The first five minutes of Stranger Things Season 5 offer a chilling flashback to 1983, featuring Will Byers confronting Vecna in the Upside Down. Netflix released this preview ahead of the final season's debut, giving fans a suspenseful return to Hawkins and the eerie alternate dimension.
The episode titled "The Crawl" begins deep in the Upside Down forest shortly after Will Byers disappeared. A de-aged Noah Schnapp portrays a scared 12-year-old Will, quietly singing The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” inside the Upside Down's version of Castle Byers.
The scene fades to black and shifts to the Hawkins Library in the Upside Down. There, the Demogorgon presents Will to Vecna, portrayed by Jamie Campbell Bower. Emerging from the shadows, Vecna ominously states:
“At long last, we can begin.”
Vines lift Will against the wall, and a tentacle extends toward his mouth, releasing an unknown substance.
This haunting introduction sets the tone for the final chapter of the series, deepening the connection between Hawkins' dark past and the terrifying forces in the Upside Down.
Author's summary: The Season 5 premiere of Stranger Things reimmerses viewers in the Upside Down with a gripping 1983 flashback, highlighting Will’s harrowing encounter with Vecna and the escalating supernatural threat.