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How and where to watch the Stranger Things Netflix TV show & spinoffs in release and chronological order

Want to get started on watching Stranger Things? Here's how to do it!

Stranger Things Season Four Screenshot
Image credit: Netflix

Do you ever get nostalgic for the ‘80s? A decade where you could spend hours with your friends doing nothing but riding bicycles? A decade where the arcade was the ultimate hangout, and Pac-Man was the king of video games? A decade where we hid from Demogorgons and other monsters from the Upside Down?

Wait, what?

If that last example confused you, then you haven’t experienced Stranger Things, Netflix’s critically acclaimed horror series. You’ve probably heard all the excitement surrounding the series and might be curious to see what all the fuss is about.

If this is you, then Popverse has you covered! This handy guide will tell you everything you need to know about Stranger Things, including how to watch the series in release and chronological order.

How to watch Stranger Things in release order

Stranger Things season 4
Image credit: Netflix

Although Stranger Things is set primarily set decades ago in the '80s, the show itself is only a few years old. To watch the show as the creators intended is pretty straight forward.

That's with Stranger Things season five to come soon. Seems pretty straight-forward for now, right? Well... not so fast.

How to watch Stranger Things in chronological order

Stranger Things
Image credit: Courtesy Netflix

If you want to watch Stranger Things in chronological order, barring flashbacks, it’s the same as the release order. However, where do all the tie-in comic books and novels fit in? What about some of the major flashbacks? This comprehensive timeline will break down where everything fits.

Please note, some of the novels and comics don’t give exact chronological dates. In order to determine their placement, we’ve looked at contextual clues in the comics/novels themselves, pored through Reddit debates, and browsed the Stranger Things wiki. In some cases we’ve even looked at the color of the foliage in the comic books to figure out what time of year it was.

If there are any discrepancies in the timeline placement, we will edit this list. In the meantime, if you want to know how the Stranger Things media fits in with the show’s timeline, let’s break it down…

A Stranger Things animated series and a live-action spinoff are currently being developed for Netflix. At this time, it is unknown where these projects will fit in the overall timeline. However, we’ll continue to update this guide as we learn more.

Is Stranger Things season 5 coming out in 2024?

Stranger Things 4
Image credit: Netflix

There is currently no release date for Stranger Things season five, but we do know that it isn't coming in 2024. What's with the delay? Well, a big part of that is the Hollywood strikes of 2023. Filming was originally set to begin in June 2023, but series co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer decided to postpone production when the WGA Strike began. Once the SAG-AFTRA strike began, this further delayed the production of the season.

With the strikes over, Stranger Things season five went into production in January 2024, but that doesn't mean we'll be back in Hawkins before the year is out. Not only is filming taking a long time due to the massive scale of each episode, but the Netflix CEO confirmed in an earnings call that Stranger Things would be back sometime in 2025.

Is Season 5 the last season of Stranger Things?

Stranger Things
Image credit: Courtesy Netflix

It’s true, the Stranger Things saga will conclude with season five. In February 2022 series co-creators Ross and Matt Duffer released an open letter stating that season five would wrap up the series. “Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but – as you’ll soon see for yourselves – we are now hurtling towards our finale. Season four will be the penultimate season; season five will be the last.”

If you’ve seen Stranger Things season four, then you know how much of a roller coaster that was. I can’t wait to see what the Duffers have in mind for the final act.

Who is in Stranger Things season 5?

Most of the cast of Stranger Things are coming back for the final season, but they're being joined by some new faces as well. Not only is Sadie Sink back for the final season - even though Max finished season four in a coma - but Linda Hamilton is going to be in Stranger Things season five in a currently undisclosed role. The details of that are probably going to stay under wraps until the series is actually streams on Netflix. The legendary action star is being joined by newcomers Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux for the final season.

Which Episodes of Stranger Things did Shawn Levy direct?

Netflix

If you're just now hearing about the connection between Shawn Levy, the director of Deadpool & Wolverine, and Stranger Things, let us explain. Levy has served as an executive producer on the series since it first began, but he has also gotten involved behind the camera for two episodes each season. He has directed the third and fourth episode of each season, so the Shawn Levy directed episodes of Stranger Things are:

  • Stranger Things season 1 episodes 3 and 4
  • Stranger Things season 2 episodes 3 and 4
  • Stranger Things season 3 episodes 3 and 4
  • Stranger Things season 4 episodes 3 and 4

We know that Shawn Levy is back on set to direct at least one episode of Stranger Things season five, but it hasn't been confirmed which ones he will take on. He has hinted before that his duties directing Deadpool & Wolverine could have seen him get less involved in the final season of the Netflix show, but we'll have to wait to see what happens.

Can I watch Stranger Things on anything other than Netflix?

Stranger Things
Image credit: Netflix

Are you looking to watch Stranger Things, but don’t have a Netflix subscription? No worries, there are other ways to watch the series. If you like owning physical media, Stranger Things season one and two are available as DVD and Blu-Ray collections. There are currently no official home media releases for the later seasons, so don’t be fooled by the bootlegs that show up online. However, given the popularity of the series, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the later seasons get official releases down the line.

Stranger Things is a valuable commodity for Netflix, which is why the streaming service isn’t eager for viewers to watch the series on other platforms. Your best bet is using a Netflix subscription, even if it’s just for one month. Otherwise, our recommendation is to wait for the complete series to drop as a home media collection sometime after the show concludes.

Now you have everything you need to enjoy Stranger Things! Sit back, grab your remote, and watch out for the Mind Flayer!


Netflix's Stranger Things is heading into its grand finale - of the main show that is. While you wait, make sure you've watched all of the franchise (including the spinoffs in books and comics) with our Stranger Things guide, know who the Stranger Things season 5 cast, and what Dustin actor Gaten Matarazzo things would make the show better (more deaths). .

 

Joshua Lapin-Bertone

Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.

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