Stranger Things Season 5 Teaser Echoes Jurassic Park Tension

The wait for Stranger Things season 5 is officially over, as Netflix released an official extended teaser trailer for the series’ fifth and final installment, which arrives late this year.

The entire vibe of the teaser is one of contained energy. The viewer is allowed just a few quick glimpses of characters before the action cuts to splicing footage of flickering lights, ominous hallway ambience, and the quick flashes of burning stuff set to a heavy-hitting soundtrack. But when new cast member Linda Hamilton (Terminator) makes her arrival, she’s armed with a flamethrower and ready for war.

By now, longtime fans should have a good idea of where season 5 picks up after the cataclysmic events of the last episode of Stranger Things season 4. Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), the supernatural super-baddie behind all of the recent Upside Down-related events, managed to rip open a gargantuan Upside Down access portal in the finale, unleashing an entire otherworldly dimension into Hawkins. Season 5, in this new teaser, will now pick up in the fall of 1987.

The full implication of this setting becomes clear when you note that November and December of that year mark the third anniversary of Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) initial disappearance from Hawkins Lab— the defining event of Stranger Things season 1.

The description for the season also arrives, making it clear that eight episodes are on their way for the final season. However, to make things even better, it was also revealed that each of these eight episodes will be feature-length.

Description & Expected Plot Synopsis

The official description does a good job of establishing the stakes, as it sets up the cliffhanger the series will be coming back from with a clear indication of the endgame in Hawkins:

“In Hawkins, the Rifts have permanently altered the fabric of the town. The new and old Hawkins crew band together for a single purpose: tracking down and hunting down Vecna, the only person with the strength to end the Upside Down threat once and for all. While they hunt for answers, Vecna’s location remains a mystery, as does his next move. The US government has put a military quarantine in place around Hawkins, and Eleven finds herself hunted again.”

Fans can be sure that the action will be non-stop and intense from beginning to end. The emphasis on the “new and old” Hawkins crew hints that everyone will be coming back for the last battle with Vecna and the Upside Down hordes. The bad news: that foe might be darker and deadlier than anything else they’ve faced so far. The teaser also evokes a feeling of impending dread with the rapidly approaching anniversary of Will’s original disappearance.

The teaser is the official reminder that the entire group is needed for the final fight: “Friends and foes will be put to the test as the time approaches for the final battle against the darkest forces Hawkins has ever faced. It’s now or never for Eleven and the Hawkins crew.”

Season 5 Cast & Recurring Characters

Fans of Stranger Things 4 know that most of the principal cast will be returning. Amybeth McNulty and Gabriella Pizzolo are also coming back as Vicki and Suzie, Dustin’s girlfriend, respectively. There’s also a confirmation that Jamie Campbell Bower is reprising his role as Vecna, the season 4 main antagonist.

Season 5 of Stranger Things will also feature several new characters, including a new familiar face. Linda Hamilton returns as Dr. Kay. Hamilton was one of the first additions to the cast list when it was revealed that the series was already in production last December. Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux are joining the cast as new characters Holly Wheeler, Derek Turnbow, and Lt. Akers.

Promising Highlight & Easter Egg

In this new Stranger Things teaser, there are some iconic moments from popular pop culture titles reimagined for the Hawkins universe, and it’s sure to get fans excited for more new characters and set pieces when the new season drops later this year.

This is especially true for the standout inclusion of a moment, which is an unmistakable and irreverent nod to the velociraptor kitchen scene in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. Fans see Lucas, behind a table surrounded by other characters, as a small group of demo-dogs crawl around in what can only be described as a reimagining of the iconic dinosaur ambush.

Exciting Easter Egg Moment: Don’t worry, every character dies at the end, but not before you get to see Vecna rip that weird cartoonish “found you” expression in his demonic screech voice

More Easter Egg Moments & Strong Emotion

To be completely honest, the Stranger Things season 5 teaser might be the most nerve-wracking trailer yet because of how much emotional foreshadowing is present. The very first image in the clip, after all the yellow-glowing swirl vortex pattern fades out, is the gravestone of Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn). A quick close-up of the tombstone shows the words “Burn in hell” etched onto the headstone in messy lettering. This is a clear reminder that Eddie’s popularity among the Hawkins crowd was tenuous at best at the end of the last season.

It seems the majority of the population still views Eddie as the enemy after his controversial actions at Vecna’s end-of-season party. As hinted, season 5 is going to be more about emotional weight rather than purely thrilling. Eddie was arguably the first fan favorite in the modern age of the show to die in such a spectacular and high-stakes way since Bob Newby’s second-season passing.