After nearly a decade of Vecna and Hawkins’ inability to catch a break, Stranger Things is heading toward its last showdown! The fifth and final season is dropping four episodes on November 26 and three more on December 25. At the end, there will be a New Year’s Eve finale as long as a feature film. For fans, it’s a month-long binge. But for the cast, it’s the end of an intense era.
And nobody is feeling that closure more than Joe Chrest (Ted Wheeler), Hawkins’ most committed recliner enthusiast. Chrest has been part of the Stranger Things universe since day one. Now, as he wraps Season 5 and closes the book on Ted, he’s confessing what he definitely won’t miss: the secrecy. Keeping the Upside Down under wraps was a nightmare, he admitted.
“I talked to (…) the Duffer Brothers (…) I won’t miss the secrecy,” Chrest told CinemaBlend. He spoke about finishing something beloved while being thrilled not to carry classified intel anymore. He’s loved working with Matt and Ross Duffer and said he even hopes to collaborate with them again. But when it came to guarding Stranger Things season 5 spoilers, not so much.
This is the most I’ve ever seen Ted do 😭💀 #StrangerThingsSeason5 pic.twitter.com/M1KnBMKsxq
— FeFe ☆ | ST5 SPOILERS ‼️ (@FeFeLaGre) November 27, 2025
And who can blame him? Between fans and conspiracy theories, the cast has lived under interrogation for years. But Chrest teaches at LSU every other year in the middle of Stranger Things’ demographic. So, he was swarmed with spoiler attempts. Students peppered him constantly: So… does [REDACTED] die? Are the Wheelers cursed? Does Vecna win? Does Eleven lose her powers? Is Hawkins literally gone? Chrest teased: “Well, I’ll tell you, but do you really want to know?” According to him, they always backed out!
While the actors have stayed airtight, Season 5 hasn’t been loose with hints either. The trailer suggests that not just Mike and Nancy, but the entire Wheeler household is in trouble this time. We’ll have to see whether Ted finally gets off that recliner, but eight years later, Dad Wheeler might finally have to be useful. Meanwhile, the Duffer Brothers have confirmed that they’ve known their final scene since Season 2. Once Season 5 wraps, they’re leaving Hawkins behind and moving on to Paramount+ projects.
So if Ted Wheeler returns, it’ll have to be through a Stranger Things spinoff, not the OG series.
