The popular Netflix series is preparing to wrap with its fifth season after nine years
The story that Stranger Things started in 2016 has reached its final chapter — and it’s an emotional one. In a recent interview at a live taping of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, David Harbour recalled the cast’s tearful table read of the final episode of the series, set to conclude with its forthcoming fifth season.
“The end of this episode when we were reading it — just us reading it — about halfway through, people started crying,” he said. “Then about the last 20 minutes, it was just uncontrollably crying, waves of different people. Noah Schnapp being my favorite.”
Schnapp is 20 years old now but was 11 when the show began, as was Millie Bobby Brown. Finn Wolfhard is now 21, Gaten Matarazzo is 22, and Calab McLaughlin is 23. They’ve all come a long way from the 11 through 14 year olds entering the upside down.
“I think part of that also is the fact that these kids, it was their childhood,” Harbour said. “It’s 10 years later, and we examine that idea, and it’s so well done and so beautiful … It’s such a great episode, and it’s such a great season. You guys will love it.” He even goes so far as to call the eighth episode of season five “the best episode they’ve ever done,” adding: “They land the plane.”
It’s high praise coming from the actor who has played a pivotal role as Jim Hopper since the show’s first season. “I’m very close to the show, so I have very strong opinions. And they may not match yours if you’re a fan of the show,” Harbour explained, noting that he sees everything that goes on behind the scenes before the show hits our screens. “I can be very critical of this show.”
The Stranger Things cast reached the halfway mark on filming the final season in July. “We’re just kind of savoring every single moment,” Sadie Sink, who joined the show during season two, shared in a behind-the-scenes video at the time. McLaughlin added: “Like every season, you never really know what to expect — 100 percent, the wait will be worth it.”
