Stranger Things season 5 runtimes won't be as "extreme" as season 4 – except the finale

News
By published

"We’re trying to return to the simplicity of the structure in season 1"

Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things season 4
(Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things season 5 won't have the same mammoth runtimes as season 4, according to series creators the Duffer Brothers. Except, maybe, for the season finale. 

"I don’t think the runtimes will be as extreme in season five," Matt Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter. "We’re trying to return to the simplicity of the structure in season 1, with bigger scale and scope. Except for the finale, which I’m expecting will be pretty massive."

All nine episodes in Stranger Things season 4 were over an hour long, with the finale clocking in at two hours and 30 minutes. However, this came as a surprise even to the Duffer Brothers. 

"The runtimes being as long as they were was something of a surprise to us," Matt added. "Ross and I have been trying to analyze how they ended up that long, because the scripts aren’t even that long. We’ve realized that our writing style has changed a little bit, in terms of how we space out description. I think that added to some length. Also, we had an additional plot with Hopper in Russia. It’s a pretty dense season."

Writing on season 5 is currently underway, but the next installment doesn't have a release date yet. Season 5 is also set to be the show's final season, although a spin-off is also on the way. 

While we wait for Stranger Things season 5 to arrive on the streamer, check out our picks of the other best Netflix shows that you can watch right now. 

Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.