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Credit: NetflixThings are getting quite strange ahead of Stranger Things’ final season.
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The final season of Stranger Things will apparently take the show to darker, more violent, and adult areas, with the show receiving a new “TV-MA” label on Netflix. Since its inception, Stranger Things has been rated TV-14, putting it in the same category as most young adult shows. Stranger Things has certainly grown and evolved over the years, taking audiences and its main cast to unexpected and sometimes terrifying places, though the series has remained mostly teen and young-adult-friendly, something that seems to be changing for season five.
Few shows have made quite an impact like Stranger Things. Released all the way back in 2016, when the “Netflix Original” label felt far more exciting than it does in the age of nonstop new series and films, Stranger Things is a love letter to classic movies like E.T. (1982) and The Goonies (1985), taking audiences on an enthralling journey featuring corruption, government secrecy, and of course, alien creatures.
The show has continued to expand its mythology with each new season, introducing new faces, both good and bad, along the way. The Stranger Things cast is largely why the show has remained so popular and beloved, with fans getting to watch the core group of kids grow up together.
This ensemble cast includes Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and Noah Schnapp, as well as industry veterans such as David Harbour and Winona Ryder. Stranger Things has continued to be a powerhouse for Netflix, garnering millions of viewers each episode.
After nearly a decade on Netflix, Stranger Things will finally end in 2025, though the show seems to be getting a significant upgrade in its rating for its final season.
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Stranger Things has been given a new rating of TV-MA on Netflix. Fans discovered the change early Wednesday morning, which sent shockwaves throughout the community. While Stranger Things has veered off into dark territory, the show has always remained mostly young-adult-friendly.
This all seems to be changing for season five, with the show receiving the TV equivalent of an R rating. The show now advertises its new rating on Netflix, joining the ranks of hundreds of other TV-MA-rated titles on the streaming platform.
It’s unclear what prompted Netflix to make this change. It’s possible this was some sort of glitch or unintended update on Netflix’s part, though given what the cast and crew have said about the show’s fifth and final season, audiences are certainly in for one wild ride regardless.
Creators Matt and Ross Duffer told Deadline last year that they hope season five “sticks the landing.”
“Characters are already going to be in action, they’re already going to have a goal and a drive, and I think that’s going to carve out at least a couple hours and make this season feel really different,” Matt Duffer said last year. “I’m sure the wrap-up will be a lot longer. It’s going to be ‘Return of the King’-ish with, like, eight endings.”
No release date is known yet, but Stranger Things‘ final season will debut sometime in 2025.
Are you excited to watch season five of Stranger Things?