The final season of “Stranger Things” is upon us, and it might be too late for a series rewatch – but not to refresh on a handful of essential episodes.
It’s unclear what from the ever-expanding pool of “Stranger Things” lore will be important for the final episodes – it certainly seems like the Broadway show “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” will be a linchpin – but based on what we know, there are plenty of educated guesses to be made from each season on where to focus the limited time.
From the pilot of the series to the incredibly long episodes of Season 4, these are 5 important episodes from “Stranger Things” that might prove essential for what is coming for Hawkins in Season 5.
The Vanishing of Will Byers – S1, E1
The episode that started it all will obviously play an important part as “Stranger Things” comes to a close. It’s already been confirmed that we’d be revisiting Will’s disappearance in Fangorn Forest and getting put in the Upside Down because the opening scene of Season 5 show more of what happened to the boy right after being taken.
Will and Vecna’s connection seems to be key to the final season, so revisiting how it started – even though most of the episode is Will-less – will certainly be worth doing, even if it’s just to remind you of the place the characters and Hawkins were in at the start.
The Spy – S2, E6
“The Spy” – one of the best episodes of “Stranger Things” Season 2 – further expands on Will’s deeper connection to the Upside Down. He spends much of the episode in a hospital bed recovering from an attack and realizes that the Mind Flayer is blocking some of his Upside Down memories that could help the group close the gate. Sam Owens sends soldiers down to investigate The Gate and they are promptly torn apart by Demodogs.
It’s revealed that the Mind Flayer had used Will for his own agenda and set a trap. Will was the titular Spy for the Upside Down without ever having known it since he returned in Season 1. This deeper connection will certainly come into play once again in the final episodes.
The Battle of Starcourt – S3, E8
“The Battle of Starcourt” has all of Hawkins’ heroes converge on the new mall to face off against a monster created from The Mind Flayer’s flayed victims. That final battle ends with Billy’s death, which sends Max into a spiral that makes her a susceptible villain for Vecna in Season 4 – played out most prominently in the stellar “Dear Billy” episode – and leads to her being targeted and left blinded and broken in the Season 4 finale.
Also, it’s just a very fun episode that’s emblematic of a lot of different ways the series has continued to resonate with so many people for nearly a decade.
The Massacre at Hawkins Lab – S4, E7
At an hour and 40 minutes, “The Massacre at Hawkins Lab” is not even the longest episode of Season 4, but it might give fans of “Stranger Things” lore the most to chew on. The episode finally unpacks One/Henry Creel’s lore and how he was responsible for the terrible things that befell his family.
Also, El spent much of the early seasons bemoaning herself as a monster for opening the first gate, but what she had suppressed from her memory until The Nina Project brought it out was that the gate was open as she fought Henry – forcing him into Dimension X and turning him into Vecna.
The Piggyback – S4, E9
The massive two-and-a-half-hour Season 4 finale packs so much into it that you’d be forgiven if you just rewatched this one episode in prep. El and Vecna face off, Max is grievously wounded and hospital-bound, Eddie shreds and is shredded by Demobats, Hopper finally gets back on US soil after a season in Russia, and Hawkins literally cracks open as the Upside Down prepares to spill through.
The whole, long episode is full of payoff and setup in equal measure – preparing for Vecna’s final push against Eleven and the Hawkins locals who have defied him for years.
