The thing about statistics is that they can sometimes be a little misleading, even when they’re factual. So, while there’s absolutely no arguing with the fact that Netflix’s most-watched series ever is Wednesday, going by its early numbers, it also feels emotionally and culturally true to say that Stranger Things is still its biggest-ever show.
This is a show that feels like it spans Netflix eras, starting when the streamer was still a plucky underdog changing how people consume TV and movies, and now ending with Netflix looking like perhaps the most important media empire in the world. Finally, now, years after it was first announced, the show’s fifth and final season has an actual honest-to-goodness teaser trailer to enjoy.
In about two and a half minutes, we get to see a whole heap of short glimpses of moments to come in the monumental final season that starts in November. There are quick looks at almost all the major characters we’re expecting to return, and even some tiny shots that can only be from the very finale (which won’t air until New Year’s Eve).
All of it confirms what we already knew on paper – this is a huge production, with each episode effectively taking the place of a full movie in terms of complexity, budget and visual fidelity. A montage partway through of various characters looking extremely distressed suggests that at least one major cast member won’t make it all the way to end.
Image 1 of 8
Frankly, that’s a good thing – the show has developed a habit of introducing new characters before killing them off, and a sense of threat for the original cast is likely to be great for the tension as the final season goes on.
What remains to be seen is how the show will be received. After loads of build-up, I don’t think I was alone in finding the fourth season a little bloated and weirdly paced, especially in its later, feature-length episodes. The fact that basically all of Season 5 is expected to run to that sort of length is a little worrying, therefore.
Still, with this much money, time and effort behind it, there’s every chance it’ll live up to its “event TV” billing – and this first teaser is a great way to whet appetites, with months still to go before it actually streams.
