Potterversity Episode 69: Potter Gets Stranger

We're entering the Upside Down to compare Harry Potter and Stranger Things following the Netflix series's final season. Spoilers ahead - proceed with caution!

Katy, Emily, and producer Laurie reflect on the end of Stranger Things and how the series as a whole, and its conclusion in particular, connect to Potter. Season 5 was released in three installments at the end of 2025 to mixed reviews and a multitude of Potter comparisons. We see a coming-of-age story with characters starting around the same age as new Hogwarts students, the highs and lows of friendship, teens working together to fight evil, a hidden world of magic intersecting with the mundane, and government corruption.

Parallels between the villains Voldemort and Vecna were particularly strong this season as were those between their respective targets Harry and Will Byers as well as Ginny Weasley and Holly Wheeler. One common criticism of the season was that there was too much time spent on emotional sharing rather than action, but we see good reason for this when thinking about the role of emotion in magic in Potter, such as casting a Patronus or learning Occlumency.

Like Potter, Stranger Things ended with an epilogue, and we consider what these flash-forwards tell us and what possibilities there may be (promising or not) for spinoffs. Finally, we respond to a recent New York Times editorial about Harry Potter's continuing relevance or lack thereof.