As the Stranger Things season 5 release date comes near, anticipation surges across campus. The series, set in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, follows a group of kids who become entangled in government experiments, telekinetic powers, and a dark parallel dimension known as the Upside Down is releasing its 5th and final season on November 26th with fans having much to say. Students and staff alike have been rewatching the earlier seasons, analyzing the trailer, and departing theories in preparation for the newest season. However, for some longtime fans, their excitement is mixed with caution.

“I’m 50/50 on it. I thought the 3rd season was kind of, meh, in comparison to the 1st and 2nd season, and I’m also curious to what’s gonna happen since their so much older now, that I don’t know if it’s going to make the story feel weird,” Kendra Hirsh (Art) said. “I’m still sure I’m going to enjoy it, but maybe not as much as the older seasons.”

Hirsh, a dedicated viewer since season 1, still has some concerns with the pacing of the story and how the final season will turn out. However, her love for the series keeps her hopeful with how the season will turn out. 

“I like Stranger Things, I really do. I have a Stranger Things shirt. I like the pinball [game] that Stranger Things is based off of. So I’ll still watch it. I’m still excited, but I’m not. I guess I won’t say that I won’t expect to be let down in comparison to the quality of the shows prior,” Hirsh said.

While some fans share Ms. Hirsh’s caution, others are much more hopeful with how the final season will turn out. Thomas Sandoval (10) says the latest trailer has helped him regain his passion for the series he originally had.

“I am [excited] because it looks like it’s gonna be really fun and really cool. Plus, I saw 11 do like a big jump or fly. It looked awesome,” Sandoval said.

For Sandoval, the trailers not only build hype, but also promise big things for the final season. The action packed sequences and familiar creatures shown in the trailer instantly caught his attention. 

“My favorite part was when that demogorgon jumped on top of that building and grabbed that guy and then jumped down and the next scene showed a demogorgon throwing somebody. That was really cool,” Sandoval said.

Like many students, Sandoval’s attachment to the series also includes his attachment to the characters themselves. Steve Harrington especially seems to be a fan favorite among students as his good looks and character development has caught the attention of many fans.

“I love Steve Harrington because he’s so cute and I love him. He’s so funny, so hot, everything,” Sandoval said.

“Definitely Stephen Harrington, because he’s the goat and he’s so amazing,” Arshawm Khalilian (10) said.

However, the love that the fans have for Steve also fuels the possibility of a heartbreaking death of the beloved character. With stranger things having a reputation of raising the stakes of each season, the possibility of loss looms over the finale.

“As much as I hope it’s not true, I think they’re gonna kill off Steve. I also think they’re gonna kill off Dustin because that’s going to be a crazy death in the second to last episode,” Sandoval said.

While Sandoval focuses more on the emotional aspect of the story, Khalillian is focused on the continuation of the story. He is especially focused on the interaction between Will Byers and Vecna.

“I’m so excited, because the hype around it is so big, and all the characters are gonna be duking out against Vecna in the final battle, and what we saw from the last episode of Stranger Four it gave us  a big cliffhanger,” Khalilian said.

The most striking moment in the trailer for Khalilian wasn’t the action, the creatures, or even the new characters, but it was Will’s interaction with Vecna, a moment that ties back to the very start of the series.

“My favorite part of the trailer was Vecna’s conversation with Will when Vecna said I’m gonna use you again, and that shows from season one, it wasn’t a Demigorgon getting Will. It was Vecna, again, going for him,” Khalilian said.

Like many fans, Khalilian has his own theory about how the season will end with the series teasing many different possible endings.

“At the end, I definitely think that they’re going to end it off with Hopper and Joyce having their date because they’ve been hinting, or trying to go on a date for this whole time, and something keeps ruining it,” Khalilian said.

As the release date of the series finale gets closer and closer, conversations, like there, are filled with excitement, theories, predictions, and wonders, are happening across campus daily. Whether students and staff expect excitement, heartbreak, or even for the new season to be boring, Stranger Things has left a lasting impact on its viewers whether they enjoyed the series or not.