David Harbour recently shared that the Stranger Things cast experienced a wave of strong emotions during their last group reading of the series finale script. The actor, who plays Jim Hopper, described a table read where “people started crying” halfway through and spent the final 20 minutes in “uncontrollably crying, waves of different people”. He singled out his young co-star Noah Schnapp‘s reaction as his favorite. Harbour called the final episode “the best episode they’ve ever done” and confidently stated that the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, successfully “land the plane” for the beloved series.
David Harbour Shares Details of the Emotional Goodbye
The emotional table read marks a significant moment for a cast that has worked together for nearly a decade. Harbour revealed the details during a live recording of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. He connected the intense reaction to the shared history of the cast, many of whom grew up on the show. “I think part of that also is the fact that these kids, it was their childhood,” Harbour explained. “It’s 10 years later, and we examine that idea, and it’s so well done and so beautiful”.
Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown were just 11 years old when Stranger Things began in 2016. Their co-stars Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, and Caleb McLaughlin were also between 11 and 14 at the start. Now in their early twenties, the finale table read represented not just the end of a show, but the closing of a major chapter in their lives. Harbour acknowledged the bittersweet nature of the ending, noting that while it’s sad, it is also time for everyone, including the talented Duffer Brothers, to move on to new projects.
A Recent Look at Cast Reactions to Major Twists
While the finale reading was intensely emotional, Netflix has also shown how the cast reacts to major story twists during production. The streaming service released a video from the table read for Season 5, Episode 4, titled “Sorcerer”. The clip shows the cast’s live, excited reaction to a pivotal moment where Will Byers discovers powerful new abilities.
In the video, co-creator Matt Duffer narrates the scene where Will, surrounded by demogorgons, closes his eyes and makes a fist. Duffer reads, “Quick cuts as all three demos are violently killed by a powerful force. Their arms snap, their legs break, their necks twist, they crash to the ground. Dead”. The description ends with Will kneeling on a battlefield, blood dripping from his nose, having become a “sorcerer”.
The video captures the cast’s thrilled and shocked responses. Actors like Sadie Sink, Finn Wolfhard, and Gaten Matarazzo smiled and squirmed in their seats. Noah Schnapp, who plays Will, looked visibly stunned by the turn of events for his character. The most vocal reaction came from Millie Bobby Brown. When Duffer read the part about the bloody nose—a signature effect for her character, Eleven—Brown screamed with happiness and turned to Schnapp, exclaiming, “You’re one of me. Now you get to deal with that bloody nose”.
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Understanding Will Byers’ New Role and Powers
This major development for Will Byers shifts him to the center of the story’s final conflict. After seasons where his character took more of a background role, Will is now positioned as crucial to the fight against Vecna. The Duffer Brothers clarified that Will does not have innate powers like Eleven. Instead, he is able to channel the existing powers of Vecna, essentially turning the villain’s strength against him.
“It’s different in that he’s able to channel Vecna’s powers. But they’re all related. Vecna and Eleven, their powers are similar. The powers aren’t within him. He’s able to channel these powers from Vecna and use it, sort of puppeteering,” explained Ross Duffer.
This ability allows Will to save his friends by killing multiple demogorgons at the end of Episode 4. However, Vecna’s immediate return at the episode’s close confirms that the battle is far from over. The show has established that traditional weapons are useless against Vecna, making the unique abilities of Eleven and now Will the only real threat he faces.
The Final Episodes and Season Release Schedule
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is scheduled to air in 2025, though Netflix has not announced a specific premiere date. The season will consist of eight episodes. Following the pattern of other recent Netflix releases, the final season is expected to be split into volumes.
Volume 1, which includes the first four episodes, has already been released. Volume 2, containing episodes 5, 6, and 7, is scheduled to premiere on Christmas Day. The series finale, Episode 8, will then be released on New Year’s Eve. Netflix plans to release each volume at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.
The release of the finale on December 31 briefly encountered a technical issue. Netflix experienced a short-lived outage that affected some users trying to stream the episode. The company confirmed the service was restored for all accounts within five minutes.
The final season picks up in the fall of 1987. The town of Hawkins is scarred by interdimensional rifts and placed under military quarantine. The core group of heroes is united with the goal of finding and killing Vecna, while Eleven is forced back into hiding by the government. As the anniversary of Will’s original disappearance approaches, the characters must prepare for one final, massive battle against a powerful darkness.
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Credits: Netflix Tudum
