Posted in: Netflix, Preview, Stranger Things, streaming, TV | Tagged: netflix, preview, season 5, stranger things, stranger things 5

Stranger Things 5, Ross Duffer & The Case of The Redacted Character

Ross Duffer knows how to drop a ten-ton tease for Stranger Things 5, posting a look at the cast list with one character's name redacted.

With the SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes now officially over, news hit last week that got fans of Netflix's global phenomenon excited. It looks like filming on Ross Duffer & Matt Duffer's fifth & final season of Stranger Things ("Stranger Things 5") will begin filming in early January – possibly Monday, January 8th (though January 5th is also being considered), according to some reports. While we're still not sure of an exact date, Ross Duffer did confirm a post-holiday start in his recent Instagram Stories posts. But that's not what's getting a lot of attention…

Here's a look at Ross Duffer signaling that he was heading back out of Atlanta for the holidays – sharing a pretty ominous-looking production sign as a tease of what's to come…

But here's what's getting a lot of folks' eyebrows arching – a look at the cast list for the first episode… with one character's name redacted. Hmmm… could this be the name of Linda Hamilton's character? Maybe the name of a character (and actor) who hasn't been revealed yet? Could it be a returning character? And are they returning from one of the previous seasons – or from the Upside Down? Here's a look at the screencap – let the speculation begin!

Stranger Things 5 "Like Season One on Steroids"

During an interview with The Guardian, Ross & Matt discuss the pressures that come with ending the series in a way that works creatively and satisfies the audience's expectations and how this final run with these characters will feel "like season one on steroids."

"The nine hours that precede the ending can be amazing. But if you stumble at that one-yard line, people will never forgive you for that. And they'll forget the previous nine hours of awesomeness! So it's amazing what they will forgive if you score a touchdown at the end," Matt Duffer explained when discussing their feelings on how series finales are viewed. "Endings of shows are like opening a restaurant in terms of the success-failure rate – there's an 80% failure rate, I'd say. But I think one very particular way to fail is to attempt to appease everybody."

Matt continued, "We have a huge variety of fans that span a huge age range, and I'm sure they have all their own ideas of how they want the show to end. But we're not consulting social media on this. Then you just hope and pray that it resonates. But it was funny: once we got there, it just felt right, and we're going to go for it!"

As the duo had stated previously, the universe will live on after Stranger Things 5 – but the characters that viewers have grown to love & connect with will see their stories end with the fifth season. With that much on the line, the Duffer Brothers aren't going out quietly. "This season – it's like season one on steroids. It's the biggest it's ever been in terms of scale, but it has been really fun, because everyone's back together in Hawkins: the boys and Eleven interacting more in line with how it was in season one. And, yes, there may be spin-offs, but the story of Eleven and Dustin and Lucas and Hopper, their stories are done here. That's it," Matt shared – before adding, "Outside of the play. So if you want to see more of some of them, go see the play."

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