For those of you wondering just how long Netflix had intended to ride on the success of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers have just revealed that the fifth season will be the show’s last. The upcoming season four will also release in two parts, mostly due to the enormous runtime of the nine episodes.
Per Deadline, season four will release in two “volumes” the first of which arrives on May 27, while the second part is slated for release later on July 1. Apparently, the total runtime of these new episodes is twice as long as the show’s previous outings, so in terms of content, we’re essentially getting two seasons in the span of one month.
As for why the series is coming to an end with the fifth season, the producers said that they’d always envisioned a 4-5 season story arc, which is exactly what they’re going to attempt. Of course, they also noted that the franchise as a whole won’t come to an end with season five.
“There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things: new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes. But first, we hope you stay with us as we finish this tale,” they said.
The first half of season four will probably deal with Jim Hopper’s imprisonment in Soviet Russia, as teased by the first posters. But where the story goes from there or how the Mind Flayer manages to influence the world after the events of season three are details that Netflix is keeping tightly under wraps for now.