Stranger Things' newest release gives fans a terrifying new look at the final season

8 hours ago 5

Published Jul 13, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT

Here's where it all started

After nearly a decade of Demogorgons, the OG Stranger Things is behind us. There’s inevitably more to come — spin-offs and additional seasons of Tales of ‘85 — but by all accounts, the story of Eleven is over. Luckily, fans who want to go even deeper into the ending cemented by the Duffer Brothers will get a chance this week.

Below you’ll find an exclusive excerpt from Stranger Things: The Complete Scripts, Season 5, a new compendium out on July 14. Polygon’s glimpse of the script collection pulls back the curtain on one of the season's early and most harrowing episodes: "The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler." The opening sequence centers on Mike's younger sister, Holly, who has largely remained on the sidelines throughout the series before suddenly becoming the focus of a terrifying encounter with a Demogorgon. As Karen Wheeler desperately tries to protect her daughter inside the family home, the scene unfolds like classic Stranger Things, throwback horror mixed with modern action.

Say what you will about the series' blockbuster-sized finale, but the choice to spotlight Holly at all underscores that the Duffers were still finding new ways to raise the emotional stakes of their nostalgia series, years into the run. With season 5, the team was intent on bringing danger directly to the families viewers have followed since the beginning. The opening of episode 2 was creepy stuff.

The script itself also offers a rare look at the mechanics of a phenomenon. Alongside dialogue and scene descriptions, readers can see how the Duffers pace suspense on the page before it reaches the screen — and deploy a hearty number of WHAMs. Writers: do not underestimate the power of onomatopoeia.

Read Polygon's exclusive excerpt from Stranger Things: The Complete Scripts, Season 5 below.