The hype is truly real. After earning global acclaim for its storytelling and screenplay through its four season, the wave of anticipation surrounding its fifth part has been so high that it had crashed streaming giant Netflix. Soon after the first volume's premiere on November 26 (5pm PST and 8pm EST), and November 27 (6.30 am in India), many fans started reporting a crash a crash on the app with many complaining that the screen froze or displayed a 'NSES-500 error'.
Thousands of fans globally expressed their frustration online on not being able to watch the much-awaited final season. 'Something went wrong. Sorry, we're having trouble with your request,' said the site. According to reports, co-creator Ross Duffer had shared earlier in the day that Netflix increased bandwidth by 30 percent in anticipation of the massive traffic surge. But it seems like the makers had slightly underestimated the frenzy surrounding the show.
Netflix said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter following the crash, saying that while some members briefly experienced an issue streaming on TV devices, "the service recovered for all accounts within five minutes."
Set in 1987, Stranger Things season 5 sees the lead cast uniting in a one final showdown against Vecna as he prepares to destroy Hawkins. Fans had anticipated several twists and turns this season with creators Matt and Ross Duffer noting that "it features the most shocking death of any season."
This eight-episode season sees the return of beloved characters played by including David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Brett Gelman (Murray), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Amybeth McNulty (Vickie), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Jake Connelly (Derek Turnbow), Alex Breaux (Lt. Akers), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay) along with the main dreaded antagonist Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna.
With the first four episodes streaming on Netflix, the second volume, consisting of three episodes, will release on December 25. The finale episode is slated for the New Year's eve. It will be releasing in theatres simultaneously with its streaming premiere.