Stranger Things 5 parents guide: The final season is still just as dark and scary

With the fifth and final season of Stranger Things now streaming on Netflix, parents everywhere are left grappling with a new question. Is this show safe for their kids to watch? From chilling supernatural horrors to shocking acts of violence, this season pushes the boundaries of fear, suspense, and emotional intensity.

In this article, we've provided a comprehensive parents guide to Stranger Things 5. That way, parents are fully informed about what the final season entails so that they can make a thoughtful decision about whether it's appropriate for their kids.

What is the Stranger Things 5 age rating?

So, there's some confusion around the fifth season's age rating. The first four installments were rated TV-14, meaning they were not suitable for ages under 14. They were given this TV-14 rating for disturbing images, fear, gore, language, and smoking. However, rumors started swirling last year that Stranger Things 5 had been bumped up to TV-MA after some noticed that a TV-MA rating appeared on the show's title page.

We just checked the show's title page on Netflix right now, and the age rating still shows up as TV-14. So it's unclear how it appeared differently for some people. Perhaps it was a temporary glitch, a testing error, or an early mislabel. But as of now, the official rating remains TV-14. We'll let you know if anything changes.

Although Stranger Things 5 is still rated the same as previous seasons, it doesn't seem like it. We've already watched the first four episodes in their entirety, and there are several scenes that had us questioning if there was some truth to the rumors of a TV-MA rating. Of course, we're not going to spoil anything. However, we'll be as vague as possible to describe the season's mature content.

So, there's this scene earlier in the fifth season that shows a major character being brutally attacked by a creature from the Upside Down. The character is then shown badly wounded, and you can see how deeply the creature had sunk its claws into their flesh. Besides this scene, the most graphic and bloody moments happen at the end of part 1.

In these moments, there are a bunch of creatures from the Upside Down attacking humans. One creature bursts from the ground and lands on a character, smashing their head into smithereens. All you can see is the person's headless, dead body lying on the ground, with blood and guts where their head should be. There's another creature that uses its sharp claws to pierce someone through their face. All that is shown next is a lot of blood pouring from this area. There are also scenes showing people on fire and creepy creatures taking kids.

These intense and graphic moments make it clear that Stranger Things 5 is still just as dark and violent as previous seasons. That said, parents should carefully consider whether the content is appropriate for their children before letting them watch. When it comes to strong language, the first four episodes of the season are pretty tame.

There are only occasional swear words, so parents may find the language less concerning than the intense violence and frightening imagery, which are the real reasons to exercise caution. There was the use of swear words such as "a**" and "sh*thead." There were also many times when the phrase "Jesus Christ" was used. While this isn't a curse word, some parents might be sensitive to its repeated use, as it can be considered disrespectful or blasphemous in certain religious contexts. In addition, there are some mild sexual references used in the season.

Remember, we still have four more episodes left in Stranger Things 5. This means the final installment could get even darker, more violent, and more frightening. The Duffer Brothers did promise in a past interview that season 5 features the "most violent death of any season." So, this is another thing parents should be aware of.

Stranger Things 5 part 2 is scheduled to land on Netflix on Dec. 25.