Few shows have embedded themselves into global consciousness the way “Stranger Things” has. What began with the mysterious disappearance of Will Byers soon spiralled into a sprawling urban legend. It was one where Christmas lights became conduits to the beyond, where a parallel dimension crept into the collective imagination, and where a ragtag group of kids sparked a worldwide emotional investment.
And yet, beneath the monsters, the mayhem, and the world-ending stakes, the series endured because it never drifted from its emotional nucleus. At its beating heart, this has always been a coming-of-age odyssey. It was a journey of childhood innocence cracked, reshaped, and reformed under the weight of courage, heartbreak, resilience, and love.
We saw how a once-sharp-edged figure like Steve Harrington transformed from the resident cool-kid antagonist into one of the show’s most beloved heroes, a reluctant babysitter turned battle-hardened protector with a heart. Indeed, there was pain as we saw Max’s world shatter, rebuild, and shatter again as she confronted the loss of her brother and the crushing weight of grief that Season 4 carried like a storm cloud. We felt Mike struggle with responsibility, identity, and the impossible task of leading when he barely knew who he was.
Sure, we might joke about the time it takes to bring each season to life. After all, they’re long enough to notice Mike and Will’s growth spurts with each passing moment. Yet, even that speaks to something deeper. That time, that space, that evolution… It’s an unmistakable testament to the ties formed along the way. Bonds that became the anchor, the compass, and ultimately the soul of the story.
So, when we sat down with the cast to talk about the final season, that legacy was etched quietly, and unmistakably, across their faces. Pride. Nostalgia. Disbelief. Gratitude. All of it mingled together in the unrepeatable way it does when you’re preparing to say goodbye to something that shaped your very being.
Gathered around the table were Joe Keery (Steve), Natalia Dyer (Nancy), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan), Maya Hawke (Robin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), and Finn Wolfhard (Mike). Six performers who quite literally came of age beneath the retro glow of Hawkins, Indiana—carrying audiences with them through every battle, heartbreak, victory, and Demogorgon-filled nightmare. Their shared history reverberates in every laugh, every knowing glance, every quiet pause.
“It’s a lot of emotions. It’s a celebration of our lives.”
Across the room, a palpable unity radiates. It’s the kind of grip forged in dawn-breaking night shoots, surreal life milestones, and the singular experience of contributing to a phenomenon larger than any one person. Their memories don’t unfold as separate anecdotes; they interlace, forming a collective pulse, as a tapestry woven by people who truly grew up together.
For them, this isn’t just another season. This is the final campaign. The culmination of two intertwined lives: the one lived on camera, and the one lived just outside the frame. It’s a farewell to the characters who ferried them from adolescence into adulthood, and a closing chapter to a cultural titan that redefined what television could be. The gauntlet of their lives, lined with Demogorgons, dice rolls, and decade-spanning hairstyles, is at last approaching its ultimate, triumphant step.
With the Upside Down now tearing through Hawkins in ways no longer contained to whispers or nightmares, Season 5 arrives as a reckoning. The narrative, emotional, and existential stakes have never been higher for these characters.
And with that shared lore humming beneath the surface, we started where the moment demanded, with the question that lingered in the air before anyone dared speak it.
So, nerds… shall we step back into Hawkins one last time?
To kick us off, what was it like setting foot into Hawkins again, both as a cast and as these characters, knowing this was the final chapter?
Caleb: It’s surreal, man. It’s really sad, and it’s a lot of emotions. It’s a celebration of our lives. I’ve been on the show almost half my life, and the world has seen it. It’s kind of past my own understanding of where I’m at in my life. But I’m very grateful for it all.
Finn: I honestly could not have said that better myself. Yeah, it’s a lot of different feelings, but they’re all positive. I’m just excited for people to see it so we can all experience it together. We’ve already done the work and finished it, but for a lot of people, it’s not finished for them yet. They haven’t seen it. So, I’m excited for them to see it.
When you returned to set, what immediately struck you about the tone of Season 5? What excited you about the direction it takes right from the start?
Joe: Something this season does really well is that it gets right into it. There’s no reset. It doesn’t go back to normal in Hawkins. We’re not really back in our day-to-day lives. Things are crazy. There’s a military quarantine in the town; this giant rift has opened, and things haven’t gone back to normal. It applies a lot of pressure to everybody in their own storylines and sets off the season in a really unique way compared to the others.
This season looks intense on every level. What part of getting back into your characters for Season 5 required the most preparation or effort for you personally?
Joe: Probably trying to fit into my jeans again. Keeping it tight. Haha.
Caleb: For me, it’s the action and the duality of the action and the emotion. In Season 4, fighting Mason [Dye] while also dealing with the emotions of Max was so draining. It was my first real time doing stunts at that level, and it’s exhausting. I give it up to stunt people.
Finn: Yeah, I’d say the physical part. The only thing you can do mentally is watch past episodes and hang out on set to kind of get back into it. I knew it would be a year-long shoot, so I exercised for the first six months of filming. I had a big action sequence coming up that was all at nighttime, so keeping my stamina up was really important. Once the action stuff was done, I stopped working out immediately, which was not a good idea.
Natalia: There are a lot of physically demanding things this season. We can’t talk about too much, but there were definitely days when I think all of us ended up a bit sore.
Charlie: It’s a beast. You’re filming 14 to 16 hours a day. It’s relentless and physical. You’re up at 5 a.m., not sleeping, and still have to look awake. It’s a marathon doing something for that long, for us, but also for the crew and the brothers. Amazingly, it all works out.
