As anticipation builds for the fifth and final season of Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things, fans are eager to learn how the beloved show will conclude. David Harbour, who portrays the endearing Jim Hopper, recently shed light on the cast’s heartfelt reaction to the series finale script.
In an exclusive conversation with ComicBook.com, Harbour recounted the intimate atmosphere of the final table read. “No, the interesting thing is… there were some cameras there, but we didn’t do it for the publicists or the Instagram people,” Harbour shared. “There was something intimate about the way they structured it that I’m hoping that you don’t see very much of that, because there was something profound in the sense that we are a family. There is the deeper level, it is about us as individuals who’ve worked together for nine years since they were kids, and that really came through. There was a real deep kind of honesty and heartbreak and bittersweet quality to all of it.”
The upcoming season reunites the original cast in Hawkins, Indiana, as they band together to face off against Vecna and the looming threats of the Upside Down. Harbour reflected on the surreal experience of returning to the show’s roots after years of evolution. “Getting back to the OG crew of this final season has been wild in a way because we have come so far and it is not the show that we started in Season 1,” he said. “I think that’s a wild experience for all of us. I mean, those kids were 11 years old when we started, 12 years old. Now they’re 20 and they’re shaving and they aren’t kids anymore. Finn [Wolfhard] just directed a movie. I think to have it all come back full circle… We just did a read-through of the last episode and the amount of crying… like the episode is very beautiful. But there’s also a deeper level of that; this was actually their childhood. They were 11 years old and grew up and fought this monster. And I’ve never seen so much heavy, heavy weeping from teenagers or young adults in my life.”
“There was something intimate about the way they structured it that I’m hoping that you don’t see very much of that, because there was something profound in the sense that we are a family. There is the deeper level, it is about us as individuals who’ve worked together for nine years since they were kids, and that really came through. There was a real deep kind of honesty and heartbreak and bittersweet quality to all of it.”
Discussing the challenges of Season 4, Harbour touched upon the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on production. “[Season 4] was a challenging season for a number of reasons. The biggest being COVID and just the ripples that that sent through our industry, because we are an industry of intimacy. I mean, we are close. We are about humanity. We’re about engagement and we had masks and face shields and we were just very afraid of each other,” he explained. “So that was really tough. I also had to do a lot of weird weight loss stuff, that was really tough. The being alone thing is it was kind of okay, because I had to. I mean, we’ve been together a long time, it’s like a family; sometimes you need a vacation. So I think that was in a way sort of fun, and I had guys like Tom [Wlaschiha], and it was a cool storyline. So I enjoyed it.”
As the series approaches its conclusion, Harbour’s insights highlight the deep bonds formed among the cast over nearly a decade. The emotional weight of ending a show that has defined much of their lives is palpable. Fans can look forward to a finale that not only wraps up the supernatural adventures in Hawkins but also pays homage to the incredible journey of its characters and the actors who brought them to life.
