Nearly ten years after its debut, "Stranger Things" is drawing the curtain with a three-part final season and sky-high expectations. The cast shared some hints with us at catharsis, secrets and one last showdown. Can the Duffers deliver a satisfying payoff for Hawkins? London (dpa) – The first four episodes of the final season of "Stranger Things" will launch on Wednesday, November 26, after a three-year wait. The fifth and final season is being released in three parts on November 27, December 25 and December 31, 2026 on Netflix. The launch at 5 pm US Pacific Time means many in the Eastern Hemisphere will need to wait another day (or at least until after midnight) before they can watch. The wait has been long for the finale of a series that premiered in the summer of 2016 and became a global phenomenon almost overnight with its mix of fantasy, mystery, horror and coming-of-age, plus a heavy dose of 1980s flair and pop culture nods. 'A satisfying conclusion'? "It's scary, but it is exciting," said Noah Schnapp in an interview with dpa. Schnapp plays Will Byers, one of the central figures in "Stranger Things". "It's sad, of course, and we keep saying how emotional it is." Fans have waited three years for the finale. There are many examples of series that disappointed fans at the end, from "Lost" to "Game of Thrones". "It's obviously scary," said series creator Matt Duffer, who devised the show with his twin brother Ross. "There's so many examples of long running shows that have not landed the plane so smoothly It's just really challenging because there's so many stories. There's mythology, there's plot. You have to bring it all to a satisfying conclusion." The ending has been set for years Natalia Dyer, who plays Nancy Wheeler, said she was satisfied. "I think there was a lot of catharsis," she told dpa. "They went out of their way, obviously, to make sure that we had proper closure, which is really nice." The Duffers said they had long been prepared and had the ending in mind early on. "We've always had the ending in mind, the last scene in particular," Matt Duffer said. "We've had that for seven years or something. So that provided us with a North Star that we were we were confident in. So we were always building towards that moment." All involved were very happy with the result, he added. Hype before the last season is enormous and is being fuelled by Netflix with extensive marketing and fan events. The actors went on a wide-ranging PR tour, visiting an abandoned building in Berlin and a disused underground station in London, locations that echo the show’s dark shadow world. There is a flood of merchandise and a fast-food chain is offering "Stranger Things" menus. For viewers who have gaps in their memory after three years but lack time to rewatch the first four seasons, Netflix offers recap videos with short season summaries to refresh memories. What's happened so far (careful , spoilers) In season one, set in 1983, Will Byers disappears. His friends Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair, searching for him, meet the mysterious girl Eleven, who has extraordinary powers. They, and Will’s mother Joyce, discover a parallel shadow world, the Upside Down, where the fearsome Demogorgon lurks. After Will is rescued, Hawkins faces a greater threat in 1984. A creature called the Mind Flayer invades victims’ thoughts and takes control of their will. In season three, set in 1985, Soviet agents infiltrate Hawkins to open a portal to the shadow world, bringing more unwelcome visitors. Police chief Jim Hopper sacrifices himself to close the portal from the other side and ends up in a Russian penal camp where Demogorgons are being used for experiments. Season four opens with unexplained deaths in Hawkins. An intelligent entity called Vecna haunts citizens in their dreams. Eleven learns she has a link to Vecna rooted in her traumatic past. The shadow world breaches the real one and parts of the town must be evacuated. The last battle looms Ahead of the finale, secrecy is paramount. What we do know is that in autumn 1987 Hawkins is under military quarantine, scarred by the opening of the Upside Down portal. Eleven is being hunted by the government, while her friends, under constant surveillance, forge a plan to end the horror once and for all. "The stakes are high," said Caleb McLaughlin, pausing to consider what he was allowed to reveal about season five and the last battle. "We all have one agenda is to get Vecna. We were defeated last season, and everyone has their eye on the tiger." The following information is not intended for publication dpa pde zlp xx a3 jcf
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