Stranger Things Season 3 Finale Is The Show's Longest Ever Episode

It's time to journey back to Hawkins, people - Stranger Things season 3 has finally arrived on Netflix.

Whether you're planning on binge-watching the entire thing tonight, tomorrow or you're saving it for the weekend, just be aware that you're in for a treat.

Expect lots of action from our fave Hawkins kids as they try to navigate kidulthood in the summer of '85, only to once again face a load of new supernatural threats from the Upside Down.

Oh yeah, and of course Hopper's doing Hopper, maintaining his status as the best dad meme the internet could possibly ask for.

Actor David Harbour let fans know in a warm up post that this season sees his character act 'as stubborn, miserable, broken, and reckless as he's ever been. But all with a deeply irreverent inner glee, as wide and full as his 'stache'.

Netflix knows how to service the fans.

Thankfully, our core cast members are back too, including Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven, Finn Wolfhard's Mike, Noah Schnapp's Will, Caleb Mclaughlin's Lucas, Gaten Matarazzo's Dustin, Natalia Dyer's Nancy, Winona Ryder's Joyce, Charlie Heaton's Jonathan and Joe Keery's Steve.

But what they're up to... well that's for us to know and for you to find out. Without treading into spoiler territory, what we can reveal is the entire season builds up to the longest episode of the entire show at 77 minutes.

In the run-up to this momentous outcome, the first episode 'Suzie, Do You Copy?' takes us back to 1985, when school is out for summer and they kids are ready for some fun, not to mention Eleven and Mike have finally ended their will-they-won't-they narrative and their relationship is officially go.

However, the mood shifts when Dustin's radio picks up a Russian broadcast, and Will senses something is wrong. As the season progresses, by the fourth installment, 'The Sauna Test', a code red brings the gang back together to face a frighteningly familiar evil.

Fast forward to the final chapter, 'The Battle of Starcourt', and the spoiler-free description reads: "Terror reigns in the food court when the Mind Flayer comes to collect. But down below, in the dark, the future of the world is at stake."

"Well, without question, it does have more than a little more scope; it's just a pretty radical escalation," said Levy, before going on to explain that season three makes good use of the actors' talents.

"When we saw the strength in Millie, and the very different form of immense strength in David Harbour, the Duffers were determined to pair them as a duo for Season 2.

"You're going to see similar, new dynamics in Season 3 that are the direct result of seeing what our actors can bring."

Reaction to the season has been solid so far, with critics and audiences alike taking to social media to sing the show's praises and give it a solid Eleven out of ten.

"I'm just on episode 2 of #StrangerThings and I am already living for dad of a teenage girl Hopper! it's everything," wrote one user

Another compared it to the lacklustre final season of Game of Thrones: "Four episodes into #strangerthings and it's already better than GoT's final season I have no words lit rally."

"Two thumbs up. Fine summer blockbuster fun."

So what are you waiting for? Don't spend your evening with you boring old friends. Shut down the blinds, crack some cold ones and get ready to be launched into the terrors of the Upside Down. See you there.