With Stranger Things season five, volume one arriving in the U.S. and the U.K., many fans are scrambling to refresh their memory. After a three-year gap since season four, even the most dedicated viewers admit they’ve forgotten major plot points.
Thankfully, creators Matt and Ross Duffer have stepped in to help. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the duo revealed the four episodes fans should rewatch to fully prepare for the final season – teasing which storylines will matter most as the show heads toward its conclusion.
According to the Duffers, each recommended episode contains essential mythology, character development, or foreshadowing that ties directly to what’s coming next. Their choices also subtly hint at key arcs – especially those involving Will Byers and the evolving dangers of the Upside Down.
Sadie Sink, Caleb McLaughlin, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown at the LA Premiere of Stranger Things Season 5. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images.
Episode 1: Season 2, Episode 4 – “Will The Wise”
The first must-watch episode signals just how central Will Byers will be in season five. Although season one revolved around Will’s disappearance, later seasons didn’t always keep him at the forefront.
“Will The Wise” changes that. The episode follows Will’s disturbing recovery from his time in the Upside Down, including scenes of him falling into terrifying trances as the Mind Flayer’s influence grows inside him. It also includes a chilling storyline involving Eleven’s mother, Terry Ives, who remains trapped in a permanent catatonic state - another thread expected to connect back to the show’s final chapters.
Episode 2: Season 2, Episode 6 – “The Spy”
The second season-two episode the Duffers flagged paints an even darker picture for Will. “The Spy” shows him being rushed to Hawkins Lab after collapsing and convulsing, prompting scientists to investigate how deeply the Mind Flayer has rooted itself within him.
One especially important moment features Joyce asking what happens if Will “loses all of himself” – a question the scientists cannot answer. With season-five trailers showing Vecna appearing to control Will once again, this episode may hold the blueprint for the fate he faces now.
Episodes 3 & 4: Season 4, Episodes 8 and 9 – “The Massacre at Hawkins Lab” & “The Piggyback”
The final two recommended episodes take fans back to season four’s explosive ending. The Duffers emphasized that these episodes contain critical Upside Down mythology – particularly the scenes between Eleven and Henry Creel (later known as Vecna).
Noah Schnapp plays Will Byers in Stranger Things. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images.
They explained that season four “starts unveiling some of the Upside Down mythology and starts giving some answers,” with everything involving Henry and Eleven continuing to shape the plot of season five.
When to Watch Season Five
Stranger Things season five, volume one releases in the U.K. on November 27 at 1AM, Volume two arrives on Christmas Day, and the finale lands on New Year’s Eve, officially closing one of Netflix’s biggest series.