(Credit: Netflix)

Nothing can ever really change the fact that Stranger Things on Netflix was a revelation of the streaming era. It launched us into a world where bike-riding preteens save the day religiously.

These kids brought a new world order, and along with it, a dangerous force of menace we were never warned against.

Despite the dangers, none of us would have had it any other way and the hype surrounding the fifth and final season of Stranger Things is proof. But before you get your flamethrowers, Christmas lights, and nailbats ready, let’s take a trip down memory lane with the five most memorable moments from the hit sci-fi series.

Expect monsters, bloodshed, and body bags. However, also be prepared to shed some tears while at it.

The five most epic moments from Stranger Things

Dustin & Suzie’s duet

Before jumping into the tear-jerking moments that we refuse to get over, here’s a feel-good highlight to lighten your mood. Stranger Things can crack you up good, even amid the tensest of times, and the duet between Dustin Henderson and his long-distance girlfriend, Suzie, is probably the perfect example. The scene takes place during the climactic confrontation under the Starcourt Mall when Hopper, Joyce, and Murray await a numerical code to open the vault and shut down the machine, which actually opens the gate to the Upside Down.

The code is Planck’s Constant, and it dawns upon Dustin that he should radio Suzie, who would know the code. While everyone had their doubts about whether Suzie existed in the first place, when they finally communicate, she agrees to give the code once they sing a duet of her favourite song. Despite the urgency and the fact that he is surrounded by all his friends, Dustin finally gives in, wholeheartedly singing the theme song of The Neverending Story.

Billy Hargrove’s sacrifice

The second moment also takes place underneath the Starcourt Mall in the third season finale of the hit Netflix series when the Hawkins gang finally step up to confront the Mind Flayer. The enormous monster composed of the flayed victims of Hawkins brutally attacks Eleven after tracing the group to the mall, leaving her unable to move. Once cornered, Billy Hargrove, now entirely possessed by the Mind Flayer, comes for her.

But despite her immobilisation, El uses her power to dive into his subconscious, projecting a heartwarming memory of his mother at the beach, offering moments of recollection of his true self. The memory has just enough power to disrupt the Mind Flayer’s control. So, in those brief moments of clarity, Billy stands up between Eleven and the monster, becoming the ultimate sacrifice of the season as the Mind Flayer stabs him consecutively through his chest with its appendages.

Joyce’s communicating with Will through Christmas lights

Just when everything feels out of control, Stranger Things comes up with its only trusted plan: never give up. It is something the show has been doing since the first season. Remember when Will went missing the first time around, and nothing could help Joyce and the gang communicate with him?

Although technology may not be Joyce’s bright side, a mother’s heart always finds a way. And that’s what she did by communicating with Will in the Upside Down using Christmas lights assigned to letters in the Byers’ home. The scene was iconic to say the least, and it lives rent-free in our heads even a decade later.

Eddie Munson’s coolest Upside-Down guitar solo

Stranger Things might be set in the 1980s, but it has given viewers plenty of cool moments to hang on to. However, the coolest of it all? Eddie Munson’s metal farewell! In the ninth episode of the fourth season, Eddie embarked on a mission to buy his friends time in the Upside Down, resulting in a sacrifice that’s one for the history books.

Shredding an unforgettable Metallica solo to ‘Master of Puppets’ on top of a trailer in the shadow dimension, he ultimately became prey to the Demobats. We all shed a tear or two, but the high-octane farewell? It’s etched in our minds!

Max’s escape from Vecna

You cannot be fainthearted if you want to explore the Stranger Things universe because it comes with its fair share of body count. But when Vecna caught up with Max, leaving her to levitate over Billy’s graveyard, it’s safe to say everyone sweated out, even if a little. However, in Hawkins, friendship is endgame, and as long as her friends are there to blast Kate Bush’s 1985 hit, ‘Running Up That Hill,’ in her Walkman, survival is still in the cards.

The dramatic musical scene, clubbed with Upside Down visuals of Max running for her life from Vecna’s grasp, is simply too epic to forget. Plus, it brings the message of the hour: music heals and, in some cases, saves lives.