TV Shows
Stranger Things Season 5 Runtimes Revealed: Ross Duffer Confirms Episode Lengths and Teases What’s Coming
Ross Duffer confirms the runtimes for Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1, teasing record-breaking episodes and the show’s most ambitious finale yet.
Ross Duffer, co-creator of Stranger Things, has finally given fans clarity on how long the episodes of the fifth and final season will be. After months of speculation that every episode would be feature-length, Duffer has officially revealed the runtimes for the first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 in a video shared on Instagram.
Episode Runtimes for Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1
According to Duffer, here’s how long each of the first four episodes will run:
Episode 1 — “The Crawl”: 1 hour and 8 minutes
Episode 2 — “The Vanishing of _____”: 54 minutes
Episode 3 — “The Turnbow Trap”: 1 hour and 6 minutes
Episode 4 — “Sorcerer”: 1 hour and 23 minutes
Duffer described The Crawl as his “favorite” and “most eventful first episode since Season 1.” He also teased that Episode 2 features “the craziest cold open we’ve ever done — one of the sequences we’re most proud of this season.”
Meanwhile, The Turnbow Trap is what Duffer called “the most classic Stranger Things-y episode of the season,” and it features a special surprise: legendary filmmaker Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) came out of retirement to direct it.
As for Episode 4, Sorcerer, Duffer revealed it’s “MASSIVE — as big as any finale we’ve ever done, and the most logistically insane shoot of our lives.”
Stranger Things Season 5 Release Schedule
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things will include eight episodes total, arriving in three separate parts:
Volume 1: November 26, 2025
Volume 2: December 25, 2025
Final Episode: December 31, 2025
The season will once again be produced by the Duffer Brothers, along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen, promising an emotional and cinematic conclusion to one of Netflix’s biggest shows.
Stranger Things Returning Cast and New Additions
Nearly all the core cast members will return, including Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, and Jamie Campbell Bower.
Amybeth McNulty, who had a brief appearance last season, has been promoted to the main cast, while Linda Hamilton (The Terminator) joins as a major new character.
Stranger Things What to Expect from the Final Season
The story picks up in fall 1987, one year after the Season 4 finale. The group returns to Hawkins, determined to find and destroy Vecna once and for all after the rifts opened across town.
Their mission becomes even more dangerous when the U.S. military arrives in Hawkins and begins hunting Eleven. As the anniversary of Will Byers’ disappearance approaches, the gang faces a final, deadly confrontation that could decide the fate of their world.
Why Stranger Things 5 Will Be the Most Ambitious Yet
The Duffer Brothers have described Season 5 as their most emotional and visually ambitious chapter. With longer episodes, high-stakes storytelling, and a cinematic finale spread across three releases, this final season aims to give fans the epic conclusion they’ve been waiting for.
Stranger Things may be coming to an end, but if Ross Duffer’s words are any indication, it’s going out bigger than ever.
News
Rooster on HBO: Steve Carell’s Hit Comedy Renewed for Season 2
HBO comedy Rooster starring Steve Carell has been renewed for a second season after becoming the most watched freshman comedy on HBO in over a decade, with 5.8 million viewers and an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score.
HBO’s breakout comedy Rooster has officially earned its place in television history. The series, starring Steve Carell, has been renewed for a second season after becoming the most watched freshman comedy on HBO in more than a decade. The renewal was announced on April 9, 2026, while the first season is still airing, a clear sign of the network’s confidence in this charming college-set drama.
What Is Rooster About?
Rooster centers on Greg Russo, a famous author of beach read novels who accepts a writer-in-residence position at the fictional Ludlow College. His reason for taking the job is deeply personal: he wants to be close to his daughter Katie Russo, an art history professor at the same institution who is going through a very public emotional breakdown after her husband walks out on her. The show blends sharp comedy with genuine emotional depth, exploring themes of failure, reinvention, and the complicated bond between parents and adult children.
The Cast That Makes It Work
Steve Carell delivers a career-highlight performance as the lovably oblivious yet deeply caring Greg, earning praise from critics and audiences alike. Charly Clive plays his daughter Katie with heartbreaking authenticity, while Danielle Deadwyler shines as Dylan Shepard, a faculty member who becomes central to the story. Phil Dunster plays Archie Bates, the estranged husband who left Katie for a graduate student, and John C. McGinley brings scene-stealing energy as Walter Mann, the college’s eccentric president. The ensemble is rounded out by Connie Britton, Alan Ruck, Annie Mumolo, and Lauren Tsai.
