The Stranger Things season 5 time jump has the potential to bring about huge changes to the nature of the show. Stranger Things season 4 continued the show’s tradition of each season taking place in consecutive years. Stranger Things season 1 took place in 1983, season 2 was in 1984, season 3 covered the Summer of 1985, and season 4 was during 1986’s Spring Break. Initially, these short jumps forward in time were seen as natural progressions and were less distracting as the ages of the young cast broadly synched up. However, with season 4’s pandemic delayed production, the age differences between the characters and actors became harder to ignore.
As a result, there was little surprise when Stranger Things’ showrunners the Duffer Brothers claimed that season 5 would feature a larger time jump. The effect of this could totally change the show given the Stranger Things season 4 ending, with Vecna opening the gate to the Upside Down. Everyone knowing about the Upside Down would mean that the kind of blissful ignorance that the likes of Ted and Karen Wheeler have often shown would be impossible. This cliffhanger ending would also suggest that a significant time jump would make even Hawkins’ youngest remaining residents into grizzled survivors, making Stranger Things season 5 relatively void of innocence in its cast.
Stranger Things 5's Time Jump Sets Up A More Serious Ending
The Stranger Things season 5 changes won't come out of nowhere, however, as Stranger Things season 4 was already taking the show in a darker direction. The show had always leaned into horror, but season 4 was more overtly brutal than anything that was seen before. The threat of Vecna was more visceral and clearly defined, and the sense of peril to each member of the main cast was palpable. Stranger Things season 5’s time jump suggests that this is unlikely to be dialed down.
After living with the threat of Vecna and the opened gates to the Upside Down, it is hard to imagine anyone being quite the same. After all, Stranger Things season 4 had its fair share of sacrifices, particularly the death of Eddie Munson and Max only surviving in a comatose state due to Eleven’s intervention. Not only are these events likely to harden the characters as they seek to survive, but further sacrifices feel inevitable in the face of Vecna’s growing threat. The stakes are likely to become more extreme, while the sting of loss is unlikely to diminish as they grow older.
How Long Will The Stranger Things' Time Jump Be?
Of course, at this stage, it remains unclear exactly how long the time jump in Stranger Things season 5 will be. The Duffer Brothers have really done little more than confirm it is likely to happen. In an interview (via Stranger Things season 5 in 1989, is plausible to align the ages of the young actors with their characters.
This certainly seems an appropriate year to end a show that is defined by its 1980s setting and actors, although the plan to film back-to-back with Stranger Things season 4 suggests this jump could be too large. However, no matter how large the time jump is and the changes it causes to the show, the Duffer Brothers should not be underestimated. After all, Stranger Things has continuously evolved while consistently showing that the showrunners understand the need to find innocence to balance the darkness of their show.