Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer has teased the scale and craziness of season 5’s opening episodes. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is set to be the biggest one yet, as Eleven and her allies give everything they have to stop Vecna and the encroaching darkness of the Upside Down from terrorizing Hawkins and the rest of the world.

Though the Stranger Things season 5 premiere is only a few months away, the plot is being kept tightly under wraps. All that’s been revealed so far are the episode titles, a few first-look images, a somewhat vague synopsis, and a fast-paced yet thrilling teaser trailer. The Duffer brothers are keeping audiences on their toes, and Ross Duffer’s latest social media message proves it.

In an Instagram post from what looks to be an editing suite celebrating the completion of Stranger Things season 5’s first two episodes, Duffer wrote:

“Chapters One and Two: locked, mixed, scored, colored, DONE. ‘The Crawl’ is our favorite, most eventful first episode since Season 1. ‘The Vanishing of…’ (yeah yeah you think you know who blah blah) has by far the craziest cold open we’ve ever done. One of the sequences we’re most proud of this season.”

What This Means For Stranger Things Season 5

While it’s undeniably exciting that season 5’s first episode, “Chapter One: The Crawl,” is his and his brothers’ favorite opening installment since season 1 – the pilot that launched a global phenomenon – Duffer’s tease about the “craziest cold open” for the second episode, “Chapter Two: The Vanishing of…” is even more intriguing.

Though Netflix and the Duffers have been careful not to reveal who exactly vanishes in this seemingly all-important chapter, it’s impossible not to draw parallels with Stranger Things’ first-ever episode, “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers.”

Stranger Things Season 5 teaser trailer

Play Video

In the pilot’s roughly eight-minute-long introductory sequence, viewers were not only given a glimpse of the viciousness of what would soon come to be known as the Demogorgon but watched a young Will Byers valiantly try to defend himself against an unseen monster. If season 5, episode 2’s opening scenes are even more challenging, viewers should likely be terrified about what’s to come.

Will Byers’ disappearance kickstarted a multidimensional fight against a horrific, psychologically invasive tyrant. What will this episode bring? And who will vanish this time?

Our Take On Stranger Things Season 5’s Scale

Each season of Stranger Things has become bigger and bolder. As the conspiracy of the Upside Down evolved, so too did the story. The heart of Stranger Things lies with its characters, however. The intimate scale of season 1 really allowed them to shine, giving the show a solid foundation to keep building those relationships within an increasingly ambitious paranormal world.

Even so, the prospect of “crazy” cold opens and eventful episodes is genuinely enticing. There has to be some growth from season 4, after all. Ross Duffer’s enthusiasm is infectious; as long as Stranger Things season 5’s characters don’t get lost in the mayhem, the show could very well go out on an incredibly high note.

Source: Ross Duffer on Instagram

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume
Release Date (US)

Volume 1
November 26, 2025

Volume 2
December 25, 2025

The Finale
December 31, 2025