Stranger Things 5 Episode Runtimes Revealed: Shorter Than Expected

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Viewers hoping for extra-long episodes in the fifth season of *Stranger Things* on Netflix may be in for a surprise, as the official episode lengths have just been announced.

There was initial talk that each episode of the show would be quite long, running between 90 minutes and two hours. However, co-creator Russ Duffer recently used Instagram to clarify that this isn’t true.

Runtimes Now Confirmed

In a video shared on Instagram Tuesday, Duffer revealed a glimpse of Netflix’s production system, showing unfinished episodes of the final season. The lengths of these episodes seem to be significantly shorter than what people had been speculating.

  • Episode 1 – “The Crawl”: 1 hour, 8 minutes
  • Episode 2 – Title TBA: 54 minutes
  • Episode 3 – “The Turnbow Trap”: 1 hour, 6 minutes
  • Episode 4 – “Sorcerer”: 1 hour, 23 minutes

The video highlighted that the runtimes shown are likely final, or very near to being finalized. This suggests previous reports about episode lengths were based on estimates from production, rather than completed versions.

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A post shared by Ross Duffer (@rossduffer)

What It Means for the Final Season

Season 5 of *Stranger Things* promises a lot of action, even though the episodes won’t be as long as full-length movies. The fourth episode, titled “Sorcerer,” is the longest one confirmed so far and probably marks the season’s biggest turning point so far.

The new season starts November 26th with the first four episodes. Then, three more episodes will be released on Christmas. The season concludes with a final episode on New Year’s Eve. All episodes will be available on Netflix at 5 p.m. Pacific Time / 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

What is Stranger Things 5 about?

Season 5 of *Stranger Things* begins in the fall of 1987, with Hawkins reeling from the damage caused by the openings to the Upside Down. While Vecna is missing, the group is determined to find and defeat him. However, the government has put Hawkins under quarantine and is once again pursuing Eleven, forcing her to go into hiding.

As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance nears, the danger is increasing. Netflix promises the upcoming final showdown will be the most challenging one yet. To defeat Vecna and finally destroy the Upside Down, the entire group must come together again.

Season 5 will finally explain the mysteries of the Upside Down. The creators, the Duffer brothers, developed a detailed 25-page guide to this alternate dimension when they first started the show, and this last season will share the remaining secrets from that original document.

Ross Duffer has said they’re holding back on revealing certain details, saving them for major plot points in Season 5. These reveals will significantly shape the story of the final season.

Who stars?

The main cast of *Stranger Things* season 5 includes Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Finn Wolfhard as Mike, David Harbour as Hopper, and Winona Ryder as Joyce. Other key actors are Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Sadie Sink (Max), Noah Schnapp (Will), Natalia Dyer (Nancy), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan), Joe Keery (Steve), Maya Hawke (Robin), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna), Priah Ferguson (Erica), Brett Gelman (Murray), Cara Buono (Karen), Amybeth McNulty (Vickie), Nell Fisher (Holly), Jake Connelly (Derek Turnbow), Alex Breaux (Lt. Akers), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay).

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2025-10-15 00:31