Dustin and Steve Make an Upsetting Vow in the New Stranger Things Season 5 Trailer

There are so many epic moments teased in the first trailer for Stranger Things season 5 volume 2.

Set after Will’s fist-pumping power grab in episode four, we hear him say that the gang has ultimately failed. Max and Holly continue their journey through Henry Creel’s confusing mindscape. Eleven watches the Upside Down turn downside up, and we hear that everything the gang thought they knew about it has been “dead wrong.” Meanwhile, Vecna saunters around, setting up his mysterious endgame. There’s also a shot of Nancy firing an automatic rifle like she just stepped out of an ’80s Sly Stallone actioner that should go directly on a t-shirt.

But there’s one upsetting moment that sticks in the mind more than any other, and that’s a back-and-forth between Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve “The Hair” Harrington (Joe Keery) that calls back to a previous season and may even foretell the fate of the beloved duo.

The trailer features multiple moments between Dustin and Steve, who seem to team up as the final battle approaches. “You die, I die,” Steve tells Dustin gently, who repeats “You die, I die” back to him, echoing his words in season 3 when he refused to budge and let Steve take the hit when he was opening a mysterious crate in a Russian-controlled elevator.

Dustin and Steve’s friendship seemed so unlikely at the start of the series, but it’s grown into one of Stranger Things‘ most touching dynamics by shaping the abrasive Steve into a patient big brother to Dustin. Their sarcastic, argumentative banter has turned into genuine loyalty over time, and Steve has often been the mentor Dustin needed when dealing with his confidence issues. In return, seeing Steve through Dustin’s eyes has made him more of a hero to fans than the one-note jerk he started as.

Their “you die, I die” vow feels right in some cosmic way, but a lot of people will be pretty upset if it comes to pass. Though we won’t find out whether either of them dies until the final volume is released later this month, it’s not looking good for Stranger Things‘ most iconic brosephs right now.

Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 premieres to Netflix at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 25. Volume 3 premieres Wednesday, December 31 at 8 p.m. ET.