Stranger Things Season 5 Teaser Reveals Major Time Skip and Fall 1987 Setting

Netflix just dropped a huge hint for Stranger Things fans in its latest teaser for the fifth and final season: the show will jump ahead to the fall of 1987.

This time skip marks the largest leap in the show’s history, spanning roughly a year and a half since the end of Season 4, which took place in March 1986. With such a significant gap, a lot could have changed for the town of Hawkins, Indiana and its characters.

While this time jump helps account for the aging cast and the long wait between seasons, fans can bet there are story-driven reasons behind it as well. The teaser didn’t include any footage or dialogue but hinted at new mysteries, including references to Dungeons & Dragons terms like “Sorcerer” and cryptic nods like “the Rightside Up.” The teaser promised, “In the fall of 1987 one last adventure begins,” building anticipation for what will unfold when the series resumes.

Historically, Stranger Things hasn’t made such significant time jumps between seasons. Season 1 began on November 6, 1983, and each subsequent season moved forward in more modest steps—Season 2 in the fall of 1984, Season 3 in the summer of 1985, and Season 4 in early 1986. Season 5’s jump to autumn 1987 marks the first time the show will skip over a year.

Production of Season 5 faced multiple setbacks, from delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic that affected Season 4’s filming, to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike that paused script development. Cast members like David Harbour and Winona Ryder also needed time for other projects, including Harbour’s work in the MCU and Ryder’s role in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Despite these challenges, Stranger Things Season 5 is reportedly “almost done shooting,” according to Finn Wolfhard. The actor shared an update with PEOPLE, saying, “It’s going great, and it has been unbelievable. It’s been very special. I mean, being able to just be with everyone knowing it is the last season has been really great, but it’s pretty surreal.”

While there’s no exact release date yet, Stranger Things Season 5 is slated for a 2025 debut. Until then, fans can revisit the earlier seasons now streaming on Netflix.