Stranger Things season 5 is set in the fall of 1987, about one year after the events of season 4.

In-universe timeline

  • The story takes place roughly a year after the season 4 finale, keeping the action in the late 1980s.
  • The plot unfolds around the anniversary of Will Byers’ disappearance, tying the final season back to the show’s very first mystery.

How it connects to season 4

  • Season 5 picks up after the rifts open across Hawkins, with the group hunting Vecna in this 1987 setting.
  • The late‑’80s backdrop preserves the series’ signature aesthetic while raising the stakes with a town under military presence and escalating Upside Down threats.

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