'Stranger Things' Fans Are Completely Divided After Netflix Announces Huge Change

Facts from the original

• Stranger Things has been on for nearly a decade, with four seasons and a fifth on the way.
• The fifth season's release schedule was announced by Netflix and is notably different from prior releases.
• It will be released in three waves, each tied to a different holiday.
• Volume 1 arrives on Thanksgiving, November 26, and contains four episodes.
• Volume 2 arrives on Christmas, December 26, and contains three episodes.
• Volume 3 arrives on New Year's Eve, December 31, and consists only of the finale.
• Episode lengths have not been announced, which matters because season 4 episodes could run as long as feature films.
• The show has never been split into this many parts before; viewers are accustomed to all episodes dropping at once.
• Season 4 was the only prior exception, released in two batches: seven episodes on May 27 and the final two on July 1.
• The time of year also breaks a pattern: season 1 debuted in July, season 2 premiered in October, season 3 was in July, and season 4 was split between May and July.
• With the exception of season 2, Stranger Things has been associated with summer, including Dustin's Camp Know Where gear, Scoops Ahoy frozen treats, the red Hawkins lifeguard uniform, and Argyle's Surfer Boy Pizza outfit.
• The fifth season skips summer and Halloween and moves into late fall.
• The article says that if the season is set during Thanksgiving and Christmas, it could suit the Duffer Brothers' childhood nostalgia, similar to Gremlins.
• Reddit fans are divided: some think the release is being stretched out, while others are eager to watch during the holidays as a family tradition.
• One fan pointed out that holiday travel could mean spoilers spread before they can watch.
• Netflix's plot description says the season is set in fall 1987, with Hawkins scarred by the opening of the Rifts.
• The heroes are united to find and kill Vecna, but he has vanished and his plans are unknown.
• The government has placed Hawkins under military quarantine and increased its hunt for Eleven, forcing her into hiding.
• As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, a heavy familiar dread returns.
• The final battle is looming, bringing a darkness more powerful and deadly than anything before; the full party must stand together one last time.
• Season 4 was set in spring 1986 and aired in 2022; only one year has passed in Hawkins while three years passed in the real world.
• The author expected a larger time jump and suggests a future project might show the Duffers' take on '90s nostalgia, possibly a spinoff.