The battle for Hawkins is about to conclude. As Stranger Things 5 builds to its two-and-a-half-hour series finale on New Year’s Eve, a global audience is preparing to say goodbye to the beloved series. The question on everyone’s mind: what comes next?
The good news is that television in 2025 delivered an exceptional array of new and returning series that can fill the void. From intense character dramas to inventive sci-fi and sharp comedies, here is a curated guide to nine highly praised shows that should be at the top of your watchlist.
What to Watch After the Final Battle
For Fans of Supernatural Mystery and Teen Drama
If your favorite part of Stranger Things was the core group of friends facing otherworldly threats, these series offer a similar blend of suspense and coming-of-age stories.
Adolescence (Netflix): Frequently named the best show of 2025 by critics, this four-part Netflix miniseries is a gripping, albeit intense, drama. It follows a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a classmate and is filmed in a style that makes viewers feel like they are witnessing events in real time. NPR’s critic called it a “masterclass in televisual storytelling” that has haunted him since viewing.
The Midnight Club (Netflix): From horror master Mike Flanagan, this series centers on terminally ill teens in a hospice who meet at midnight to tell scary stories. Their pact to contact each other from beyond the grave leads to genuine supernatural encounters, making it perfect for viewers who loved the spooky, friend-driven storytelling of Stranger Things.
Locke & Key: This series revolves around a family that moves into a house filled with magical keys, each unlocking different powers and dangerous secrets. Its mix of supernatural discovery and family dynamics will feel familiar to fans of the Hawkins crew’s adventures.
For Fans of Sci-Fi, Horror, and Bold Concepts
If the show’s interdimensional threats and government conspiracies were your main draw, these selections dive deep into bold genre territory.
Alien: Earth (FX): Showrunner Noah Hawley successfully transplants the cinematic terror of the Alien franchise to television. Critics found it “thrilling — and, at times, truly scary,” offering a fresh take on the iconic Xenomorph mythos with its own unique identity.
Pluribus (Apple TV+): From Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, this “indescribably original” sci-fi series has been praised as brilliant, must-watch television. It leads actress Rhea Seehorn through a brave new world, promising the kind of intricate, high-concept storytelling that rewards dedicated viewers.
Gen V (Prime Video): A spin-off of The Boys, this series follows the first generation of college-aged superheroes with artificially created powers. For viewers who connected with Eleven’s journey and her struggles with her abilities, this show explores similar themes of power, control, and identity in a brutally satirical universe.
For Fans of Smart Thrillers and Character-Driven Tension
Stranger Things expertly balanced monster fights with human drama. These critically adored dramas focus on high-stakes, character-centric plots.
Task (HBO): Starring Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey, this culturally specific crime story pits a grieving FBI agent against a single father who robs drug houses. Described as “unrelentingly bleak but equally riveting,” it’s a propulsive drama that interrogates masculinity and tragedy.
The Pitt (Max): This medical drama set in a single, real-time shift in a hospital emergency room earned near-universal acclaim. Starring Noah Wyle, it combines the high stress of medical crises with the compelling, lived-in performances of its doctors, creating “impressively credible tension”.
The Diplomat (Netflix): The show’s third season was hailed as its best, elevating both geopolitical and personal stakes while remaining “dishy” and fun. Keri Russell stars as the American ambassador to the U.K., navigating international crises and a complicated marriage with sharp writing and great wit.
Saying Goodbye to Hawkins
we await the finale, titled “The Rightside Up,” the final plan to stop Vecna is in motion. The crew has learned the Upside Down is not a parallel dimension but a wormhole—a bridge created when Eleven first made contact with Henry Creel in the place he calls the Abyss. Their new strategy, “Operation Beanstalk,” involves letting Vecna begin merging the worlds so Eleven can ambush him in his mind, with Kali’s help, while the others plant a bomb to destroy the bridge itself.
The ultimate cost of victory remains uncertain. As co-creator Ross Duffer noted about the end of Volume 2, “There’s a sense of dread or uncertainty that pervades,” particularly around what Eleven may have to sacrifice. All questions will be answered when the series concludes on December 31, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET, with a simultaneous release in select theaters in the U.S. and Canada.
The end of Stranger Things is not an end to great television. It’s an invitation to explore new worlds, new mysteries, and new characters waiting to be discovered.
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