No Season 5 Episode 9: Netflix to air behind-the-scenes episode on January 12

Movieweb reports that Netflix has confirmed there will be no ninth "secret" episode of Stranger Things Season 5 and instead will air a behind-the-scenes episode on January 12 that revisits the final season.

The teaser released early Wednesday highlighted many of Netflix's big 2026 shows and movies but contained no Stranger Things footage beyond a brief appearance by Millie Bobby Brown's Enola Holmes. A later trailer titled "Vecna Lives" appeared to promise the fabled ninth episode but turned out to be a Rickroll, and other images and clips — including one labelled "Episode 9 – The Off-Screen" — repurposed the Duffer brothers' comments that some storylines were resolved off-screen and added the line, "Episode 9 sees the Duffers telling everyone to make up with own mind what happened."

Fan reactions ranged from disappointment to resigned acceptance, with some viewers scouring the final season for clues and others saying Netflix "must be kicking themselves" over not releasing a secret episode. Stranger Things' official Instagram bio states that "All episodes of Stranger Things are now playing," which the report says is the current truth of the matter.

Key Topics

Culture, Stranger Things, Netflix, Millie Bobby Brown, Duffer Brothers, Vecna