Stranger Things is back after a three-year hiatus with the start of season five now ready to watch on Netflix.
Hayley Anderson TV Reporter
23:02, 27 Nov 2025
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers from Stranger Things season five part one.
Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers have quietly cast someone who holds special significance in their personal lives. Stranger Things season five has arrived on Netflix, with the opening four episodes now available to stream as the group continues their fight against Vecna.
This series sees Mike (played by Finn Wolfhard) and Nancy Wheeler’s (Natalia Dyer) younger sister Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) take on a central role, having previously remained on the sidelines of Hawkins’ sinister happenings.
In the opening episode, The Crawl, Holly speaks to her “friend” in the playground whilst the other pupils head inside. When her teacher Miss Harris (Hope Hynes Love) investigates who she’s talking to, she discovers nobody else is present, sparking worry about Holly’s wellbeing.
Whilst Miss Harris’ appearance may seem minor within the broader Stranger Things narrative, the actress portraying her holds considerable importance to creators The Duffer Brothers. The performer playing teacher Miss Harris, Hope Hynes Love, is actually the Stranger Things creators’ former school drama teacher.
Stranger Things season five stars actress Hope Hynes Love who plays Miss Harris. (Image: NETFLIX)
Despite Matt and Ross Duffer admitting they turned out to be “terrible actors”, Love was the person who encouraged the duo to forge a career within the entertainment world. Speaking to the North Carolina Arts Council in 2017, Matt Duffer said: “We had an amazing drama teacher – Hope Hynes (at Jordan High School).
“She was incredible. She more than anyone influenced us. We’re terrible actors, but I just wanted to be part of the drama department because she is an incredible director.
“She was fantastic with kids, and fantastic with people who hadn’t acted much.
“She was brilliant, and I still pull from the lessons I learned from her.”
Stranger Things actress Hope Hynes Love was the Duffer Brothers’ drama teacher at school. (Image: GETTY)
Love also appears in another crucial moment during the fourth episode of part one, titled Sorcerer, as Vecna and the demogorgons attempt to drag the children into the Upside Down.
When pandemonium erupts at the military facility, the youngsters begin screaming and she instructs them all to swiftly take cover beneath the beds.
Based on her IMDb profile, this marks her sole on-screen appearance and it seems unlikely she will return for the second part of Stranger Things season five.
Stranger Things season five, part two, premieres on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25, in the US and Boxing Day, Friday, December 26, in the UK on Netflix.
