It’s been six years since the world met telekinetic Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and her friends in Hawkins, Ind.
That’s right, season one of Netflix’s Stranger Things debuted July 15, 2016 with eight mind-blowing episodes. Since then, the show’s youthful stars—Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery and Brown—have blossomed into young professionals, tackling even heavier subjects on the celebrated drama.
For instance, Sink’s Max Mayfield struggled with depression in season four, after watching her stepbrother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) die at the hands of one of the Upside Down’s monsters. Because of this, Max became a target of villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and experienced a terrifying bout of torture.
“I felt really grateful that [Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers] trusted me with this plotline,” Sadie exclusively told E! News in May. “It’s a gut-wrencher for sure.”
Now with season five in the works, we can only imagine what’s next for our favorite ensemble of young stars.