The end of an era? After nearly 10 years, a show you may have watched as a child is finally coming to an end. What was once a new, spooky and strange show is now massively popular and enjoyed by many. The series opens with Will, Mike, Lucas and Dustin all playing a game called Dungeons & Dragons — a game that quickly becomes their reality. They met a girl named Eleven in a forest near a lab. Monsters are constantly coming after Eleven and her friends.

Synopsis

The main characters of Stranger Things are Eleven, Mike Wheeler, Will Byers, Lucas Sinclair, Max Mayfield and Dustin Henderson. Eleven is a girl with supernatural abilities. Her character is very complex and somewhat heroic, from killing Demogorgons to hitting a girl with a skate. Mike Wheeler provides Eleven with emotional support within the series. Many of these characters can probably be considered as the titular “nerds” or underdogs you would encounter in an ‘80s-style film. The characters undergo numerous alterations in their characteristics throughout the series. One of the main characters to experience an evolution in their character or “arc” is Steve. He originally was considered to be a bully, but when he becomes friends with Dustin, he becomes more popular. To many people, Steve Harrington is very likable because of his looks and his charm. 

“My favorite [character] is definitely Steve. Everyone likes Steve,” Jordyn Washington (10) said. “His character arc over the seasons, how he started kind of [as] a bully, and now he’s friends with one of the members of the group of boys.”

Season Recap

In the last season, Eleven, Will, Joyce and Jonathan Byers moved far from Hawkins. Meanwhile, in Hawkins, Lucas, Max, Erica, Eddie, Robin, Steve, Dustin and Nancy were fighting Vecna, a mind-controlling monster. As his last victims, Max and Eddie die in the Upside Down. When Eddie Munson passed, Eleven recovered her powers and returned to Hawkins. Lucas and Max were in the hospital where Lucas hopes Max will recover. Vecna seeks to take control of Hawkins and the world by utilizing Max. There are theories about the possibility that Vecna will continue to use Max as a puzzle piece in his ultimate plan. 

 “I feel [Vecna will] use Max because Max [is] in a coma right now,” Kirsten Kelly (9) said. “She can’t really talk [and] can’t do anything.”

Trailer Analysis

The trailer is intense and sets the Stranger Things mood many have gotten to know and love. In the opening scene, Vecna awakens. Hawkins has been closed off by the government. It seems as if the government has put restrictions on what the town can do as they still seek to uncover the secrets of Hawkins. In the next scene, Mike and his friends plan a way to take Vecna back down. In the hospital, Lucas is on the run from Demogorgons with Max in his arms. Vecna’s plan still lingers as he continues to want to end the world. Eleven and Jim Hopper, the town’s Chief of police are a power team ready to defy the government once again. Vecna and Will’s characters will be connected this season. Vecna leaves us with the lingering words “William, you are going to help me … one last time” and BOOM, the trailer ends. 

“[The trailer] kind of made me scared because it spoiled a lot of things,” Kelly said. “Will getting controlled by the mind flare and Lucas, when he was like attacked with Max … it was a lot of different things that kind of made me feel fear for the season.” 

Will your favorite survive?

In the trailer, the government seems to have more control over the town. The government will most likely play a bigger role in the outcome. Even though we see the government play a role in every season, a whole new level could be reached this season. Eleven has gotten her powers back and is ready to fight Vecna. Many predict that Eleven will have to sacrifice herself to save Hawkins from death. Many also predict that if Vecna dies, then everything that he lives with will die, possibly foreshadowing Will’s death. Many of the others, like Chrissy Cunningham, Fred Benson and Patrick McKinney, who have been possessed or attacked by Vecna, die. There is also a possibility that in this season, we will get to see what Will experienced in the Upside Down. In the second season, quite a few clips are shown of what it’s like when he was upside down, but it does not go in-depth. 

“I think season five is gonna show how Will survived in the Upside Down,” Washington said. “[and] what Vecna had to do with [Will going missing] in the first season.”

In the previous season, Eddie Munson died from an attack. In season three, Max experiences the loss of her brother, William Hargrove. There is a possibility that Max and Dustin will have a similar development, since they both viewed these people as significant role models. This might cause Vecna to attack Max as he did in the previous season because of her sadness and grief.

 “Max and Dustin will have this same effect,” Kelly said. “Eddie died, and Max’s brother died, and it’s kind of [a similar experience].” 

Many people have been connected by the show. Some people started watching the show with their family or when they were younger. This show started in 2016 while many of us were still children and now almost 10 years later, the actors are heading towards a new stage in their lives. Throughout the years, fans have grown alongside the actors and development of the show, forming a stronger bond and fan group following than many other modern shows. This show is the end of an era for many of the fans, making this final season bittersweet.

“I was kind of a nerd [when I was younger],” Kelly said. “I used to watch [the actors] social media and all of that. I kind of feel like I grew [up] with [the characters].”