The cast of Stranger Things leaning in together around a table in Season 5.Image via Netflix
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Jiminna Shillingford
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Jiminna Shillingford is an avid reader and a passionate storyteller. She is obsessed with all things TV, from anime and romantic fantasy to action-packed series. With that deep affection, Jiminna longs to share her excitement with all her readers through the Collider platform as a TV author. Through her writing she has created stories and blog posts of amazing book recommendations, showcasing her love of writing. Jiminna's goal is to inspire others to discover and embrace their love of stories in all of its forms.
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Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
Stranger Things is an iconic sci-fi gem that has evolved into one of the most beloved series to ever exist, and now there is minimal time left before that chapter closes for good with the approach of the show’s final season. WIth its mix of tender friendship, '80s nostalgia, and supernatural terror, the series centers around a group of kids who have lost one of their own. With the help of a grumpy sheriff, the missing kid's mother, and a butt-kicking, telekinesis-wielding young escapee named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), the group sets out to save their best friend and unravel the secrets of their once quiet town.
In anticipation of the show's continuation, it's the perfect time to go on a Stranger Things binge to refresh the incredible story. Revisiting the show's standout episodes that shaped the journeys of key characters like Eleven and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) is the ideal way to reconnect with the heart of the series. Compiled on this list are episodes that do just that—each one offering character depth, vital clues, and an extremely impactful narrative that will prepare audiences for the fifth season to come.
1 "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers"
Season 1, Episode 1
A scared Will Byers in 'Stranger Things' Season 1.Image via Netflix
This incredible first episode of the brilliant sci-fi show Stranger Things is the perfect introduction to the series. The episode, "The Vanishing of Will Byers," introduces a group of close friends who find themselves down one when their friend Will goes missing after encountering a monster. Meanwhile, a young girl makes her escape from a lab, leading her straight to an entirely new life.
The very first episode is definitely a deserving rewatch, as it sets the tone for the core conflict and characters of the show. The blatant desperation shown by Will's mother, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), after the disappearance of her son, makes it clear to both the audience and the many younger characters that the situation is truly dire. Even Will's initial abduction is a great callback, as Easter eggs fans may have missed during their first watch have a habit of standing out. Remembering Stranger Things' origin is the perfect move to get ready for the show's newest season.
2 "Chapter Four: The Body"
Season 1, Episode 4
Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) sitting on her couch with an ax in 'Stranger Things' Season 1.Image via Netflix
This episode is a declaration that a mother's devotion to her children should always be praised. Season 1, Episode 4, "The Body" deepens the mystery with the emergence of a dead body which authorities claim is Will. While Will’s mother, Joyce, refuses to believe that her son is truly gone, Eleven, with her abilities, proves that the young boy is still alive, but growing steadily unwell.
"The Body" is a pretty chilling episode, just as the title suggests. The initial fear that Will just might be dead is devastating, but a mother's belief changes everything, including viewers' perception. "The Body" is a clear-cut admission that the character's suspicions are pretty deserving. It set in stone that an otherworldly evil is out there, and now the characters are slightly more aware of it. With Joyce's belief that her son is indeed alive, revisiting the episode is the perfect reminder that it is thanks to her faith and determination that Will's survival inevitably pays off.
3 "Chapter Seven: The Bathtub"
Season 1, Episode 7
Eleven in the bathtub in 'Stranger Things' Season 1.Image via Netflix
Episode 7 of Stranger Things' first season, "The Bathtub," brings characters together in a bid to successfully bring Will home. The episode highlights Eleven's struggle to reach Will, prompting her support system to construct a homemade sensory tank so she can locate him in the Upside Down.
Season 1, Episode 7 of Stranger Things is the perfect setup to the show's first season finale. With a quick dip into a "bathtub," Eleven's psychic abilities offer viewers one of the most intense and revealing moments of the first season, as she desperately searches for Will. The episode puts emphasis on El's rather deep connection to both the Upside Down and Will—while also offering insight into the lab's role—which makes it the ideal rewatching material for Season 5's final conflict.
4 "Chapter One: MADMAX"
Season 2, Episode 1
Max (Sadie Sink) sitting in an office in 'Stranger Things' Season 2.Image via Netflix
This opener of Stranger Things' second season signals that the Upside Down and the residents of Hawkins aren't done with each other just yet. "MADMAX" introduces two new characters: Maxine "Max" Mayfield (Sadie Sink) and her older step-brother Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery), while also dropping hints that there may be more kids like Eleven out in the world.
Season 2 offers audiences a slew of new and unexpected threats while introducing a positive shoo-in for the group of friends. Will, although rescued from his brief trip to the Upside Down, is now struggling with haunting visions, establishing that everything is definitely not okay. Characters are seen dealing with both their losses and their triumphs, a daunting reminder that though that chapter is closed, danger still lurks. The setups of new friends and enemies for this season opener of Stranger Things are a crucial recap for those intending to dive headfirst into the newest season of the show.
5 "Chapter Six: The Spy"
Season 2, Episode 6
Nancy, Murray, and Jonathan sitting around a table in 'Stranger Things' Season 2.Image via Netflix
"The Spy" highlights the villainous, shadowy Mind Flayer's growing hold on the real world. With Will's memory loss being proof that the Mind Flayer is controlling him, it becomes ever more obvious to viewers that Will is some sort of conduit.
"The Spy" clarifies the direness of Will's condition and the danger brought to life by the Mind Flayer's plan. Connections are drawn throughout this episode—not just in unraveling the mystery of the Mind Flayer, but also in the romantic developments fans have been advocating for since the show's premiere. Rewatching Season 2, Episode 6 reminds viewers that Will has always been a pawn of much darker intentions. The episode only highlights that even this early in Stranger Things, Will was marked for something by someone far more sinister than viewers initially realized.
