The long-awaited fifth season of Stranger Things was finally released on November 26th, the day before Thanksgiving. This season marks the end of the beloved Netflix series, and its New Year’s Eve finale will close out its almost ten-year run. Season Five is being released across three volumes, with Volume One having already been released, Volume Two releasing on Christmas day, and Volume Three releasing on New Years Eve. Volume One amassed 59.6 million views over the first five days after its release, and is currently Netflix’s most viewed series. So how does this season compare to others, and what should viewers look forward to in the next two volumes? With almost five hours of content over four episodes, there is a lot to cover.
Season four left fans on a cliffhanger, as Hawkins was split apart and burning. Although the gang had reunited, they had lost Eddie in the fight against Vecna, and Max had fallen into a coma. As if they already didn’t have their hands full, the Upside Down had started merging into Hawkins, with spores beginning to “snow” everywhere, wilting the surrounding vegetation. As panic set in, an ominous storm cloud rose over Hawkins in the final shot of Season Four.
Cut to Season Five, and we are reintroduced to our cast of characters, as Robin’s broadcast over the radio fills viewers in on the state of Hawkins. It looks like almost nothing has changed. The gate is covered up with metal plating, and no upside down spores or vines are anywhere. It’s almost like the Season Four ending shot never happened. However, despite putting a metal bandaid over the encroaching upside down, Episode One avoids the typical beginning-of-season reset that fans have become accustomed to; instead hurling viewers straight into the action.
Following a year-and-a-half time jump, Episode One does a good job of grounding the viewer while still keeping the stakes high. The best part of the episode is the end, when all the characters work together to execute “The Crawl,” a secretive operation where Hopper enters the Upside Down to hunt down Vecna. Every character has a job to do as part of the plan, and its rehearsed, intricate quality is satisfying to watch and reminiscent of past season finales when every character comes together to defeat the villain. This Crawl, however, doesn’t go as planned and the episode ends on a cliffhanger as a Demogorgon enters through the ceiling of Holly Wheeler’s bedroom, while her mom dances obliviously in the bathroom down the hall.
The entirety of Episode One evokes the energetic, action-packed plot typically found in the last episodes of a season. While this is different from past season-openers, it works well. Both the viewers and the characters already know who the villain is and what the stakes are, so there is no need to waste time introducing a new enemy. While the episode is heart-pounding, there are also slower moments that focus on the character’s relationships. Two that stand out are Lucas’s visit to Max—who is still in a coma—and Mike and Eleven’s heart to heart on the roof of the WSQK. Stranger Things is more than its action, and episode one does a good job of showing that.
The chaos from the end of Episode One carries over to Episode Two, picking up in the same scene as Holly Wheeler witnesses the Demogorgon climb out of her roof. And in an unusual fashion for Stranger Things, two major characters are attacked—in the first five minutes of the episode, no less. Luckily, Karen and Ted Wheeler survive their encounter with the Demogorgon, which managed to take Holly to the upside down. They also learn that the identity of Holly’s mysterious imaginary friend, Mr. Whatsit, is Vecna, choosing to appear in a friendly form to his victims. Will and Robin also begin to connect in this episode, standing out as one of the best new friendships of the season. Since Robin’s introduction in season three, fans have hoped that these two characters would get the chance to bond because of their shared experience of being gay in the 1980s. This whole episode feels like a mystery. The main characters have to process what happened to the Wheeler parents, and immediately solve why they were attacked and why Holly was kidnapped. While enjoyable, this episode feels like the weakest of the four simply because the other three out-do it, especially the next episode: “The Turnbow Trap.”
For the past two seasons, Will’s connection with the upside down has only appeared as a subtle stroke of the neck when the Mind Flayer is near, so it is almost a relief when, in Episode Three, he begins to harness this connection into something they can use against Vecna. Seeing through Vecna’s eyes, Will is able to sense his next victim: a young boy named Derek Turnbow. The crew, minus Eleven and Hopper, formulate a plan to trap the Demogorgon they predict will appear at the Turnbow house, so they can then kidnap the Turnbow family before Vecna does. With a “Home Alone”-esque montage showing the booby traps, and then a riveting fight scene with the Demogorgon, “The Turnbow Trap” is one of the most entertaining plot points of the season.
