The cover story of Episode Dergi’s 62nd issue is Stranger Things, which will conclude with its fifth season. As the adventure comes to an end, we spoke with the show’s iconic cast members Charlie Heaton (Jonathan), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna/One), and Natalia Dyer (Nancy).
You can find our exclusive interview with Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer here.
Just Before All the Secrets of Hawkins Are Revealed…
One last appointment in those dark corridors. In our exclusive roundtable interview with the iconic cast of Stranger Things, we dug into every detail of the final season, from Vecna’s unfinished business inside his mind to legendary memories from the set.
Can we ever forget the rush we felt when “Running Up That Hill” started playing, or the thrill of seeing Eleven flip the van? Or Eddie Munson’s heroic farewell with that iconic guitar solo… For eight years, Stranger Things has given us not only nostalgia but also a lasting visual and auditory legacy. The final season that carries this legacy is approaching, and we are burning with excitement, knowing the story is nearing its end. Could the finale create a new, unforgettable moment that surpasses all those iconic scenes?
With these questions swirling in our minds, we joined the press day organized for the new season via Zoom and found ourselves face to face with the architects behind the scenes of the final season: Charlie Heaton (Jonathan), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna/One), and Natalia Dyer (Nancy). In front of us were the actors and the creative team who carry Hawkins’ darkest secrets. By the nature of the roundtable format, each journalist had to focus on their own questions. When it was our turn to take the microphone, we tried to touch on the most burning points the audience is curious about.
Charlie Heaton opens the conversation by emphasizing the importance of the world created by the Duffer Brothers: “The strong references the Duffer Brothers make every season feel like a love letter written to those great stories.”
And it really does feel that way, the themes are used with such depth that, as a viewer, you find yourself getting excited all over again.
The cast was first asked to talk about their very first days on set. This opened the door to memories filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety.
Jamie Campbell Bower (JCB): “My first day was blurry, like a fever dream. It was a camera test for Vecna. I remember noticing how kind everyone was during the fourth season read-throughs. Of course, I was in that anxious headspace of a first day.”
Natalia Dyer’s first day on set, on the other hand, was a bedroom scene with Joe (Keery): “I was very nervous, but when I saw that incredible set built for the character, my excitement doubled. Working with Joe was annoying (laughs) but so much fun.”
Charlie Heaton said he had been very excited since the table reads. He talked about trying to find his character’s voice and how stressful it was to both read and become that character at the same time. His first scene, he recalls, was the moment Jonathan was hanging posters at school.
The show’s impact on popular culture is undeniable. But which of these iconic elements do they think stands out the most? The team agrees on one thing: the flashlight. Heaton adds Christmas lights and the alphabet to that list. Indeed, no one can forget the scene where Joyce strings up Christmas lights to communicate with Will. But the image of kids jumping on their bikes and diving into the woods with flashlights is truly one of the show’s signatures.
When it’s my turn to ask a question, I want to talk about the darker tone Stranger Things adopted starting with the fourth season, one that sometimes even leans into horror film aesthetics. How did this shift in atmosphere affect their performances, and should we expect an even darker tone in the final season?
Jamie Campbell Bower begins: “I think so. Yes, you can still expect a lot of dark scenes. The scale of the show has grown exponentially. I remember thinking, while shooting the fourth season, ‘Wow, this is insane!’ and the fifth season goes way beyond that. You can expect the horror references and everything else to expand even more.”
Natalia Dyer continues: “This show has had a different tone each season. The first season was more grounded and serious; the third season was more pop and fun. But yes, last season definitely felt darker. When we read at the table, scenes where people’s bones are breaking really affect the sense of weight and stakes. And I think this season, the stakes continue to be even higher.”
And finally Charlie Heaton: “The Duffers have always talked about the seasons as volumes. Each volume was like a standalone chapter, and each one had a new tone. The fourth season leans into things like A Nightmare on Elm Street and still manages to keep that popular love-letter vibe. That way, they introduce a new generation of viewers to these kinds of films, which is a great thing.”
Natalia Dyer is asked how much research she did to portray a strong female character like Nancy in a small Midwestern town in the 1980s. The young actress says: “I think part of it comes from being a woman growing up in any generation. You still experience misogyny from people who don’t believe in you. Being able to experience that and play moments where she takes her power back was really fun and cathartic.” She also adds that her mother’s stories about working as a journalist in the ’80s contributed greatly to her preparation for the role.
The series is famous not only for its script but also for the way it evokes the ’80s and its iconic accessories. Assuming the set was like a treasure trove of props, they were asked whether they took any souvenirs for themselves.
Jamie Campbell Bower says with a laugh: “I kept a Vecna hand. I think I’m going to stuff it and put it in a glass. There were also two face mask pieces and a jaw, but I chose the hand.”
Natalia Dyer took a pair of jeans and a jacket from Nancy’s wardrobe and of course, a few wig pieces! She emphasizes that all of these were given to her as gifts: “I didn’t steal them (laughs)!”
As for Charlie Heaton, the Duffer Brothers gifted him Jonathan’s camera, which is a very special item for him.
Material things matter, of course, but what about the emotional side? If they had to choose a single episode or scene from the series to take with them, which would it be? JCB chooses the first-season scene where the van flips, while Heaton chooses Max’s unforgettable sequence and the scene in the first season where Jonathan goes into the salt bath.
With these choices, we approach the end of the interview. When it’s my turn to ask one last question, I turn to Jamie Campbell Bower:
In the fourth season, the telepathic connection formed between Vecna and Will made the story darker and more personal. Will we see this connection deepen even further in the final season, perhaps in a more dangerous way?
Jamie Campbell Bower: “I feel like there’s unfinished business between Vecna and Will. People always ask me, ‘What do you hope for when Vecna comes back?’ There is definitely unfinished business, and yes, Vecna’s power lies in getting into Will’s mind. That’s where he’ll go, you know, searching for the darkness in his drawers and finding it.”
The young actor keeps his answer short to avoid spoilers. We don’t push it, after all, we want to experience that big finale for ourselves.
Stranger Things season five will be released on Netflix in three parts. While the first part, consisting of four episodes, will be available first, the second part with three episodes will premiere on December 26, and the series finale will be released on January 1.
