What could happen next as the show’s finale looms?

Spoiler alert: This contains some details about what’s happened in the series so far, but doesn’t reveal anything about the last four episodes.

A Christmas treat may be in the offing, or perhaps another chocolate bar (no strawberry cream, thank you), but for Stranger Things fans, another gift is waiting to be consumed.

The grand finale of Netflix’s wildly popular sci-fi fantasy horror series, which also showcases questionable ’80s fashion choices, is upon us.

Fans last saw the residents of Hawkins in a dangerous place where Demogorgons and the monster Vecna ​​are on the prowl when season five opened. A final war is about to begin.

A further three episodes air in the UK on Boxing Day at 1am GMT, while in the US they will be available to watch on Christmas Day at 8pm EST.

last part, with a running time of two hours and five minutesit’s not too far away and is available to watch from 1am on New Year’s Day in the UK.

US fans can catch the film on December 31 at 8pm EST and watch it on the big screen in 500 theaters across the US and Canada for a shared experience.

Hawkins was under siege; Rifts (or dimensional rifts) were opening and letting in terrifying Demogorgons from the Upside Down, while the town was under military quarantine.

The search for Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, intensifies. He and Hopper (David Harbour) were fighting evil forces at a military base in the Upside Down. They stumble upon a terrifying wall of flesh and the terrifying government scientist Dr. played by Terminator star Linda Hamilton. They met Kay.

The big development was Will discovering that he had supernatural powers… Also, something unusual was happening in a cave with Max, Holly and Vecna ​​in Henry Creel’s earlier creepy incarnation.

There are still a lot of unresolved threads that need to be resolved, and fans are hoping that the finale will not disappoint them after the end of series like the one below. game of Thrones And Loss It was divisive and disappointing for some.

Stranger Things’ executive producer Shawn Levy said that the series’ final feature-length episode was carefully prepared for its huge global fan base.

“They were heartbroken over shows they loved that ended up disappointing their fans.” he recently told Variety. He added that the series’ creators, the Duffer brothers, “didn’t want to be one of these shows, they didn’t want to, and they refused.”

We all want to know why Henry Kreel, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, looks scared outside the cave where Max Mayfield and Holly Wheeler are taking shelter.

They appear to be stuck in one of Henry’s first memories, where Holly is in her childhood home and Max is in the cave.

Fans on Reddit and TikTok have a few ideas… but they’re related to the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which we won’t spoil here.

We already know that Henry killed his mother and sister and left the blame to his injured father. Of course, Henry ended up at Hawkins Lab, where he met Eleven; Eleven banished him with her powers, transforming him into Vecna.

Meanwhile, Mike and Nancy’s sister Holly (played by Nell Fisher) has been kidnapped by a Demogorgon from her home, where her mother attempts to defend her in a bloody battle.

It will become clear why Holly now has a cassette copy of Tiffany’s 80s hit I Think We’re Alone Now, given to her by Henry, whom she calls Mr Whatsit.

Netflix website Tudum explains This name comes from the name of “Miss Whatsit” A Wrinkle in TimeMadeleine L’Engle’s classic 1962 science fantasy novel, which Holly reads in season five.

Max, played by Sadie Sink, is still in a coma in Hawkins after nearly being killed by Vecna.

The other kids and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) do their best to save their friends and the citizens of Hawkins.

We don’t know yet.

Joyce Montepiedra speculated On GameRant, this is because “the music helps distract the victim back to reality and away from Vecna’s mind games.”

When it seemed like Max’s end was near, hearing Kate Bush’s song Running Up That Hill grounded him in reality and enabled him to survive.

We also learned in series four that Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s 1950 song Dream A Little Dream Of Me helped Henry Creel’s father Victor escape his son’s murderous manipulations.

After visiting Victor in the mental institution, Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) and Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) realized that music could penetrate a person’s consciousness and release them from Vecna’s control.

Montepiedra also notes the importance of Hawkins’ radio station, which features a show hosted by Robin, played by Joe Keery, and Steve Harrington.

“The introduction of a radio station in season five is intentional and serves a purpose,” he writes.

“Radio stations are ideal for reaching audiences in one place.

“And if the main characters who took control of the radio station are those who know the connection between music and Vecna’s curse, then they can provide constant protection to the citizens of Hawkins under the guise of entertainment.”

The show still needs to explore this story further, and Noah Schnapp deadline was told this would be investigated.

“For Will, we’re starting to learn the parallels between Will and Vecna,” he said.

“It almost felt very Harry Potter to me that I had to go back and watch the movies again, because the Harry Potter-Voldemort relationship felt so close to Will and Vecna, I was exploring those parallels and what that meant.”

He also said he was glad the show ended.

“I feel very pleased and excited about all of our characters and how the series is coming to an end,” he said.

“I think it’s a great job to cover everyone’s individual story and serve them all.”

Once the series ends, it might be tempting for the Duffer brothers to consider making a money-making sequel at some point.

Stranger Things debuted in the Netflix Top 10 in all 93 countries measured by the company. By varietyThe fourth season became the first English series to exceed one billion hours on the platform.

But despite its popularity, identical twins Matt and Ross Duffer rejected a sequel.

“This is really the end of Eleven’s story, Mike’s story, Lucas’ story, Dustin’s story, Steve’s, and all these characters’ story, especially Hawkins.” GamesRadar quoted Ross Duffer he says.

Matt added: “There’s really nothing else worth exploring.

“The book is closed, and if we leave it open for some kind of sequel, the ending wouldn’t be very effective.”