The first four episodes of the long awaited fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” were released Nov. 26. Volume 2, which will be three episodes, comes to Netflix Christmas Day and the final episode will be released on New Year’s Eve. Since the fourth season was released in 2022, viewers have been waiting to see the final “chapters” come into fruition, and this introduction into the farewell season did not disappoint.
Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, “Stranger Things” first aired in 2016, when viewers were introduced to the eerie “Upside Down” world and the demogorgon monsters. The show takes place in 1980s Hawkins, Ind., following a group of friends with a strong passion for Dungeons and Dragons. One of the children, Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, goes mysteriously missing one night — the first of many “strange” things that happen throughout the rest of the series.
Last season, the Duffer Brothers revealed the controller of the Upside Down and the reason for all of these strange events — Vecna, also known as Henry Creel, played by Jamie Campbell Bower. Similar to Eleven, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown, Vecna began as a Hawkins lab subject, later being forced into the Upside Down. This new character intensified the terror in the show, with audiences seeing Vecna’s gruesome murders and disturbing appearance. Along with those deaths, viewers saw the psychological and physical torture Vecna inflicted upon Max Mayfield, portrayed by Sadie Sink.
Each of the episodes in season four are over 1 hour long — if not 2 — to reflect that depth and dark tone. So far, the episodes in the final season have ranged from 57 minutes to 90 minutes, similarly emulating the increasing intensity and horror with each episode and staying consistent with the show’s past runtime.
Volume 1 did not only parallel past seasons with respect to episode length. This season felt extremely nostalgic, especially due to the setting’s return to Hawkins. In season four, the characters were dispersed around the world, with some straying beyond the initial setting of Hawkins, going from Indiana to California, Russia and the Upside Down, of course. However, in this season, all the characters are together, like old times, with the atmosphere split only between Hawkins and the Upside Down.
Many of the colors on screen are muted and dark to represent the tragedy and danger in Hawkins. Furthermore, the Upside Down has consistent red, grey, dark blue and black hues in each shot to create a sense of urgency and fear in viewers. In contrast, the colors on screen are bright and vibrant in the setting that Holly Wheeler, played by Nell Fisher, and Max are in during “Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap” and “Chapter Four: Sorcerer.”
Unexpectedly, Holly is an important character this season. Never previously having a significant role other than being the little sister of Mike Wheeler, played by Finn Wolfhard, in the first four episodes, Holly is the center of events, being targeted and, ultimately, taken by Vecna. 14-year-old Fisher does a great job portraying the youngest Wheeler’s fear and trauma, making Holly seem like a series regular. This season has also spotlighted Will in a way no other season has previously done. In the first season, Schnapp was not even credited as a main character in the opening sequence, but now has much more screentime, which has resulted in mixed responses from the public.
With the addition of another young cast member, viewers are reminded of the growth that many of the actors experienced while filming the series. When the show aired in 2016, Brown and Wolfhard were 12 and 13, respectively, appropriately playing middle schoolers. In contrast, when this season aired, Brown was 21 and Wolfhard was 22, while their characters are high-school age. Despite this age gap, none of the actors’ performances were affected due to their connection with, and having grown up alongside, their characters.
In addition to their convincing performances, the strong chemistry between all of the actors is apparent throughout the entire season. Throughout most of Volume 1, Eleven and Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour, are stuck together in the Upside Down, showcasing their close father-daughter bond, which is evident and emotional on screen. This season has also nurtured Will and Mike’s bond. Volume 1 ended with a compilation of “home videos” from their childhoods, showing the audience how they met and how their friendship has grown over time. These preceding scenes intensify everything the pair has gone through over the duration of the show.
Despite all of the “right-side up” decisions made in the season, some of the plot points did seem a little bit unnecessary. For example, in the beginning of the first episode, “Chapter 1: The Crawl,” the Duffer Brothers use CGI in order to flashback to Young Will, making the child in question look almost identical to Schnapp in season 1. The effort was impressive, but it did look unnatural and generated, which is ironic due to the fact that many of the other effects in the show are convincing.
Another forced plot point is related to the love triangle between Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers, and Nancy Wheeler, played by Joe Keery, Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer, respectively. Nancy’s character is a strong feminist, making sure her views and decisions are constantly known and acknowledged, and she seems disinterested in both of the men pining for her heart. It does not make much sense why both characters still care to be with her, as neither relationship is advancing, and the entire plot point seems so trivial compared to the life-threatening circumstances the group is facing.
Despite the small, unnecessary details, Volume 1 of the final season of “Stranger Things” was an exciting watch. With a carefully designed set and story, clear connection and bond between actors and characters and amazing new additions to the cast, this final season is living up to be what viewers have waited for for the past three years. The only question left is, will the rest of the season be nearly as good, or will it turn opinions “Upside Down?”
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