The fourth season of Stranger Things concluded with the most apocalyptic scenario in the show’s history. Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) succeeded in his master plan, murdering Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) long enough to activate his curse and tear four massive rifts across Hawkins, Indiana. These gates converged in the town’s center, creating a colossal portal that allowed the Upside Down to begin its toxic invasion of the real world. The final shot showed the heroes watching as red lightning cracked the sky and corrupted flora began to die, a grim cliffhanger that suggested a desperate fight for survival. Surprisingly, as Netflix began its marketing campaign for the fifth season, it became clear the story would not resume in the immediate aftermath. Now that the first volume of Stranger Things 5 is available, the new season’s lengthy time jump can be precisely calculated.
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Warning: Spoilers below for Stranger Things 5, Volume 1
Following the cataclysm, the United States military enacted a full-scale occupation of Hawkins. The four primary rifts were covered with enormous metal plates, and a massive base called the Military Access Control Zone, or MAC-Z, was constructed around the gigantic central portal to the Upside Down. The entire town was fenced off and placed under a strict quarantine, trapping its citizens inside. Despite this oppressive martial law, a strange version of normalcy has taken root. The younger members of the cast are still required to attend school, navigating high school drama while living in a besieged town. This new status quo establishes a world worn down by a cold war against the Upside Down.
How Does Season 5 of Stranger Things Fit in the Timeline?
The premiere episode of Stranger Things 5 provides specific markers that pinpoint its place in the show’s chronology. The narrative kicks off on November 3rd, 1987. This date is reinforced by dialogue from Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), who mentions during a broadcast at the local radio station that her show is celebrating its 500th presentation, confirming the quarantine has been in effect for well over a year. The main events of Stranger Things 4 take place over a single week in March 1986. The season’s climactic battle against Vecna and the subsequent opening of the gates occurred on March 27, 1986, with an epilogue showing the immediate fallout two days later on March 29.
With the fourth season ending in late March 1986 and the fifth season beginning in early November 1987, the time jump between the two installments is approximately 20 months, or about one year and eight months. This gap aligns perfectly with the 500-plus days of quarantine mentioned in the new season. The decision to leap this far forward allows the narrative to bypass the immediate chaos of the invasion and instead explore the long-term psychological and societal consequences of living on the frontline of an interdimensional war. It presents a version of Hawkins and its heroes who have been hardened by a prolonged siege, fundamentally changing their dynamics and raising the stakes for the final confrontation with Vecna.
Volume 1 of Stranger Things 5 is currently streaming on Netflix. Volume 2 arrives on December 25th, with the final episode following on December 31st.
What are your thoughts on the significant time jump in Stranger Things 5, and how do you think it will impact the final season’s story? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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image courtesy of Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Millimeter
