Stranger Things Creators Explain Season 5’s Three-Part Split
Stranger Things is concluding with its fifth season, which will be released in three parts spread across two months. The Duffer Brothers, the show’s creators, say this format lets them expand the story's scope even further.
Volume One as a Standalone Experience
Ross Duffer shared in an interview with SFX Magazine that unlike season four, they planned the split of season five from the start. This allowed them to structure Volume One as its own “mega-movie” with a distinct climax.
“I'm also excited about the first volume because, in season four, we weren't aware that it was going to get split in two. It's not Netflix's fault, it's nobody’s fault. There was the pandemic, and we ended up dividing it in two so we could get episodes out sooner. But this time, we knew we were going to divide it into two, so it really is in two halves. Volume One really exists as its own mega-movie. It has its own climax.”
Most Technically Challenging Episode
The finale of Volume One, the fourth episode of season 5, is described by Ross as the toughest they have ever produced technically.
“Episode four was the most challenging episode we've ever made, and that includes the finale – though on an emotional level, the finale was the hardest. I don't know how many days I found myself crying, and I'm not someone who cries very often outside of watching Pixar movies.”
Season 5’s Emotional Weight
Ross also noted that while episode four was hard technically, the series finale was the most emotionally demanding for the team.
Summary
The creators intentionally split the final season to enhance storytelling, with Volume One acting as a standalone film, including their most technically ambitious episode to date.