‘Stranger Things’ season 5 episode titles contain a massive clue about the show’s new threat

Netflix has revealed new information about Stranger Things 5, the upcoming final season of the hit series. Perhaps the biggest tidbit is the release window: 2025, rather than 2026 as some predicted.

That’s good news, though it will almost certainly be tempered with a caveat — I’d bet good money the season will be released in at least two parts. After all, that’s been the trend with almost every popular Netflix show these days, starting last season Stranger Things to Bridgerton and the massively drawn out final season of Cobra Kai.

The other juicy piece of information we’ve learned about Season 5 is the full list of episode titles. The show will span a total of 8 episodes – although we’ve learned from cast interviews that each will be akin to a full-blown movie – and the titles have some very interesting clues and parallels. Here they are:

• Episode 1: “The Crawl”
• Episode 2: “The Vanishing of ____”
• Episode 3: “The Turnbow Trap”
• Episode 4: “Sorcerer”
• Episode 5: “Shock Jock”
• Episode 6: “Escape From Camazotz”
• Episode 7: “The Bridge”
• Episode 8: “The Rightside Up”

A few notes about these titles:

• “The Crawl” is vague, but I have a gut feeling it has to do with Max’s “run up that hill” moment. She can’t run anymore, but maybe she can crawl. It is most likely a D&D reference as well. In Dungeons & Dragons, you “dungeon crawl” as you explore dungeons and caves and find treasure and fight monsters.
• “The Vanishing Of Will Byers” is the title of the show’s very first episode, so it’s clear that we’re already drawing direct parallels to Season 1 in Season 5 with “The Vanishing Of ____.” Who disappears is left a mystery, and how they disappear – and who disappears – remains unknown. This is one of two full-circle episode titles.
• “The Turnbow Trap” is a little mysterious, but has to be connected with this image of a billboard showing a real estate family business – I think it’s no coincidence that the father’s mouth is torn open:

• “Holly, Jolly” is the fourth episode, and seems to be a pretty clear indicator that at least some of this season will take place around Christmas. Other seasons have occurred around holidays such as Halloween. I wonder if this indicates a release date closer to the holidays rather than summer or fall.
• “Shock Jock” makes it sound like we’re getting some WSQK 94.5 radio action, which is a good way to get in some 80’s jams and involves radios that might be needed to help Eleven and co. access the Upside Down.
• Episode 7 “The Bridge” is super vague but reminds me of a YA book, The Bridge to Terabitia, which seems like a natural Duffer Brothers reference. This could be the episode where a main character dies.
• “The Rightside Up” is the direct opposite of Season 1’s finale, “The Upside Down” and – in my humble opinion – hints at a happy ending for Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, Max and everyone else. Of course, we should probably expect some of the cast to be killed off, but if trends continue from previous seasons, it will only be relatively one-off characters, newly introduced, rather than the core cast. That said, I suspect (hope? fear?) that we’re in for some surprises. Steve maybe? Jumping? Nancy or Jonathan? Robin, maybe. But not Joyce. That would be too cruel.

On second thought, let’s not go to Camazotz

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to episode 6, entitled “Escape From Camazotz”. Episode 6 of season 1 was titled “The Monster” and I think this is another parallel. But what exactly is a Camazotz?

Originally it referred to a bat god from Mayan mythology – a bat spirit or “death bat” who serves the lords of the underworld. The name comes from the K’iche’ words came (dead) and sotz (bat). In the Mayans Popol Vuh, the twin heroes Hunahpu and Xbalanque meet the Camazotz in the Underworld when they stay in the House of Bat. When Hunahpu appeared to see if the sun had risen, the creature beheaded him and took his head to be used by the gods in their sport.

I suspect we will get more bats in season 5 of Stranger Thing, and even a Death Bat perhaps, but there is almost certainly another meaning behind the word Camazotz. A clue from the show’s writers points us in another direction:

I had – and may still have – this exact copy of A wrinkle in time, equally worn at the edges. It was one of my favorite book covers along with Lloyd Alexander‘s Prydain Chronicles. In Madeleine L’Engle’s excellent science fiction novel, Camazotz is the name of the planet where the children – Charles Wallace, Meg and Calvin – go to find Charles Wallace and Meg’s father. Camazotz is the location of the book’s antagonist, IT, the mind-controlling brain entity that controls all beings on the planet. IT uses The Man With Red Eyes as its human agent. I’m starting to wonder if Vecna ​​isn’t The Big Bad after all, but rather an agent of Stranger Things’ own version of IT, with Upside Down and Camazotz effectively one and the same. But maybe it goes too far, and Vecna ​​is both IT and the man with red eyes (and the Grinch!)

Max could easily be that version of the children’s father from A wrinkle in time, her soul/mind trapped in Camazotz where our heroes will have to go to save her. Whether we get some witchy analogues – Mrs. Wahtsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Who-back to see. We’ll find out next year!

PS I refuse to watch any film adaptation of A wrinkle in time. The book is perfect. It doesn’t need to be customized and I have no desire to spoil my imagination over an inferior product. It’s also just the first book in the series. Three more books follow: A wind at the door, a rapidly tilting planet, many waters and An acceptable time.

It has actually been a acceptable time since I read all of these. I think it’s time to read them again! I imagine I may finish long before then Stranger Things 5 coming to Netflix. You should read them too.

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