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Stranger Things season 5 is upon us, and as someone who has followed this show since it was just a Deadline announcement about an "80s' inspired sci-fi drama based on the Montauk Project," I'm not ready for it to be over.
I'm also not exactly feeling the most prepared, and that's why I've crafted a list of lore-heavy Stranger Things episodes to rewatch before Part 1 of the fifth and final season hits Netflix on November 26. Below, I've narrowed it down to just eight episodes, out of 34, that need a rewatch (or a scrub-through… we won't tell anybody) before we return to Hawkins for the very last time in Stranger Things season 5. The way I see it, you have six days to get through eight hours of essential viewing – and that's plenty of time. If you want to go a little further, I've also got an extra six episodes you can add to your watchlist that aren't as lore-heavy (but are still important to the world-building, the Upside Down, and its creatures.)
Stranger Things season 1
Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers
This one is a given: it's the episode that started it all. You might recall that the Duffer brothers said that Stranger Things begins with and ends with Will, and there's even a whole new plethora of fan theories that believe Will is the one who will defeat Vecna – not Eleven. Why? Well, it seems that Will has powers of his own. This is evident in the final moments of the season 4 finale, but the very first episode of the series shows us how Will is able to stay alive in the Upside Down, and the things he does to stave off Vecna (who is the one who sent the Demogorgon to kidnap Will in the first place). We don't know why Will was the one Vecna chose, and it's more than likely that we'll find out in the fifth and final season.
Still, season 1 episode 1 is essentially unskippable. Start here, jog your memory, and maybe even take some notes.
Chapter Eight: The Upside Down
It's one of the many epic showdowns that occur throughout the course of the show, and it's easily the most important of season 1. Episode 8 is when we see Hopper and Joyce enter the Upside Down, Will get rescued, learn that the Demogorgon is attracted to human blood, and see just how far the scientists and soldiers will go to continue their experiments… even if it means leaving the gate to the Upside Down wide open.
This is also the episode where we start to realize that there are other kids just like Eleven out there, and that her 011 tattoo is proof. While we dip into this in season 2, it doesn't come to a head until season 4 – when we meet good ol Henry Creel aka Vecna.
It's also worth pointing out that Will coughs up a slug at the end of this episode, signifying that he's still connected to the Upside Down in some way. This also proves the fact that Will has always been connected to the Upside Down (and Vecna), and that he and the kids have never been safe.
Additional viewing
If you have time, I recommend checking out Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat, where we learn about the gate and what Eleven went through at the hands of 'Papa;' Chapter Three: Holly Jolly, where Barb enters the Upside Down and does not leave; and Chapter Seven: The Bathtub, where we see the full scope of Eleven's powers for the very first time.
Stranger Things season 2
Chapter Four: Will the Wise
It's here that we learn Will is more or less possessed by something lurking in the Upside Down. He unconsciously draws a shadowy monster, and when Joyce asks him what it is, he describes it as "more of a feeling" than an actual being, something that I think lends credence to the theory that Will is the one that will eventually take down Vecna. He begins to have these visions that belong to someone or something else, and refers to them as "now-memories" that are growing and spreading, much like the tendrils of the Upside Down, the very same that belong to the Mind Flayer (a creature somehow worse than the Demogorgon). We also return to Hawkins Lab, where we learn that the gate to the Upside Down cannot be closed (though it's not for a lack of trying).
Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer
This is the episode where Bob dies… and I'm so sorry to make you relive this trauma. However, this is another lore-building episode that expounds upon Will's connection to the Upside Down – and we see the Mind Flayer use Will to control the Demodogs and sic them on his friends. While Will is deep into his possession, Mike and the gang are able to get him to communicate via Morse code, where he types out CLOSEGATE (which we know will be a futile attempt). We also get to see Eleven tear through those Demodogs like it's nothing, once again establishing just how powerful she truly is (something I think we forgot about in season 4).
