Stranger Things Season 5: Why ABBA’s ‘Fernando’ scene is the most disturbing moment yet

The long-awaited Season 5 of Stranger Things arrived in late November 2025.

The showrunners split the season into three parts. Volume 1, Episodes 1–4, came out on November 26, 2025. Volume 1, Episodes 5–7, will release on December 25. The final episode comes out on December 31. This will end the saga.

Season 5 starts after the dramatic events of Season 4. Hawkins is under military quarantine. The heroes are scattered or hiding. The Upside Down and its monsters are more dangerous than ever.

The stakes are higher than before. Old traumas, supernatural horrors, and weak alliances collide. The characters get ready for what may be their last fight. In this tense moment, a simple song triggers one of the most terrifying scenes yet. Here, nostalgia turns into a nightmare.

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Stranger Things Season 5: Why ABBA’s ‘Fernando’ scene is the most disturbing moment yet

In Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 2, called The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler, Karen Wheeler and her daughter, Holly, are at home. Karen draws a bubble bath. She pours herself a drink. She turns on the radio. The song playing is Fernando by ABBA.

The scene feels calm and ordinary. It shows suburban home life: wine, bath, soft music. Viewers think it is just a normal, quiet night. Then suddenly, terror strikes. A Demogorgon bursts into the house. It smashes through ceilings, walls, and doors, including Holly’s bedroom.

Holly runs to her mom. They hide in the bathtub under the bubbles. The Demogorgon hunts them. The song Fernando keeps playing on the radio.

Their father (or Karen’s partner) tries to fight the monster with a golf club. The Demogorgon is still dangerous. In the end, it kidnaps Holly, while Karen is badly hurt.

What makes this scene scary in Stranger Things Season 5 is not just the monster. It is the contrast with the gentle song Fernando. The soft, nostalgic tune plays while violent chaos happens. The music turns into a haunting backdrop for the terror.

The use of Fernando makes the familiar feel strange and scary. A comforting memory becomes a nightmare. The song’s usual feelings: calm, nostalgia, innocence, are reversed. This creates lasting dread. Many viewers call the scene “nightmare fuel.” It is a horror unlike anything in the series before.

Beyond the shock, the scene is carefully crafted. The creators tested many songs before choosing Fernando. Its rhythm and tone make the perfect mood shift. The contrast makes it even scarier. Normal life continues on the radio, while a monster attacks. The horror feels stronger because of this.

In an interview with MovieZine, the Duffer brothers revealed:

“We must've tried 20, 30 different songs and that ['Fernando'] just felt right.”

Fernando was written by ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with Stig Anderson. It first appeared as a solo song by ABBA’s Anni‑Frid Lyngstad in 1975. ABBA re-recorded it with English lyrics in 1976.

The English lyrics tell the story of two aging veterans remembering an old battle. It expresses nostalgia, regret, and friendship.

For many fans, the song brings melancholic nostalgia. It reminds listeners of the past, lost time, and comrades. Its soft melody and old-school vibe often create a bittersweet feeling. This makes it powerful when used in dramatic scenes.

Fernando has appeared in many films, TV shows, and other media. In films, it was in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1993) and Muriel's Wedding (1994).

On TV, it appeared in That '70s Show, in the episode That Disco Episode, where characters sing or dance to it. It was in Malcolm in the Middle, Season 1 finale, Water Park, during a dance scene. In Community, Episode 6, Epidemiology, the song plays over the loudspeakers at the climax.

In the 1970s, a version of Fernando was used in TV commercials for the electronics brand “National” in some countries. The song has been very flexible over time.

Stranger Things often uses songs in smart ways. Songs do more than play in the background. They show emotion, character feelings, memory, and sometimes even survival.

For example, for Max Mayfield, Running Up That Hill is more than background music. It is her emotional anchor. The song connects to her past trauma and grief. Hearing it helps her stay grounded under extreme stress.

The lyrics of Running Up That Hill talk about wishing to “swap places” and understand another’s pain. This mirrors Max’s feelings in Stranger Things. She feels guilt over a loved one’s death. She carries grief. She struggles with surviving when others did not.

In fact, in Stranger Things Season 4, Episode Dear Billy, Running Up That Hill saves Max. Her friends play the song to help her during a psychic attack by the villain. The music becomes a lifeline to reality.

This turns a simple ’80s pop song into a powerful story tool. It is about survival, memory, and hope. It shows how music and story are closely linked in Stranger Things.