The series Stranger Things has just reached a historic milestone for Netflix. Thanks to the impact of its awaited two-hour finale, the fifth and final season climbed positions and solidified itself, in January 2026, as the sixth most popular English-language series of all time on the platform. The phenomenon, which has captivated the Brazilian audience since 2016, surpassed the first seasons of global hits like Bridgerton and The Queen’s Gambit in the official ranking. Thus, the journey in Hawkins proved it didn’t need extra episodes to earn its place among the greatest streaming achievements.
The jump happened because Netflix’s official measurement considers a 91-day period. In this way, the numbers from the final episode propelled the season from ninth to sixth position. Currently, Stranger Things 5 is the second most-watched season of the franchise itself, trailing only the fourth season, which holds the third overall spot. In the last week, the title was the third most-watched on the platform, amassing an impressive 9.3 million views, while the four previous seasons also remained in the Top 10.
The Finale Controversy and the Franchise’s Future
Despite its audience success, the series’ ending divided the fans. This dissatisfaction even gave rise to a conspiracy theory, nicknamed “conformity gate,” which speculated about a secret ninth episode. However, the supposed release date, January 7th, passed without any surprises. On the other hand, while some debated the ending, Netflix is already moving its universe forward with new projects. The first is the animated series Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, which will explore events from the early years of the original plot.
For those who want to dive deeper into the behind-the-scenes, the platform also released a documentary about the production of the final season. In it, fans find surprising revelations about the making of. Furthermore, actor Charlie Heaton, who plays Jonathan Byers, commented on one of the most debated arcs: the end of his character’s relationship with Nancy Wheeler. For him, the conclusion sounded “honest and true,” reflecting the characters’ maturation after everything they experienced. Therefore, even with the end of the main story, the Stranger Things universe is far from over, promising to entertain the Brazilian audience for many years.