Record-Breaking Debut on HBO
Rooster premiered on HBO and Max on March 8, 2026, and immediately made an impression. The first four episodes averaged 5.8 million U.S. viewers, a number that set it apart from any comedy HBO had launched in over ten years. The show holds an impressive 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with particular praise going to the writing, the performances, and the show’s ability to be genuinely funny without sacrificing emotional honesty.
What Season 2 Will Bring
Following the fall-semester setting of the first season, Season 2 will shift to the spring semester at Ludlow College. The creators have hinted at new challenges for both Greg and Katie as the year progresses, with more faculty dynamics, student storylines, and personal revelations ahead. A specific premiere date for Season 2 has not yet been announced, though production is expected to move quickly given the early renewal order.
Why Rooster Is the Comedy to Watch Right Now
Rooster arrives at a time when HBO has been investing heavily in prestige comedy, and it delivers on every level. The college setting gives writers an endlessly fertile backdrop for both humor and drama. Steve Carell‘s transition from big-screen comedies back to television feels completely natural here. He brings the kind of grounded, empathetic charisma that made The Office legendary, but applied to a more adult and emotionally layered story.
The Season 1 finale is set to air on May 10, 2026 on HBO and Max, so there is still time to catch up before the semester arc wraps up. Whether you are in it for the laughs, the heartfelt father-daughter moments, or simply the joy of watching a stacked cast firing on all cylinders, Rooster is exactly the kind of show that reminds you why prestige television remains so exciting.
News
Memory of a Killer on Fox: Patrick Dempsey’s Hit Crime Thriller Is Renewed for Season 2
Fox has renewed Memory of a Killer for Season 2. Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli star in this gripping crime thriller about a hitman slowly losing his memory while protecting his family.
Fox’s gripping crime thriller Memory of a Killer has wrapped up its first season and fans already have reason to celebrate: the network has officially renewed the Patrick Dempsey-led drama for a second season. With 16.2 million total viewers tuning in across platforms, the show has proven itself as one of broadcast television’s strongest new entries of 2026.
A Double Life on the Edge
At the heart of the series is Angelo Doyle, a seasoned contract killer who has spent decades keeping his dangerous profession hidden from his family. Played with remarkable nuance by Patrick Dempsey, Angelo is a man who has mastered the art of compartmentalization, until everything begins to unravel at once. When someone makes a move against his pregnant daughter Maria, the wall between his two worlds collapses with terrifying speed. To make matters worse, his wife’s recent death, long assumed to be an accident, may have been something far more sinister.
A Memory Slipping Away
What sets Memory of a Killer apart from other hitman dramas is its central and devastating emotional core: Angelo is showing early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, mirroring the condition of his brother, who already lives in a memory care facility. The threat comes not only from external enemies but from within Angelo’s own deteriorating mind. Each mission he undertakes to protect his family may be among the last things he will clearly remember. This layer of vulnerability transforms the show from a standard thriller into something far more affecting and deeply human. Angelo must search his long history of past hits for clues about who is targeting his daughter, and that list is very long.
A Stellar Supporting Cast
Emmy winner Michael Imperioli delivers a scene-stealing performance as Dutch, Angelo’s oldest friend and a seemingly respectable chef whose upscale restaurant conceals a world of criminal enterprise. Odeya Rush plays daughter Maria, whose pregnancy and vulnerability drive much of the season’s tension and emotional stakes. Richard Harmon, Daniel Davis Stewart, and Peter Gadiot round out a cast that consistently delivers strong ensemble work across all ten episodes of the first season.
The Creative Team Behind the Show
The series was originally developed by Ed Whitmore and Tracey Malone. Partway through production, television veterans Aaron Zelman and Glenn Kessler stepped in as showrunners, bringing their substantial experience with acclaimed dramas to sharpen the series into the taut, emotionally layered thriller it ultimately became. The polished execution despite the mid-production transition speaks to the strength of the creative vision and the dedication of the cast and crew alike.
Fox Commits to Season 2
Fox Television Network President Michael Thorn praised the series upon announcing the renewal, calling Memory of a Killer “a true standout” and crediting the visceral performances from Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli as a driving force behind its success. The renewal was confirmed on April 6, 2026, the very day the Season 1 finale aired on Fox, a deliberate and confident signal from the network. A full return for the 2026-27 broadcast season is now locked in.
For viewers who have not yet caught up, all ten episodes of Season 1 are available to stream. The combination of a high-stakes thriller premise, emotionally rich character work, and two of television’s most compelling performers in top form makes Memory of a Killer one of the most rewarding dramas on broadcast television right now. Season 2 cannot come soon enough.
News
The Audacity on AMC: The Sharpest Tech Satire on Television Is Already Renewed for Season 2
The Audacity premieres on AMC on April 12, 2026. Created by Succession and Better Call Saul writer Jonathan Glatzer, this pitch-black tech satire stars Billy Magnussen, Sarah Goldberg, and Zach Galifianakis — and is already renewed for Season 2.
Silicon Valley has inspired countless films and television shows, but few have captured the particular flavor of its self-serving delusion quite like The Audacity. The series premiered on AMC on April 12, 2026, with two episodes also available on AMC+, and it arrives as one of the most assured new comedies of the year. Created by Jonathan Glatzer, a writer whose credits include both Succession and Better Call Saul, the show has the pedigree to match its ambition and the wit to back both up. Remarkably, it was already renewed for a second season before the first episode even aired.
The Story: When Tech Arrogance Meets Its Own Destruction
The Audacity follows three interlocking storylines set against the glittering, morally bankrupt world of big tech. At the center is a self-appointed “inventor of the future,” a flailing CEO whose company has built its empire on the exploitation of personal data. Alongside him is his performance psychologist, whose own greed and ethical flexibility make her less a healer and more a co-conspirator. Completing the trio is a retired pioneer of the tech industry, a figure who helped build the world these younger players are now destroying. When a scandal erupts over the company’s data-mining practices, all three are pulled into a crisis that forces each of them to reckon with who they really are, and what they are willing to do to survive it.
A Star-Studded Cast at the Top of Their Game
Billy Magnussen leads the series as the CEO, playing the character with a terrifying combination of charisma and cluelessness that makes him both funny and deeply unsettling. Sarah Goldberg, best known for her Emmy-nominated work in Barry, plays the performance psychologist with her trademark ability to make morally compromised behavior feel human and even sympathetic. Zach Galifianakis rounds out the central trio as the tech industry veteran, bringing a melancholy depth to a character who has seen the idealism of the early internet curdled into something unrecognizable. The ensemble is filled out by Rob Corddry, Simon Helberg, Randall Park, Meaghan Rath, Lucy Punch, and Paul Adelstein, each contributing precise, richly drawn performances across the eight-episode first season.
The Succession and Better Call Saul DNA
Creator Jonathan Glatzer‘s background gives The Audacity a distinctive flavor. The moral complexity of Succession is clearly present in the way the show refuses to let any of its characters be simply villainous or simply sympathetic; everyone is compromised, and the question is always one of degree. From Better Call Saul comes a structural patience, a willingness to let scenes breathe and to let consequences accumulate slowly before releasing them with devastating force. Variety has called the show “sharp and sweeping,” while The Hollywood Reporter praised its “pitch-black comedy” that understands its targets with surgical precision. Not every critic has been uniformly enthusiastic, but the consensus is that The Audacity is doing something genuinely ambitious and largely pulling it off.
Already Renewed: A Statement of Confidence from AMC
In March 2026, ahead of its premiere, AMC announced that The Audacity had already been renewed for a second season. This is a significant vote of confidence from a network that has seen considerable success with dark, prestige-minded drama, and it signals that AMC views the show as a flagship property rather than a tentative experiment. For viewers, it means that the story has room to develop and deepen beyond the eight episodes of this first run.
Why The Audacity Is Essential Viewing Right Now
In an era where tech companies have become some of the most powerful and least accountable institutions on the planet, a sharp, intelligent satire of that world feels not just entertaining but genuinely necessary. The Audacity does not offer easy answers or satisfying villains to boo; instead, it presents a world in which the system itself is the problem and the people inside it are both its products and its perpetrators. It is smart, funny, occasionally devastating, and exactly the kind of television that rewards attention. New episodes air Sundays on AMC, with early access available on AMC+.
The Audacity is now streaming on AMC+ and airing weekly on AMC. Do not let this one slip past you.
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