Episode Three also follows Holly Wheeler as she is unknowingly stuck inside Vecna’s mind. She is seemingly all alone until an unexpected ally lures her to the woods, whereupon it is revealed that Max has been inside Vecna’s mind for the past year. This twist is one of the most exciting parts of the episode and a relief to all the viewers who were devastated following her tragic Season Four fate. Since joining the cast in Season Two and following her incredible performance in Season Four, Sadie Sink has cemented herself as one of the most beloved and talented actors on the cast. Having her in a coma all season would have been a waste and a disappointment to all of the viewers who adore Max as a character.
Episode Three is the second best episode so far of Season Five, with Episode Four coming in a clear first place. The only low point of the episode was Eleven and Hopper’s plotline, which was forgettable. Their relationship is one of the most beloved on the show but their plotline this episode just gets overshadowed by the other two.
Episode Four, “The Sorcerer,” has the most action out of any episode in the season, with the climax depicting the huge battle between the military and demogorgons at the former Hawkins town square, now called the MAC-Z. Filmed in one continuous shot, the scene at the MAC-Z is one of “Stranger Things’” most intense and eye-catching in the entire series. The way it is shot makes it feel like the viewer is running through the chaos along with Joyce, Mike and the crew. As the scene reaches its climax, Vecna makes his first appearance of the season, visibly changed after the fight at the end of Season Four. While Vecna has appeared as Mr. Whatsit prior to Episode Four, waiting to depict him in his form that’s more familiar to fans built up the anticipation for viewers and made his entrance that much more menacing.
The best part of the episode by far, however, is the end when Will is able to harness his connection to the Upside Down, using it to control the Demogorgons going after Robin, Mike and Lucas. Will, seeing this through the eyes of the Demogorgon, thinks back to his earlier conversation with Robin when she gave him advice to accept and be proud of himself. Robin’s speech to Will is accompanied by a montage of moments from Will’s childhood. This is one of the most beautiful and emotional scenes in the entire series and has stuck with viewers since its release. When this heart-touching sequence ends, the shot cuts to a Demogorgon frozen over a helpless Mike, before revealing that Will has harnessed powers to destroy the monsters. In the final shot of the episode, Will wipes blood from his nose, solidifying his new abilities and depicting him with a sense of strength and control that he has never wielded in the show before. Giving a character powers like his can be risky and seem like clumsy writing, but Will’s arc throughout the whole series feels like it has led to this moment.
Another huge reveal in Episode Four is that Kali, a character who hasn’t been seen since season two, is being held hostage by the government in a base in the Upside Down. Kali also possesses psychic powers, similar to Eleven, meaning she will serve a crucial role in fighting Vecna and the Upside Down. Fans are already excited that there is now a trio of psychic-enabled characters awaiting us in Volume Two.
With only four episodes, this season has already solidified itself as one of the best in the show, and has the potential to rival even Season One. There are many standout performances this season so far, most notably Noah Schnapps’s performance as Will Byers, but also Holly Wheeler, who played a bigger role this season and was recast to British actress Nell Fisher, and Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay, who is new to the cast this season.
While this volume was satisfying overall, it still has some weaker plot points. Hopper and Eleven’s storyline, for one, felt dull throughout the first volume. The only scene that stood out for them was in Episode Four when it is revealed that Hopper plans to sacrifice himself to kill Vecna, and they have a very emotional, heartbreaking moment together as Eleven begs him not to. This scene, however, feels almost pointless once Hopper comes back a second later without a scratch on him after realizing it is Kali who’s in the base, not Vecna. Another low point of the volume is the return of Steve, Jonathan, and Nancy’s love triangle. This really should have been put to rest after Season Two and having it return again weakens the character development that Jonathan and Steve have had over the last three seasons. Nevertheless, the strength of the rest of the volume overshadows these weaker spots.
Overall, Volume One of “Stranger Things” Season Five is heartwarming, gripping and addictive. From iconic villains to new telekinetic characters, the Duffer Brothers gave viewers just enough to tide them over until Christmas, while still keeping them on the edge of their seats with anticipation.
