Have you ever been to a world full of mysteries, the unknown, and unnatural creatures? The Upside Down is the one place where these things coexist. The release date for Stranger Things 5 is Wednesday November 26th at 8:00 pm. Get your blankets, make your popcorn, and grab your remote because it’s almost time.

   What is there to remember from season 4? Lots… let’s break it down. As we know season 4 unfolded the truth behind the threatening figure and monstrous serial killer Vecna. But where did it begin? Here are 10 things you need to know before the release of season 5. *Spoilers ahead for season 4 of Stranger Things, so come back later if you’re a season behind!

1. There were a series of murders of teens in Hawkins. Vecna was the person behind these murders. His plan consisted of killing 4 teens. Chrissy, Fred, and Patrick were the first 3 victims, Max was his final victim. At first she escaped Vecna’s mind and escaped her death bed. However, when she tried to distract Vecna again by buying into what he thought about her dark past, she couldn’t escape again. 
2. Eddie Munson was proclaimed the serial killer by the people within the town of Hawkins. He was hunted by the basketball team, the town members, and the police. Dustyn, Nancy, Lucas, Robin, and Steve all helped him stay hidden. They knew he wasn’t behind the murders. Eddie died in the last episode as a hero, distracting the bats in the Upside Down for as long as he could.
3. Eleven, Joyce, Will, and Jonathan moved to California at the end of season 3. At the start of season 4, Joyce received a package from Russia. She quickly ropes in Murray to solve the mystery behind what she was sent, a Russian doll. They discover it’s from a guard named Enzo and that Hopper was alive but trapped in a Russian prison. Joyce and Murray take a trip to Alaska where they encounter a sneaky fugitive Yuri. 
4. Enzo and Hopper are sentenced to death while in jail. The death sentence being… to face a demogorgon. They find a way to escape it and run into Joyce, Murray, and Yuri on the way. On their way out they discover demogorgon particles being studied in the prison. Together, they find a helicopter to fly home and successfully kill the demogorgons in the prison that had broken free. Ultimately this helped harm Vecna in the process of the kid’s attack on him. 
5. Eleven had forgotten her powers with the move to California. The government and military believed that Eleven was the reason for the murders in Hawkins. Dr. Owens tracks down Eleven and brings her back to a secret base so that she can participate in a program to bring her powers back. There she finds that Dr. Brenner was also behind the program as well. She participates in the project and finds her powers again.
6. While in the program Eleven is reminded of what happened at Hawkins Laboratory during her time there. She was treated horribly by the other children. There was one incident that Eleven had forgotten about. Number 1 had killed everyone in the laboratory except for Eleven and Dr. Brenner. However, he used Eleven to gain his powers back by having her extract his chip.
7. Eleven and Number 1 had gotten into a fight. Eleven sent him to the Upside down where he was burnt alive and sentenced to a life there. He found the darkness within the Upside Down and made a connection with it. Everything that happened within the first 3 seasons was because of him. The demogorgons, the Mind Flayer, the darkness, everything. 
8. Nancy and Robin had done research on an old case and even visited an important person. They believed the Victor Creel case was connected to what was happening with the murders in the beginning of the season. They even go visit Victor Creel himself and discover that music can help block Vecna from entering your mind. Later in the season when Vecna is in Nancy’s mind, he shows her two things. He first shows her that he is Victor Creel’s son and everything that happened. He was the one who killed his mother and sister. He was taken in by Dr. Brenner and was the first child with powers that Dr. Brenner worked with. The second thing he showed her was that Hawkins would soon be destroyed by the ground separating.
9. The kids make an elaborate plan to kill Vecna. Dustyn and Eddie distract the bats, Max distracts Vecna with Lucas and Erica working with her, Eleven tries to protect Max through her mind and Nancy, Robin, and Steve kill Vecna directly. Ultimately Eddie dies and Max is almost taken by Vecna. Steve, Nancy, and Robin hit Vecna and set him on fire. He falls out of a window but when they go to check if he died, he was no longer there.
10. The end of the season is messy as Max is in a coma after Eleven saved her from dying. The town of Hawkins underwent an earthquake, leaving behind cracks in the ground and people leaving the town. The kids are all reunited with each other. Joyce and Hopper return to their kids. However, there is something lurking around… darkness. 

There’s a lot that can happen in season 5. Secrets can be revealed, horrors can unfold, and mysteries may arise. Let’s hope Vecna isn’t alive and let’s hope he isn’t coming for everyone… or is he?

Season 5 will be a good one.

Will you be watching this season? Leave us a comment and let us know, or share you review by emailing [email protected].