Summary
Stranger Thingsfans can’t wait to delve back into the weird and eerie world of Hawkins once more as season five of the Netflix series begins the countdown to its 2025 premiere window. However, due to an apparent age-rating change, viewers might want to hide behind their pillows when the fifth season airs, as it could mean the supernatural show will turn up its scare factor.Stranger Thingshas been a massive success in almost every corner of the world since the first season was released in 2016, earning the title of the most streamed show in 2022 and only the third title to ever break the 5 billion weekly viewing minute mark.
Not only has the popular sci-fi, coming-of-age dramedy had spin-offs in books and video games, butStranger Thingswas even adapted to the theateras a stage play, which saw the show take its Upside Down world back to humble beginnings in a prequel. Now, the hit Netflix series is gearing up for its final season that will see the cast team up for one last time in a bid to finally drive out the forbidding evil force that looms over Hawkins, Indiana, but at what cost?
Netflix Makes Age Rating Change To Stranger Things Before Season 5
According toWhat’s On Netflix, Netflix has already seemingly changed its age rating for the supernatural series ahead of its season five release next year. This new age rating, which is now rated TV-MA, and different from its past TV-14 rating, could indicate thatStranger Thingsseason five’s finale could be even darker and more sinister than ever before. What the new age rating essentially means is that its content is classed as appropriate for mature audiences only, whereas TV-14 means it is more suitable for teenagers. However, the outlet also noted that the whole age-rating issue isn’t as simple as it looks and can be a little more complex. Netflix had previously changed the rating before during the first half ofStranger Thingsseason four to TV-14, and then changed it to TV-MA during the second half of the series. The network has seemingly switched its age rating sporadically ever since, so it’s not clear whether this could indeed happen again.
A Netflix support agent explained to the outlet that it “often applies a global rating to an entire show based on its overall content, but the individual episodes may have different ratings depending on the specific content in each episode.” so it seems as though the age rating depends entirely on what’s happening in each of its episodes and if it’s too gory or scary, a suitable rating is applied. However, there is the fact that Vecna will be making himself known once more, so there’s every reason to believe thatStranger Thingsseason five could be even more gruesomeand violent than ever before, so its TV-MA seems like a big hint of what’s in store.
As we begin to stumble slowly into 2025, fans will see many more teasers and trailers ofStranger Things' final season and, hopefully, get a glimpse into its potentially darker tone. Viewers have already come up with their owntheories surroundingStranger Thingsseason five’s episode called “Escape from Camazotz”, and whether it could be a new dimension. If true, it could open up an entirely different and more brutal place for the citizens of Hawkins.