Additional viewing
If you have an extra couple of hours to spare, check out Chapter 6: The Spy, where we learn that the creatures in the Upside Down share a hive mind; and Chapter 9: The Gate, where it's revealed that the Mind Flayer is still alive.
Stranger Things season 3
Chapter Four: The Sauna Test
There are two pivotal episodes in season 3 – in fact, they are so pivotal that I don't even have additional viewing recommendations for this one. Season 3 episode 4 is not only one of the creepier, Invasion of the Body Snatchers-inspired episodes in the show (and arguably when the show truly picks up by way of horror), but really shows us what the Mind Flayer and the creatures of the Upside Down at large are capable of (i.e. possessing an entire town and making its residents kill each other). It's interesting to watch season 4, meet Vecna, and go back to an episode like this where we can infer that all of this is Vecna's doing, and that he's been watching the entire time.
Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt
A lot happens in the season 3 finale, and this is where everything gets pretty messy from here on out. Billy, no longer possessed by the Mind Flayer, sacrifices himself to save Mike, Eleven, and Max – something that sets up one of the most important episodes of the entire series in season 4, as well as Max's near-fatal final experience with Vecna. Joyce, believing that Hopper is dead, packs up and moves Will and Eleven to California, separating the gang during a pretty pivotal point in their teen years (which leads to that roller skate to the head in season 4). A post-credits scene takes us to a prison in Russia, where inmates are being fed to an actual Demogorgon. It's sort of only downhill from here, and if you were to only go back and rewatch one episode before Stranger Things season 5, this would be a pretty solid choice.
Stranger Things season 4
Chapter Four: Dear Billy
This is the best episode of the entire series (in my humble opinion), and it's also the one that not only shows us the scope of Vecna's powers, but shows us that the kids are not as powerless against him as he hoped they'd be. This is also the episode where Nancy and Robin visit a blind Victor Creel in prison, who explains to them just what happened at the Creel House – and begins humming the song, 'Dream a Little Dream of Me.' This happens right before Max is captured by Vecna, and Lucas and Dustin put on Kate Bush's 'Running up that Hill' in order to save her. In season 1, when Will is scared and alone in the Upside Down, he hums a song to himself that manages to keep the monsters at bay. This more or less confirms that Vecna has been here all along, even if he's no longer directly focused on Will – and would rather take down the teenagers of Hawkins one by one.
Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab
It's one of the most important episodes of the entire series, and it answers a long-standing question: Eleven didn't really kill all those other kids in the lab… did she? While being experimented on along with other children who have similar abilities, Eleven met 001, an orderly who is tortured by Dr. Brenner, but insists on befriending Eleven. He manipulates her into helping him escape, killing all of the guards, and the other children in the process. After realizing what 001 has done, she opens an interdimensional gate and throws him inside. It's here that we learn 001 is none other than Henry Creel, who committed the Creel House murders, not his father Victor. Henry's death was faked by Dr. Brenner, who brought him to the lab after realizing the potential of his power. While in that interdimensional hellscape, Henry slowly morphed into Vecna – which means the Upside Down, Will's kidnapping, everything that has occurred across four seasons is technically Eleven's fault. More importantly, however, Vecna is now the strongest he's ever been, and she's finally met her match.
Season 5 will begin with Hawkins in a military quarantine as the Upside Down takes over Hawkins and thrusts them into eternal winter, with Vecna lurking nearby. Because Vecna will likely be the biggest threat for Eleven and co. this season, you could absolutely get away with only watching this episode before the season 5 premiere. It sums things up quite nicely, and reminds us who he is – and what he's capable of.
Additional viewing
Got a minute? Chapter One: The Hellfire Club is the quintessential "Chrissy, wake up! I don't like this!" episode, with Chapter Nine: The Piggyback, setting us up for what's about to be a pretty grim final season.
Stranger Things season 5 part 1 hits Netflix on November 26. For more, check out our Stranger Things season release schedule, or, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to stream right now.
