix in the early hours of January 1, 2026. So, you’re either staying up past the bells to watch it or getting up early in the morning to avoid spoilers.
According to the Duffer Brothers, the show’s creators, a New Year’s Eve/Day release date was the “perfect way to celebrate the end of this adventure”.
It is a smart strategy, more so for North America. Think about it: if it drops at 5pm PT, viewers on the West Coast will have time to watch the finale before they head out to New Year’s Eve parties.
It’ll probably fetch enormous viewership and take Stranger Things to number one on Netflix’s all-time rankings.
How long is the final episode of Stranger Things?
Stranger Things season 5 episode 8, titled ‘The Rightside Up’, will be two hours and 8 minutes long. This is three minutes longer than its previously announced 125-minute runtime.
That makes it the second-longest episode in the history of the show, just behind the season 4 finale’s 149-minute runtime.
If you were to binge the entirety of season 5 from start to finish, it’d take over 10 hours, compared to the fourth season’s beefy 13-hour-plus length.
What will happen in the finale?
If you’ve seen the ending of Stranger Things season 5 volume 2, you’ll know that Eleven and the whole crew are heading into the Upside Down to find Vecna in the Abyss and stop him for good.
In short, the Abyss is an alternate dimension – unlike the Upside Down (which is a bridge between the two worlds).
The finale will likely follow the group as they enact their plan, hoping to save everyone and destroy the Upside Down – severing Earth’s tie to Vecna’s homeworld.
Will Eleven die in Stranger Things season 5?
However, there are still big questions. Number one: will anyone die?
Eleven and Kali appear to have made a pact to sacrifice themselves, but would the show really end with the death of its tragic heroine?
“It was really important for us that all of our characters, as they head into the final battle, have really resolved those tensions or conflicts,” Ross Duffer told Variety.
“In our mind, if the party’s actually going to be able to defeat this great evil, they have to be all working at the best of their ability, and be all on the same page. So it was important just to resolve those tensions and conflicts.”
However, Matt Duffer teased: “How can there be a happy ending here? That’s the question going into the finale. Is Mike right, or is Kali right?”
One of the most common predictions is that Eleven will sacrifice herself, in turn ending Dr. Kay’s programme. However, the finale will reveal her to be alive and living peacefully in hiding by the end.
Also, there is still more to learn about Vecna. More specifically, what was in that scientist’s briefcase in Henry’s memories?
“We will see that briefcase again. You’re going to get the answers to those questions in the final episode,” Ross Duffer confirmed.
Read more: How to watch the Stranger Things season 5 finale in cinemas
