Stranger Things: All you need to know about season five

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It's been over three years since Stranger Things fans' last visit to Hawkins, Indiana.

The fictional US town is home to one of Netflix's biggest hits, and the long wait for its blockbuster final series is nearly over.

But, you'd be forgiven for having forgotten what Eleven and her bike-peddling pals were up to when we were last in their troubled neighbourhood.

Here are key questions you might be asking if the show's hiatus has your memory feeling a little Upside Down.

The first four episodes of Stranger Things' fifth season drop on Netflix in the UK early on Thursday 27 November at 01:00 GMT.

That's a late night for any UK fans intent on avoiding spoilers, but it's because the series is being released at the same time globally. For example, it will be 17:00 on Wednesday for viewers in Los Angeles, and 20:00 Wednesday for fans in New York.

But, bingers beware, you'll have to wait until Christmas Day for episodes five, six and seven.

The final series will then conclude with its eighth episode, The Rightside Up, on New Year's Eve.

Stranger Things' entire story will be told before 2025 is over, but how many of its beloved characters will still be with us by New Year's Day?

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Season four's finale involved the gang splitting up to bring down Vecna.

We learned Eleven essentially created the villain herself, having used her powers to send Henry Creel tumbling through dimensions.

Henry had targeted Eleven inside a research facility where experiments were carried out on her and her supernatural abilities.

Burning up en route to the Upside Down, he transformed into Vecna and later set his sights on finding his way back through Eleven's friend Max, who he (briefly) kills.

While their friends seemingly destroy Vecna, Eleven's intervention to resurrect Max gives the villain a lifeline.

The divide between the Upside Down and Hawkins is flung open as fields of flowers wilt, clouds turn black and bright red flashes of lightning fill the sky.

Or should we be calling him One? Or Vecna?

Henry Creel gained powers when he slipped into an alternative dimension for 12 hours.

Outcast Henry's life fails to improve when his family relocates to Hawkins, where he spends his free time hanging out with spiders in an attic.

During a spectacularly disastrous family meal, Henry uses his powers to kill his parents and finds himself on the radar of staff at Hawkins National Lab.

Once there, Dr Brenner labels Henry "001" or "One", his first research subject.

Dr Brenner suppresses Henry's powers by placing a chip in his neck and moves his attention onto other children, including Eleven.

Henry bides his time, watching other subjects closely before befriending Eleven.

She helps him recover his powers, which ends badly and their battle sends him crashing and burning towards his transformation into Vecna.

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Stranger Things is one of the biggest gems in Netflix's crown, and became one of the streaming giant's earliest original hit series in the mid-2010s.

Netflix's own stats say the show's fourth season alone was viewed more than 140 million times, or around 1.8bn viewing hours.

As the show's fandom grew, so did the profile of its predominantly young cast.

Millie Bobby Brown, 12 when she first appeared as Eleven in 2016, has gone on to become one of Hollywood's brightest stars.

The British actress has appeared in two Godzilla films and a Sherlock Holmes spin-off, based on the detective's teenager sister, Enola.

Meanwhile, Stranger Things spawned the West End production The First Shadow and revitalised the career of two-time Academy Award nominee Winona Ryder.

David Harbour's performance as Jim Hopper has proved to be his gateway into blockbuster hits including Marvel films Black Widow and Thunderbolts.