One Stranger Things star defends season 5’s episode length. Ever since it debuted on Netflix back in 2016, Stranger Things has garnered critical acclaim and massive viewing numbers from Netflix. The show’s fourth season is among the platform’s most-watched television seasons, and will likely get even more views as audiences prepare for season 5. Stranger Things season 5 will be the last chapter in the epic chronicle of Eleven and her friends. Though the season has finished filming, Stranger Things season 5 has not been given a confirmed release date.
In an interview with Collider, actor Finn Wolfhard speaks on the Stranger Things season 5 episode length. He admits that there are some episodes in the final season “that the runtime is definitely film-length.” He defended this decision, however, by noting the importance of doing justice to a series that people have been watching for years. “You want every character to have the best kind of ending,” he said, claiming “you have to take the time to do that.” Check out the full quote from Wolfhard below:
It’s definitely a long season. Not every episode is like a full-blown movie, but there are definitely some episodes this year that the runtime is definitely film-length. When all that adds up, I guess they are like little micro-movies. But there are some episodes that are still 40 minutes, 45 mins.
To end a show that people have been watching for a long time, you want every character to have the best kind of ending. And in order to do that, you have to take the time to do that.
What This Means For Stranger Things Season 5
Stranger Things Has Already Been Doing Longer And Longer Episodes
Traditionally, Stranger Things episodes are under one hour in length. This was true for all eight episodes in season 1, and all but the finale in seasons 2 and 3. Season 4, however, was already shifting away from the 50-minute episode model. The shortest episode in Stranger Things season 4 was “Chapter Three: The Monster and the Superhero,” and even that was 1 hour and 3 minutes in length. The season 4 finale was a whopping 2 hours and 19 minutes long, a length greater than most movies.
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As such, the Stranger Things season 5 episode length will align with trends the show has already seeded in its previous season. If “some episodes” are closer to the show’s traditional 40–45 minute mark, as Wolfhard suggests, that will actually be a lot shorter than what fans are accustomed to now. These mixed lengths, if played out, must be carefully handled to ensure that the season does not end up feeling imbalanced on an episode-to-episode level.
Our Take On Stranger Things Season 5 Episode Lengths
Stranger Things Will Give Audiences The Full Value Out Of Each Episode
The hope with Stranger Things season 5 is that, whatever the episode lengths, it will be a satisfying final season. Wolfhard’s quote seems somewhat promising in that regard, stressing the need for quality endings for all the Stranger Things characters. With season 5 likely to release in two parts the way that season 4 did, at least audiences will be getting the full value out of the episodes in each section. Stranger Things has not had a bad season yet, so hopefully it can continue this trend in its final chapter.
Source: Collider
Stranger Things
- Release Date
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2016 – 2024
- Showrunner
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
- Directors
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
- Writers
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Paul Dichter, Kate Trefry