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Stranger Things 5 premiered on Netflix on November 26, but there's a catch: we only got the first four episodes. Part 2 of the series, starring Millie Bobby Brown, premieres on December 25, followed by the finale on New Years' Eve. And I can barely wait for episode 5 because the Part 1 finale ended on the craziest cliffhanger: Will has powers now.
Here's everything you need to know about the Stranger Things Season 5, Part 1 ending (from Episode 4, "Sorcerer"), now streaming on Netflix.
What happens in the Stranger Things season 5 part 1 finale?
Netflix
Stranger Things season 5 episode 4 finds all our favorite characters split up. The group's main goal is to find Nancy and Mike's little sister Holly (Nell Fisher), who was taken by Vecna at the beginning of the season. Well, after driving through a gate into the Upside Down (which was giving major Back to the Future vibes), Steve, Dustin, Nancy, and Jonathan crash into a giant, disgusting wall Dustin realizes surrounds the Upside Down.
They're not alone though; Hopper and Eleven are also at the wall, just across town. Hopper tells the group to hold tight and wait for them, but before the father-daughter duo sets off to help, they have a more important task: break into the military lab to find the "Kryptonite" that's weakening El's powers — a kryptonite she believes is a captured Vecna.
But it turns out Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) and the military aren't holding Vecna, they're testing Kali (AKA Eight, played by Linnea Berthelsen), El's sister from season 2.
Why does Vecna need 12 kids?
Netflix
Because it's Eight and not Vecna trapped in the Upside Down, it means our big bad villain is still on the loose. He's hunting for 12 kids he wants to use to start the world over, which includes Holly, her school bully Derek Turnbow, and other kids from Hawkins Elementary. So Dr. Kay decides to intervene, bringing all the kids to the Rightside Up's military base instead.
But the rest of the party (Mike, Will, Lucas, Joyce, Murray, and Robin) know Vecna is on the move, so they break into the military facility's bathroom using the underground tunnels to get the kids out. And this leads to the most epic scene in the whole season so far.
Demogorgons begin to attack the soldiers, while Mike and the other teens try to get the kids to safety. Will is rendered nearly unconscious when he starts seeing through Vecna's eyes again, and when Vecna walks through the military's gate into the base, he says Will was the perfect first kid for his mission to take over Hawkins, claiming Will was weak and easily breakable. And with the kids in his grasp, Vecna returns to the Upside Down and the Demogorgons move to kill all our favorite characters.
How did Will Byers get powers?
Netflix
At the last second, as the Demos are literally in mid-air, they all freeze. And as Mike stands in shock, the camera pans to show that Will is holding them all back! He's tapped into the hive mind and taken some of its control, channeling Vecna's powers to save his friends.
And as the camera slowly approaches him, Will looks up and wipes blood from his nose. Killer!!!
"He’s such a walked-all-over character who never gets to [use] his own voice. Through the first few episodes, you see that he wants to [express] his opinion. Getting to be strong and direct and powerful is just so satisfying as an actor," Noah Schnapp told Netflix. And it's satisfying for viewers too!
How many episodes are in Stranger Things 5?
Netflix
Stranger Things season 5 has 8 episodes total, split up across three Volumes. Here's the breakdown:
- Season 5, Episode 1 “The Crawl” premiered November 26, 2025
- Season 5, Episode 2 “The Vanishing of …” premiered November 26, 2025
- Season 5, Episode 3 “The Turnbow Trap” premiered November 26, 2025
- Season 5, Episode 4 “Sorcerer” premiered November 26, 2025
- Season 5, Episode 5 “Shock Jock” premieres December 25, 2025
- Season 5, Episode 6 “Escape from Camazotz” premieres December 25, 2025
- Season 5, Episode 7 “The Bridge” premieres December 25, 2025
- Season 5, Episode 8 “The Rightside Up” premieres December 31, 2025
Who's in the Stranger Things season 5 cast?
Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix
The Stranger Things season 5 cast includes:
- Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
- Noah Schnapp as Will
- Finn Wolfhard as Mike
- Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas
- Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin
- Natalia Dyer as Nancy
- Charlie Heaton as Jonathan
- Sadie Sink as Max
- Maya Hawke as Robin
- Joe Keery as Steve
- David Harbour as Hopper
- Winona Ryder as Joyce
Stay tuned for more Stranger Things season 5 updates as new episodes drop, and subscribe to our Weekend Watch email newsletter for more exclusive Brit + Co content!
