Stranger Things season 5 premiere title revealed – and fans think they know its hidden message

Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) and Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) in Stranger Things
(Image credit: Netflix)

The title of the Stranger Things season 5 premiere has been revealed as part of the Netflix show’s Stranger Things Day celebrations – and fans have been trying to figure out the meaning behind the two-word tease.

Chapter one of Stranger Things season 5’s first episode is simply titled ‘The Crawl’. As to be expected, fans leapt at the chance to decipher any clues, with one theory proving particularly persuasive.

In reply to one user tweeting that they’re "trying to figure out what the entire episode is gonna be about based on those two words," one said that ‘The Crawl’ is all about Vecna ‘recruiting’ the dearly departed Eddie Munson to do his bidding.

How so? ‘The Crawl’ could be a reference to the lyrics of Master of Puppets. Famously, one of Eddie Munson’s final heroic acts in Stranger Things season 4 was playing Metallica’s song to ward off the Demobats. The lyrics "Come crawling faster/come obey your master", then, could be a veiled hint that Vecna would be able to resurrect Eddie and use him as a puppet-of-sorts in the final season.

As theories go, we’ve heard worse. Others have also pondered whether it’s a reference to a dungeon crawl in Dungeons and Dragons or, in one copium-filled post, a tease that Eddie is crawling out of the Upside Down and coming back to life.

Stranger Things season 5 is all set to be the show’s last. Eleven actor Millie Bobby Brown has confirmed that filming is expected to begin next year. So, while the slow crawl towards the finale begins, check out more of the best shows on Netflix.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.