MOVIE NEWS – The Duffer brothers explain how the show’s biggest revelation was planned from the very beginning, as the series finale promises the most ambitious episode yet. Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2!

With only one chapter left of Stranger Things Season 5, fans are still processing one of the most shocking twists in the show’s history. The Upside Down, which has haunted Hawkins since the first season, has been revealed as a wormhole connecting to another dimension, tentatively called the Abyss. This chaotic realm is the true home of Vecna and his Demogorgons, which he plans to merge with Earth to create what he believes is a perfect world. Following the reveal, the creators opened up about when they first conceived the origins of the Upside Down.

In an interview with Collider, the Duffer brothers discussed Volume 2 of Season 5, which finally unveiled the truth behind the alternate dimension. While the twist had been planned for a decade, Netflix pushed them during Season 1 to fully map out the mythology. Although frustrating at the time, that pressure helped the writers establish a clear endgame for the series. Matt Duffer explained:

“Parts of the mythology came together during Season 1, though the wormhole idea arrived later. Netflix wanted to understand everything, even when we felt it was too early. In hindsight, it forced us to define the Upside Down properly, and we’ve been holding onto that secret for ten years. It’s a relief to finally share it.”

Vecna’s design was not fully defined in the first season, but the creators always knew some unseen entity was pulling the strings. That long-term planning makes it all the more striking that the show’s biggest mystery wasn’t improvised, but carefully laid out years in advance. Details about how the finale expands the mythology remain under wraps until the episode premieres on December 31.

The “Most Massive Episode Ever”

Netflix’s decision to screen the Stranger Things finale in theaters alongside its streaming release comes as no surprise. According to the Duffers, the final episode runs two hours and eight minutes and packs unprecedented action and tension. Matt Duffer described it as the biggest episode they’ve ever made, while stressing that it also balances spectacle with quiet, intimate character moments.

“It’s almost like two episodes in one. The scale is enormous, but the emotional core is just as important. In the end, people care most about the characters, and that’s where much of our focus went.”

The creators revealed that they began planning the season by determining where each character would ultimately end up, an unusual approach driven by the importance of giving the series a satisfying conclusion.

Source: MovieWeb