Series / News
A Brutal Wait Of Three Years And Five Months, The Biggest Series On Netflix Returns Soon With Its Final Season
Stranger Things opts for longer waiting times to provide bigger, film-like seasons for its fans.
Fans of Stranger Things have learned that patience is a requirement. While many series return annually, the Netflix hit keeps its audience waiting much longer. More than three years have passed between the fourth and fifth seasons, yet the creators view this not as a problem but as a conscious choice.
The tradition of linear television, where a new season is ready each year, no longer fits the current streaming landscape. Productions are getting bigger, preparation takes more time, and multi-year waiting times are becoming the norm rather than the exception. It took almost three years for Alice in Borderland to release its third season as well. However, Stranger Things takes the cake with a break of three years and five months.
According to Matt and Ross Duffer, these long gaps are actually an advantage. “The idea of twenty episodes per year doesn’t excite us. We prefer the feeling of building up to something grand. That anticipation makes the show more valuable,” Matt Duffer explained. For the creators, a new season feels more like a film release than a television routine.
The brothers emphasize that the scale of Stranger Things is now comparable to large film productions. This also means the production process is time-consuming and costly. By not producing annually, they claim they can offer the audience something that feels more intense and grander in scale.
The fifth season is presented as the largest yet. Netflix will release the first four episodes on November 27, 2025, followed by three additional episodes on December 26. The last, extra-long finale episode is scheduled for January 1, 2026. This will conclude the series, after a waiting period that may have made the series even bigger; we certainly can't wait to see it!
The tradition of linear television, where a new season is ready each year, no longer fits the current streaming landscape. Productions are getting bigger, preparation takes more time, and multi-year waiting times are becoming the norm rather than the exception. It took almost three years for Alice in Borderland to release its third season as well. However, Stranger Things takes the cake with a break of three years and five months.
Comparison With Films
According to Matt and Ross Duffer, these long gaps are actually an advantage. “The idea of twenty episodes per year doesn’t excite us. We prefer the feeling of building up to something grand. That anticipation makes the show more valuable,” Matt Duffer explained. For the creators, a new season feels more like a film release than a television routine.
The brothers emphasize that the scale of Stranger Things is now comparable to large film productions. This also means the production process is time-consuming and costly. By not producing annually, they claim they can offer the audience something that feels more intense and grander in scale.
Finale In Sight
The fifth season is presented as the largest yet. Netflix will release the first four episodes on November 27, 2025, followed by three additional episodes on December 26. The last, extra-long finale episode is scheduled for January 1, 2026. This will conclude the series, after a waiting period that may have made the series even bigger; we certainly can't wait to see it!
