🚨 STRANGER THINGS 5 FINALE IS HERE: “The Rightside Up” drops TONIGHT – and the trailer just confirmed the heartbreaking truth… 😭🔥

Eleven has made her choice. Kali’s words echo: “To save the world… we both have to die.”

No more powers. No more hunting. No more future super-soldiers from her blood.

The 2-hour-8-minute epic ends with portals collapsing, friends screaming her name, and Eleven stepping into the void – forever.

Will she really sacrifice everything? Or is there one final twist to bring her home?

The series finale streams NOW on Netflix (and in theaters for the ultimate experience).👇

After nearly a decade of monster battles, 1980s nostalgia, and unbreakable friendships, Netflix’s Stranger Things has officially wrapped with its supersized series finale. Episode 8, titled “The Rightside Up,” premiered globally on December 31 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET, clocking in at a massive 2 hours and 8 minutes — the longest episode in the show’s history.

In a first-of-its-kind move, Netflix teamed up with theaters for simultaneous screenings in more than 500 venues across the U.S. and Canada, extending through January 1. Fans packed cinemas for the communal experience, complete with popcorn and collective gasps, turning the finale into a true event.

The Duffer Brothers, Matt and Ross, directed the episode themselves, promising a “large in scale” conclusion that focused heavily on character payoffs. The season’s staggered rollout — Volume 1 on November 26, Volume 2 on Christmas Day, and the finale on New Year’s Eve — kept the cultural buzz alive through the holidays, with the show shattering Netflix records for English-language series viewership.

Picking up right after Volume 2’s cliffhanger, “The Rightside Up” executes “Operation Beanstalk” in full force. Dustin’s plan — using Vecna’s ritual to draw the worlds closer, then climbing the protruding radio tower into the Abyss — unfolds amid massive set pieces. The group infiltrates Vecna’s mind palace in Camazotz, the barren red realm revealed as the true home of the Mind Flayer and other horrors.

Eleven and Kali lead the psychic assault, with Max providing crucial intel from her 18-month stint hiding in Vecna’s mind. Will harnesses his hive-mind connection to disrupt Vecna’s forces, while Steve, Dustin, Lucas, and the rest handle physical threats in Hawkins Lab and the Upside Down.

The emotional core revolves around Eleven’s potential sacrifice. Kali’s revelation that Eleven’s powers originated from Henry Creel’s blood transfusion means the military will never stop hunting her to create more super-powered weapons. The only way to end the cycle permanently: both Eleven and Kali must die, sealing the wormhole and collapsing the bridge forever.

The finale doesn’t shy away from the dilemma. Hopper refuses to lose another “kid,” Mike begs Eleven to let the group write their own ending, and Joyce grapples with the fear of watching her adopted daughter vanish. Flashbacks to Eleven’s life — from Hawkins Lab to her found family — hit hard, underscoring what she’s fighting for.

Vecna, portrayed with chilling intensity by Jamie Campbell Bower, reaches full power, manipulating reality and gathering the kidnapped children (including Holly Wheeler) for his merger spell. The battle sequences are explosive, with Demogorgons swarming, portals ripping open, and a final psychic showdown that leaves no doubt about the scale.

The Duffers have emphasized that while the ending is bittersweet, it’s not a bloodbath like Game of Thrones. Most of the core cast survives, though not without cost. The episode ties up major threads: the true nature of the Upside Down as a wormhole, Vecna’s backstory, Will’s coming-out moment (which strengthens family bonds), and the group’s growth from kids on bikes to world-savers.

Production wrapped after delays from the 2023 strikes, with a reported budget in the hundreds of millions. Guest directors like Shawn Levy and Frank Darabont contributed, but the Duffers took the reins for the finale. The soundtrack, featuring Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein’s iconic synth themes, swells to emotional peaks, with nods to classics like Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.”

Fan reactions poured in immediately after the drop. Social media exploded with tears, cheers, and debates over whether Eleven’s fate was the right call. Some praised the emotional depth and closure; others wished for a happier ending. The theatrical screenings added a layer of excitement, with crowds reportedly erupting in applause during key moments.

As the credits rolled, the show left a lasting legacy: reviving 1980s nostalgia, boosting Eggo sales, and proving streaming series could rival blockbuster films. While no major spinoffs are confirmed beyond the stage play The First Shadow, the Duffers have hinted at future projects in the Stranger Things universe.

With “The Rightside Up,” Stranger Things goes out on a high note — epic, heartfelt, and true to its roots. Hawkins may finally be “rightside up,” but the memories of Eleven, the Party, and their battles against the dark will linger for years.

Stream the full series now on Netflix. If you missed the theatrical run, catch the finale on demand — it’s the perfect way to ring in the new year with a tear or two.