'Stranger Things' Returns to Say Goodbye to Season 5 One More Time

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Saying goodbye to Stranger Things was never going to be quick, quiet, or subtle — and Netflix clearly understood the assignment. The streamer has officially announced One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, a feature-length documentary that will take fans inside the creation of the show’s epic final season. The standalone documentary will debut globally on Netflix on Monday, January 12 at 12:00am PT, giving the series one last victory lap before the Upside Down door closes for good.

The documentary is directed by Martina Radwan, who spent an entire year embedded with the cast and creators as Season 5 came together. According to Radwan, the experience was equal parts exhausting, exhilarating, and deeply personal.

“I’m endlessly grateful to the Duffer Brothers for trusting me with a front-row seat to this incredible journey. Spending a full year on set with them was a true privilege—and an absolute thrill. Being able to get close and watching them bring this beloved show to life in real time, was pure joy. I only wish I could travel back and document Seasons 1 through 4.”

Radwan also highlighted the openness of everyone involved — from the cast to the show’s long-time collaborators — and how much history was carried into the final stretch.

“From the cast to their long-time collaborators, everyone welcomed me with remarkable generosity, openly sharing their personal and collective experiences from a decade of creative filmmaking, always pushing the boundaries. The Duffers inspire everyone to be better, including myself — their process and the show represents everything I love about filmmaking.”

How Did 'Stranger Things' End?

The finale did claim a few casualties, outside of Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and the Mind Flayer, including Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) and, in its most devastating swing, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who sacrifices herself to finally end the Hawkins Lab experiments and bring peace to her friends and town. Or… maybe she doesn’t.

In classic Duffer Brothers fashion, the show pulls an Inception-style move. Mike (Finn Wolfhard) proposes an alternate ending — one where Eleven slips away, alive and free, chasing that mythical place with three waterfalls. The truth is left intentionally unresolved. If you want Eleven out there somewhere, she is.

One of the finale’s greatest strengths was how much space it gave its characters after the dust settled. Nearly 40 minutes of post-climax storytelling allowed the Hawkins crew to actually live with the ending.

Joyce and Hopper get engaged
Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin move into new phases of adulthood
Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max squeeze in one last post-graduation D&D campaign

To find out how it was all put together, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 debuts on January 12 on Netflix.