6 TV Shows to Binge Before Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Part 2

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Need something spooky and fun to watch while you wait for the next season of Stranger Things on Netflix? These shows are great choices! Fans eagerly started watching Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1 as soon as it became available on November 26, 2025, after a three-year wait. While the season started a little slowly, episodes 3 and 4 deliver the exciting action, creepy moments, and touching scenes that fans love. And after the major reveal about Will Byers in episode 4, “Sorcerer,” it’s hard to wait for more!

The release plan for Stranger Things is a bit frustrating, to say the least. The second part will come out on December 25, 2025, and the final episodes will arrive on December 31st. While it would have been amazing to watch all eight episodes at once, the break between the two parts gives fans time to find and enjoy other great shows in the meantime.

‘It: Welcome to Derry’


HBO

Autumn 2025 saw fresh adaptations of Stephen King’s work, with new versions of The Long Walk and The Running Man hitting screens. HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, a prequel to the popular It story, is a must-see, especially for fans of Stranger Things. It offers a similar blend of suspense, intriguing kids, and a creepy mystery unfolding in a seemingly idyllic town.

Both Derry and Stranger Things feature terrifying villains who seem impossible to defeat, and Pennywise remains a truly memorable antagonist in this new series. What really stands out in both shows, though, are the strong bonds between the young characters, which provide a heartwarming contrast to the frightening events. It: Welcome to Derry debuted on HBO Max on October 26, 2025, with the first season concluding on December 14th. While a second season hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, co-showrunner Andy Muschietti is optimistic about telling the full story over three seasons.

‘Wednesday’


Netflix

While Season 2 of Wednesday didn’t quite reach the popularity of its first season, and Lady Gaga’s cameo was shorter than expected, fans of Stranger Things eagerly awaiting Will’s story arc will likely enjoy all 16 episodes of the Jenna Ortega-led Netflix show.

Jenna Ortega has shown her talent in a variety of roles, from horror films like Scream (2022) and Scream VI to the serious drama The Fallout. She’s particularly captivating as the iconic Wednesday Addams in the series Wednesday, which follows the character’s time at Nevermore Academy, a school for unusual students. The show features familiar Addams Family members alongside new characters like Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers), Wednesday’s friendly werewolf roommate. Both Stranger Things and Wednesday successfully blend spooky and heartwarming moments. Wednesday premiered on Netflix in November 2022 and has been picked up for a third season.

‘The Midnight Club’


Netflix

Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass are considered by many to be his best horror series. His latest Netflix show, The Midnight Club, shares some similarities with Stranger Things and hasn’t received as much attention as it deserves. The series centers on a group of teenagers with terminal illnesses who live at Brightcliffe Manor, a hospice, and share scary stories each night as they grapple with their limited time left together.

While The Midnight Club leans more into classic horror, and Stranger Things blends in sci-fi with a dimension like the Upside Down, both shows really emphasize the strong bonds of friendship between their young characters. Though monsters like Vecna and the ghosts at Brightcliffe are scary, they ultimately help the characters grapple with important issues like life, death, and figuring out who they are. With only ten episodes and The Midnight Club being canceled after one season, it’s a shorter show to finish before the final part of Stranger Things Season 5 comes out.

‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’


Disney

The first season of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew premiered on Disney+ in December 2024. The show follows young characters Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) as they work together to return to their home planet. With just eight episodes, it’s a quick and enjoyable watch, perfect for fans of Stranger Things while they wait for the next season.

Even though it’s uncertain if Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will return for a second season, the first season has a heartwarming and emotional feel similar to Stranger Things. It wasn’t the biggest TV hit of 2024 and isn’t getting a lot of buzz right now, but its 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes speaks for itself. Skeleton Crew is a great choice for anyone looking for a feel-good story about friendship and working towards a shared dream.

‘From’


MGM+

As a huge fan of shows like Stranger Things, I have to say, the town in From is seriously creepy – maybe even more so than Hawkins! It’s got that same unforgettable, unsettling vibe that really grabs you and makes you think. Ever since Stranger Things dropped on Netflix back in 2016, we’ve all been obsessed with figuring out the mysteries of the Upside Down, and From taps into that same feeling. Both shows just nail that constant sense of dread. It’s like Eleven and her friends being trapped in Hawkins with the military closing in, the people in From are completely stuck with no way out.

I’ve been a fan of From since its first season dropped in February 2022, and I’m not alone – it’s a seriously underrated show. Everyone’s eagerly awaiting Season 4, which is sadly still a ways off – we’re looking at 2026. Honestly, once you start watching, you’ll get completely sucked in. It’s packed with bizarre mysteries that will grab your attention and honestly, it’s the perfect escape if you’re still reeling from Stranger Things and all those Vecna, Will, and Max questions. Prepare to be hooked!

‘Locke & Key’


Neflix

Netflix’s Locke & Key follows the Locke family as they cope with loss after moving into their ancestral home – a spooky, mansion-like house. The show, based on the comic book series by Gabriel Rodriguez and Joe Hill, uses magical elements to set itself apart from typical stories about families rebuilding their lives in a new town.

This show follows a family grieving the loss of their husband and father, and as they learn more about what happened, they uncover secrets about his life. Similar to Stranger Things, it tackles difficult themes like tragedy, but also offers a compelling villain and a touch of magic. The villain, Dodge, is as captivating as Vecna, and the different keys – like the Animal Key and the Anywhere Key – are fascinating to discover. While it doesn’t quite reach the same level of quality as Stranger Things, Locke & Key seasons 1-3 provide enjoyable entertainment while fans wait for Vecna’s return.

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2025-12-16 18:42