It’s been over three years since Stranger Things 4 came to a close, but there’s no forgetting that ending.
The Netflix hit’s fourth season came to a sobering close when its heroes failed to prevent Upside Down overlord Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) from his nightmare realm into the real world. That’s right: The spooky tendrils and decay of the Upside Down have made a new home in Hawkins, Indiana, leaving Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and her allies with their greatest challenge yet. To paraphrase Stranger Things patron saint Kate Bush, they’ve got a steep hill to run up before they can claim victory.
They’ve also got a time jump to deal with, as Stranger Things Season 5 picks up in the fall of 1987, over a year after Season 4. Clearly, Vecna hasn’t immediately taken over the entire world, then, so that’s good news, right?
Based on the teaser, Hawkins has learned to adapt in the year since Vecna’s attack. The teaser shows footage of citizens living in bunkers, and of helicopters and military personnel patrolling the ruined streets of Hawkins.
Still, it’s only a matter of time before Vecna rears his tentacled head again, and when he does, the Hawkins crew isn’t going down without a fight. The teaser hints at a larger plan, one that seems to involve Steve (Joe Keery) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) engineering some kind of controlled burn — perhaps to beat back the growth of the Upside Down?
But on top of teasing the fight against Vecna and the return of creatures like the Demogorgon, the trailer also promises some serious emotional damage. Look no further than Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) crying at the bedside of a still-comatose Max (Sadie Sink). Or Nancy (Natalia Dyer) sobbing in a bathroom. Or Hopper (David Harbour) telling Eleven, “Let’s end this, kid.” Oh yeah, we’re in for a bloodbath, aren’t we?
