Chapter Five: Shock Jock

"Chapter Five: Shock Jock" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction horror drama television series Stranger Things. The 39th episode overall, it was written by Curtis Gwinn and directed by Frank Darabont. It was released on December 25, 2025, on Netflix alongside the subsequent two episodes as the premiere episode of season five's volume two. In the episode, the group hatch a plan to forcibly reconnect Will to the Demogorgon hive mind, while tensions begin to flare between Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Dustin, as they explore Hawkins Laboratory in the Upside Down. Eleven is also confronted with a disturbing revelation when she reconnects with her long-lost sister. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, praising the visual effects and performances from Noah Schnapp and Jamie Campbell Bower.