After having premiered almost 10 years ago, Stranger Things has been a sensation for a long time. With Stranger Things 5 about to come out, now is the perfect time to refresh our memories on everything that has led up to this final season. However, if youāre too busy with homework and studying like I am, you might not have enough time to rewatch the show, especially with all of the long episodes. If thatās the case, then look no further. Here, Iāll recap all the major events of each season, all while throwing in a few of my predictions for ST5.
Season one is where it all begins. This is one of the most important seasons, as it sets up the rest of the show. Will disappears, and Eleven is found. Hopper searches for Will, still grappling with the loss of his own daughter, while Joyce uses everything from phone calls to Christmas lights to communicate with Will. Nancy, after going to a party with Steve, realizes that Barb has gone missing and eventually teams up with Jonathan to investigate, initiating their connection for their eventual romance. When they all eventually come together, they create a sensory deprivation pool at the middle school (shout out Mr. Clarke, the real MVP of the show) where Eleven finds exactly where Will is. Joyce and Hopper go to the lab to get Will, Nancy and Jonathan (and, eventually, Steve) go to hunt the demogordon, while the kids fight off the bad men and, eventually, the demogordon itself. In a flip from the beginning, Eleven disappears and Will is found, and despite the loss, everything settles down in time for Christmas. The most interesting part of this season, to me at least, is how weāre never told what exactly what happened in the Upside Down, and just how Will survived. Luckily, Iām willing to bet weāll be getting some answers very soon in ST5.
Season two goes much more into horror, which is why itās my personal favorite season. This is where we meet Max, Billy, Murray, Kali, and Bob. Will is possessed by the mind flayer. Dustin smuggles around his pet Demodog until it escapes, and then recruits Steve, Lucas, and Max for help. Haunted by her best friendās death, Nancy and Jonathan go off to find Murray and expose the lab. All the while, Eleven goes on a side quest to where she finds Kali, learns about her past, and expands her powers. Will uses his connection to save Hopper, but then causes the death of several soldiers and Bob. Finally, the Mind Flayer is burned out of Will, Eleven closes the gate, and the Party (+ Steve) burn the tunnels. The season ends with the Snow Ball, where both Lucas and Max and Mike and Elevenās romantic relationships were finalized. This might be personal preference, but I do feel like there will be several call backs to this season in ST5, both through the Upside Down and in group dynamics.
Season three, for very good reason, is many peopleās favorite season. Taking place in the Summer, the Mind Flayer makes a comeback, this time possessing Billy and several others to form a physical Mind Flayer. Most of the Party, amidst some fights, come together to investigate Billy and realize heās possessed. Dustin, on the other hand, teams up with Steve, Robin, and Erica to infiltrate a russian base underneath the mall, where they find the Russians reopening the gate. Nancy and Jonathan again team up, this time to investigate rats and an older woman, all possessed by the Mind Flayer. After they all come together to face the Russians and the Mind Flayer, Hopper sacrifices himself to shut the gate while Billy sacrifices himself to save Eleven, destroying the mall in the process. The season ends with the Byers moving to California, taking Eleven with them.
Season four is probably the most fresh in your mind and the season that got me to finally watch Stranger Things. This season introduces the main antagonist of ST4 and ST5, Vecna, aka Henry Creel. Taking things a step further, there were 3 major groups: Hawkins, California, and Russia.
The Hawkins group (Steve, Robin, Eddie, Nancy, Lucas, Dustin, Max, and Erica) figures out the mystery of Vecna, trying to save Max before Hawkins is destroyed. The Russia group (Joyce, Hopper, and Murray) works together to break Hopper out of a Russian jail. Finally, the California group (Mike, Will, Eleven, Jonathan, and Argyle) goes to save Eleven after sheās āarrestedā and brought back to Brenner, where she regains her powers. In the end, Eddie sacrifices himself, Max ends up in a coma, and the season ends with the team reunited but watching as Hawkins falls apart to the end of the world. This season was obviously made to lead into ST5, as there are so many plot points left unanswered, such as what will happen to Hawkins, if Max wakes up, and, my personal favorite, the painting.
Overall, Stranger Things 5 is highly anticipated for a reason. I truly cannot wait to see what the Duffer Brothers have in store for us, and you better believe that I will have my tissues ready, because they are not going to hold back.