Maya: I got a wonderful challenge to do a “Good Morning, Vietnam” reference. Robin Williams’ performance in that is so unspeakably great. I admire it so much. It was hard trying to pay tribute to something so excellent, figuring out how to make those monologues feel like real radio without being boring or annoying. That was a real challenge for me, and it was difficult but fun.
Finn, we see a different side of Mike this year in his relationship with Holly. What was it like approaching that big-sibling dynamic, especially after being the perennial “little sibling energy” for so long?
Finn: It was amazing. I loved doing those scenes with Nell [Fisher]. What’s so special this year is that it’s almost like talking to our younger selves. Our characters are reliving their childhood through these other kids, and especially having a little sister. It was amazing to be the big brother because my whole life, I’ve always been the little brother.
I feel like we’re eternally looked at as kids, and part of that will always continue, but it’s really awesome to be on the other side of things this time.
Robin and Vicky’s connection finally blossoms this season. Maya, what was it like getting to explore that relationship more deeply after the spark we saw in Season 4?
Maya: At the end of Season 4, there’s an indication that maybe something might come to fruition. This season, I had such a great time working with Amybeth [McNulty]. She’s so funny and excellent. I’m excited for people to see more of their dynamic together and her great performance. There’s some really fun stuff this season where Robin gets to be on the other side of the dynamics she’s only seen in passing before. She takes on various roles with other characters, and that was really enjoyable. I’m excited for people to see it.
Looking back, whether from past seasons or this one, is there a scene or moment you feel especially proud of because of what it demanded from you as an actor?
Caleb: I can’t really say one specific scene. I think I’m just proud of the whole thing. As an artist, you want to give yourself a hundred per cent, and I feel like I’ve given my whole self to Lucas. Every scene requires that energy and effort. A scene that stands out to someone else might not to me, because every moment builds on the next.
I’ve had great people to look up to and admire. I’ll do scenes with them, and they’ll give me notes like, “I like how you did it the last time,” or I’ll say something to the others. It’s that honesty. We couldn’t do it by ourselves. I’m proud of the whole journey of it all.
Finn: And you can’t do that on any other show either.
Caleb: Literally. On other sets, you can’t just give notes like that, but because we’ve been together for so long, we can be honest. In between takes, we’ll say, “That was so funny,” or “That was great.”
Finn: Yeah, we’re very honest with one another.
Charlie and Natalia, you truly grew into adulthood while making this series. What was going through your mind when you realised this was the end of such a defining chapter of your lives?
Charlie: It was emotional. It’s been all of our twenties. I was 21, Talia was 20. That’s ten years of your life, and you change and grow so much through your twenties. It’s been the journey of a lifetime, and getting to do that with your best friends is an amazing thing.
Natalia: Yeah, I think we all feel really lucky. Everybody feels like they grew up on this show and with these characters. It’s such a unique experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Across five seasons, you’ve all lived a lifetime on this show. Is there a moment or memory from set that still stands out to you when you think about your journey together?
Finn: It’s funny because we shot the show for so long, it’s kind of like asking, “What’s a funny story from your life?” There are so many moments. But I remember one time—Caleb said this a few days ago—it’s not really a funny story, but just crazy and very surreal: we got to go to the White House and meet President Barack Obama. That was when it really hit us how big the show had become.
Being able to travel together was amazing. It all sort of blends into feelings for me. It’s less about specific stories and more about the shared experience. I think I’ll be able to tell stories looking back, but right now, it still feels like we’re making those stories.
From your very first days on set up till now, what would you say has been the biggest area of growth or change for you through the making of this show?
Charlie: When I started the show, I’d really not done anything. They cast very unknown people to make it feel real. You’re young, stepping onto a legitimate TV show with no training. This has been my education — learning how to act, how to shoot, and getting comfortable. Each season challenged me in different ways. I realised that when you relax and stay present, that’s when you do your best work. “Stranger Things” taught me that this job thrives when it’s fun, and that’s something I’ve really learned.
Natalia: Similarly, I was quite green coming onto the show. Being on set with these people for ten years, you gain confidence in yourself, in speaking up for your character, and in understanding what a collaborative relationship can look like with writers and directors. Working with the Duffers showed me that your ideas are worth something and that collaboration can make the story even stronger.
Maya: [Malcolm] Gladwell famously writes about the 10,000 hours, and I think the incredible thing about this show is that it gives you that chance. For a lot of actors, you might only work a few days or weeks a year. Having the privilege to act so much, so early in your career, is huge. Not just acting, but learning how to be a good co-star, a good friend to the crew — what that all looks like. I feel so lucky. I have no idea what the actual number of hours is, but this show allowed me to chip away toward that 10,000-hour goal, and I’m extremely grateful for that.
Joe: I thought you were going to say thanks. We’ve got 100,000 hours based on the time we’ve spent on set.
Maya: We must have, right?
Joe: The Duffers can calculate that.
As the veil to the Upside Down draws to a close, one truth becomes undeniable: “Stranger Things” is not just a show to them. It’s a defining era for this group of talented performers. Their decade-long journey stands as a reminder of why this story mattered, not because of the Demogorgons or the twisted ashen darkness of it all, but because of the people who faced it together.
They’re friends who remained truthful in their process. Friends who — as Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven puts it in the show — “don’t lie”.
Check out an early peek at the first five minutes of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” Season 5 here:
Watch the official trailer here:
The fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” premieres exclusively on Netflix soon!
- Volume 1: 27th November 2025 (four episodes)
- Volume 2: 26th December 2025 (three episodes)
- The Finale: 1st January 2026
Don’t miss the epic conclusion to this epic saga!