6 "The Mind Flayer"
Season 2, Episode 8
Bob (Sean Astin) with Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) in 'Stranger Things' Season 2.Image via Netflix
This thrilling episode is an intense bout of slaughter and misfortune. Season 2, Episode 8 of Stranger Things, "The Mind Flayer," sees Demodogs overrunning the Hawkins Lab, which forces viewers' cherished characters into a tight spot. The dire fight leads to the newly introduced character Bob (Sean Astin) sacrificing himself, while the others escape and reunite at the Byers household—only to discover that Will has been used as a spy for the “Mind Flayer” the entire time.
The truth is finally revealed in this action-filled episode. “The Mind Flayer” is the point in the season where secrets unravel and devastating losses take hold. The gang of beloved characters come to understand who among them are the true heroes—and the very real threats working against them. Once again, Will's importance to the show and its characters—along with his deep connection to the Upside Down—is unmistakably highlighted. Amidst the chaos, both the characters and the audience are forced to confront a heart-wrenching loss—one that can’t distract them from the trial that still lies ahead. Rewatching Season 2's penultimate episode reminds viewers looking forward to Season 5 that the cast they know and love is a resilient bunch who always stick together, even when the threat of the Upside Down, and it's later revealed villain, seems unstoppable.
7 "Chapter Four: The Sauna Test"
Season 3, Episode 4
Millie Bobby Brown as Jane 'Eleven' Hopper Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield Noah Schnapp as Will ByersCaleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair.Image via Netflix
The mid-Season 3 episode of Stranger Things, "The Sauna Test," is a standout installment of the series, as it highlights the Mind Flayer's ever-growing influence, leading to some of the most intense moments seen within the sci-fi show. The episode clarifies that Billy's possession is getting worse, and in an attempt to confirm the character's odd behavior, the Stranger Things kids trap him in a sauna, only for the test to backfire horribly.
This episode is a brutal confirmation that Billy is, in fact, possessed. By then, fans, going through their first turn of the season, are steadily growing attached to the broodingly charming character. First-time viewers also witness the way Billy exposes just how powerful, yet incredibly vulnerable, El actually is. Rewatching "The Sauna Test" can only be beneficial for fans readying themselves for Season 5, as it revisits the poignant emotions between characters and reinforces just how much of a threat the Upside Down and its residents are to the real world.
8 "Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt"
Season 3, Episode 8
"The Battle of Starcourt" is the daunting Season finale of Stranger Things' third chapter, which is a true bout of fear and pain for both the show's characters and the viewers. The episode showcases the kids' face-off with the Mind Flayer in the Starcourt Mall while Joyce and Jim Hopper (David Harbour) work to destroy the Russian gate to the Upside Down—only for it all to end in soul-crushing heartbreak.
"The Battle of Starcourt" contains one of the biggest action pieces of the Stranger Things series, making for a satisfying rewatch. The episode is a major turning point for the characters fans have grown to love, with El losing her abilities, and the loss of Hopper. The episode is rife with crucial content, and with a quick refresh, only highlights the importance of the often reckless characters sticking together, the mounting sacrifices they've had to make, and the major unresolved issues they still face.
9 "Chapter Four: Dear Billy"
Season 4, Episode 4
Max sitting in front of Billy's grave in Stanger Things Chapter Four Dear Billy.Image via Netflix
This Stranger Things episode gifts the audience with some pretty great information on Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and his origins while placing beloved characters in significant danger. With a glorious soundtrack used to crack the psychic hold Vecna seems to have on the cast of characters, the episode "Dear Billy" proceeds with major reveals and botched rescue attempts that prove just as frustrating to characters as they are to audiences.
This key episode is rife with character development and lore. Vecna's curse at this point is having a major effect on prominent characters, proving that the stakes are truly higher than ever. Vecna's origins are also revealed, and his ties to Hawkins are shown to be as entangled as ever. His connection to Eleven grows increasingly important for those immersed in the story's mythology. "Dear Billy" is an episode worth rewatching as it not only reminds viewers of the emotional bond between Max and her brother Billy but also shows the strength she has while facing danger—expanding her arc by leaps and bounds.
10 "Chapter Nine: The Piggyback"
Season 4, Episode 9
The cast stand in the woods and look up to the sky in Stranger Things episode The Piggyback.Image via Netflix
"The Piggyback" is Season 4's finale of Stranger Things and stands as the ideal wrap-up for the mass of mystery fans have endured throughout the series' entire story. The beloved team of Hawkins heroes split up to keep Vecna distracted, with Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) making the ultimate sacrifice and Eleven entering Max's mind—yet by the end of the episode, things don't go exactly as planned.
This season finale is an easy rewatch and makes perfect sense to revisit since it's the last episode before Season 5 premieres on November 26. The finale ties in decades of plot, highlighting Max's fate, resolving Eddie’s storyline, and most importantly, revealing the show's fierce villain's true motives and identity. Remembering Vecna's defeat—which unfortunately didn't lead to his demise—is crucial for fans of the intriguing story going forward. With secrets revealed, but monsters still lurking, "The Piggyback" counts as the ideal rewatch for viewers who need a reminder of those who sacrificed themselves, those still alive, and just what secrets the characters and audience have learned.
Like
Stranger Things
TV-14
Drama
Mystery
Horror
Science Fiction
Release Date
2016 - 2025-00-00
Network
Netflix
Showrunner
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
Directors
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz
Cast
See All-
Millie Bobby Brown
Jane 'Eleven' Hopper
-
Finn Wolfhard
Mike Wheeler
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Stranger Things
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Netflix
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