Well, we've made it. Just shy of Stranger Things' 10th birthday, the iconic Netflix series will bow out with a series finale grander than almost any episode it has produced thus far (only the season 4 finale exceeds it in length). A two-hour cinematic spectacle is required to round out the gang's adventures in the Upside Down, and some lucky fans will actually get the chance to experience it on the big screen due to its limited release in US theaters.
There is a lot of buzz for the show that changed television and put Netflix on the map in a way that few others did - there always has been buzz since 2016 is we're being honest - and fans are ready to see how it all ends. The season 5 volume 2 release on Christmas Day set the stage for the gigantic final episode and now it's time to venture into The Abyss to take on Vecna (and potentially an old friend).
If you can't make it out to the movies and would like to stream Stranger Things 5 from the comfort of your own home, here's what you need to know.
How to watch Stranger Things season 5 episode 8 online
Stranger Things season 5 episode 8 - a.k.a. The Finale "The Rightside Up" - is exclusive to Netflix. Therefore, like the rest of the series, as a Netflix Original it can only be watched on that particular streaming platform. This has been the case since the first season all the way back in 2016 and it is still the case today, with the program's popularity resulting in a lot of people subscribing to it every time that a new season is released. So, if you subscribed for Season 5 Volume 1 or Volume 2, then you do indeed need to stick around for The Finale.
However, if you aren't currently a subscriber, you will have to get one as you can only watch season 5 online by visiting Netflix itself and obtaining a paid subscription.
On that note, here is all of the information you need to know, both about when The Finale arrives on the platform and how to subscribe to Netflix, including all of the available plans.
Date: Wednesday, December 31
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
Season: 5
Episode: 8 "The Rightside Up"
Live stream: Netflix
Netflix currently has a variety of subscriptions available to people, with three plans that range between $7.99 to $24.99 per month. Those three subscription plans are Standard with ads, Standard, and Premium. Let's break down each one of them.
- Standard with ads - $7.99 per month (£5.99 for UK viewers)
- Standard - $17.99 per month (£12.99 for UK viewers)
- Premium - $24.99 per month (£18.99 for UK viewers)
Stranger Things 5's finale concludes the legendary Netflix series
It's hard to remember a time where Stranger Things wasn't dominating the TV conversations. It's been a part of the landscape for the past decade, breaking streaming records and earning critical acclaim along the way. It has also developed one of the most devoted fanbases that any film or TV franchise can claim to have, so it goes without saying that its upcoming series finale will mark the end of an era of television.
"The Rightside Up" will see the heroes of Hawkins compete with the dangers that lurk in the Upside Down one more time; and this time, they plan to get to the bottom of it. Or, well, the top of it. Having discovered that Vecna's lair is actually in a parallel dimension known as The Abyss, the gang are going to venture there in the hopes of defeating him once and for all. And they need to be quick about it, as the villain plans on bringing his world down on top of theirs before the end of the day.
On the fourth anniversary of Will Byers' vanishing at the hands of the Demogorgon, Will and his friends will look to stop the entity responsible for it once and for all. Whether or not that entity is Vecna, the Mind Flayer, or something else remains to be seen. But one thing is sure, and that's that the series finale of Stranger Things is going to be an ambitious end to an even more ambitious TV series - one that will live on in history as one of the all-time greats.
We can't wait to watch and see how it all comes together!