Netflix surprised fans at the Stranger Things season 5 premiere in Los Angeles by releasing the opening five minutes of the final season on YouTube. The clip, titled 'The Crawl,' depicts young Will Byers navigating the Upside Down shortly after his 1983 disappearance, facing threats from the Demogorgon and Vecna. The episode sets the stage for the series' conclusion amid a quarantined Hawkins and an intensifying battle against supernatural forces.
Premiere Highlights
The season 5 premiere event took place in Los Angeles on Thursday night, reuniting the cast and providing early glimpses into the final chapter of the beloved Netflix series. Following the screening, Netflix dropped the clip online, transporting viewers back to the origins of the story. In the footage, a young Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, attempts to steady himself in the eerie Upside Down by humming The Clash's 'Should I Stay or Should I Go.' His moment of calm is shattered as a Demogorgon pursues him up a tree, resulting in a fall that leaves him unconscious. The creature then drags Will to Vecna's lair, where Jamie Campbell Bower's Vecna emerges, binding him in vines and delivering the chilling line: 'At long last, we can begin. You and I, we are going to do such beautiful things together.'
Season 5 Overview
Set in the fall of 1987, the season finds Hawkins scarred by interdimensional rifts, with the core group united to hunt Vecna, who has gone into hiding. Government quarantine complicates their efforts, forcing Eleven into seclusion as Will's disappearance anniversary looms. The synopsis emphasizes a looming final battle against unprecedented darkness, requiring the full ensemble to stand together. Release dates include Volume 1 on November 26, Volume 2 on December 25, and the series finale on December 31.
Cast Reflections
At LAX the following day, Sadie Sink, who portrays Max Mayfield, shared mementos she took from the set. She kept Max's skateboard, now displayed above a doorway in her home, and a cassette Walkman crucial to her character's arc—famously linked to Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill.' Sink navigated the chaotic airport amid a government shutdown while discussing the premiere reunion and addressing cast dynamics, including rumored tensions between Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour.