'Stranger Things' season 5 debuts tonight; here's a recap of what has happened

The first thing viewers will notice about the new season of “Stranger Things,” in which the first four episodes drop tonight at 8 p.m. on Netflix, is that the show’s kid characters are no longer kids. Try as they might, producers cannot hide this fact, especially when it comes to Will (Noah Schnapp), Lucas (Caleb MacLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo).

Because of this, early scenes in “Stranger Things” season five feel bizarre, like you’re watching a “Saturday Night Live” parody of the show where adults are playing the kid characters (after a while, that feeling dissipates).

It’s been a while, so a reminder of where we left off (in July 2022!):

• Hawkins was torn apart by supernatural events.

• Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Hopper (David Harbour) were officially a couple, newly returned from fighting Demogorgons in Russia.

• Vecna (Jamie Bower Campbell) was wounded but not killed.

• Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) got her powers back.

• Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) were still a couple, but Nancy spent a lot of time with Steve (Joe Keery) during season four.

• Max (Sadie Sink) appeared to be in a coma.

Three more episodes debut at 5 p.m. Christmas Day and the finale streams at 5 p.m. New Year’s Eve.