Kylie Downs
(Warning: Contains Spoilers)
After a much-anticipated wait, the first volume of Stranger Things’ fifth season released on Netflix last week. As the concluding season of the show, it’s set to release in three parts: Volume 1, which was released on November 26th, Volume 2, releasing on December 25th, and the two-hour finale on December 31st, 2025. Fans readily plowed through the four episodes released in Volume 1, with each episode having a run time of roughly an hour.
Season 4 Recap
Season 5 had some big shoes to fill after the previous season’s strong statement. S.4 Ep. 4 “Dear Billy” and S.4 Ep. 7 “The Massacre at Hawkins Lab” finally introduced some answers to fans’ burning questions, doing so with arguably some of the best acting in the show thus far. From the moment Max made her desperate breakthrough from Vecna’s Mind Lair, with Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” reaching its crescendo as she narrowly avoided flying perils, it became clear that the Duffer Brothers would be gradually upping the intensity and brutality of previous seasons. Yes, we’ll be in for some heartbreak this final season, and there’s no guarantee everyone’s favorite characters will get their happy endings.
Before digging into this volume’s review, if you haven’t yet watched Volume 1, here are four episodes the Duffer Brothers recommend to rewatch:
Season 2, Episode 4, “Will the Wise”;
Season 2, Episode 6, “The Spy”;
Season 4, Episode 7, “The Massacre at Hawkins Lab”;
Season 4, Episode 9, “The Piggyback”
(Season Five Spoilers Ahead!)
Season Five Scriptwriting: Strong Moments, Uneven Execution
If there was only one word to describe Volume 1 of Season Five, it would be inconsistent. I was glad to know I wasn’t alone in finding that the acting was generally worse this season. Some characters, such as Hopper, Murray, Lucas, Eleven, and Max (yes, Max) performed just as well as they had in previous seasons, if not better. Hopper resumed the overprotective role over El, who was on the run from military forces that saw her as a threat to Hawkins. Murray continued to be his witty, slightly cynical self. Dustin remained naturally comical (when he wasn’t getting beaten up). Many fans criticized his character change after Eddie’s death, but it was reasonable for him to be forlorn without his friend. Lucas, when not at Max’s side in the hospital, channeled his guilt and heartbreak into determination towards defeating the military and monsters of the Upside Down. Even Max continued to make screen time throughout the four episodes… and at last, not entirely while she was comatose.
Love Triangles and Forgotten Sons
Despite a strong performance from those characters, I wasn’t as impressed with Will, Nancy, and Joyce. Jonathan and Steve fell into a forced love triangle with Nancy, all the while she seemed oblivious to (or jaded by) their antics. All her attention was focused on rescuing her sister, which was believable, but it seemed silly that her two love interests were more keen on making farcical bravado displays rather than concentrating on what would impress her the most—saving her sister, Holly, from Vecna’s grasp.
Joyce, like Hopper, reassumed the overprotective parent role over Will. While that role may have worked well in Will’s childhood, he is supposed to be 16–17 years old in season five. His actor, Noah Schnapp, is 21 years old, making the helicopter parent trope feel even more outdated at this point in the series. In contrast, when Jonathan was 16 years old in season 1, he was given many more liberties than his younger brother. While danger has obviously escalated throughout the seasons, thus giving Joyce reason to be worried for her sons, we still see all of her attention centered solely on Will.
Will and Robin
Still, the dynamic between Will and Robin was worse. Before season five, we hardly saw these two characters interact with each other. It seemed the directors were overcompensating for that in Volume 1, and not in a seamless way.
Robin acted as a mentor for Will as he journeyed through his self-discovery and sexuality, but Will’s introspection seemed much more forced than Robin’s. Robin came out to Steve only after they were both under the influence of a truth drug, admitting that she was jealous of Steve’s ability to charm girls (including Tammy, who Robin had been crushing on). The combination of the truth drug and their long-held friendship made their conversation believable, whereas Will and Robin’s conversations were spontaneous and stiff. It seemed their friendship popped out of thin air. Had their dynamic been introduced earlier in the series, it would make more sense that Will would trust Robin enough to be open with her. Hopefully the next volume will expand on their connection in a way that feels consistent with both of their characters’ personalities and history.
Episode 4: “The Sorcerer” Brings Season Five Back on Track
Aside from those acting and dialogue blips, the scene transitions in Volume 1 continued to be flawless. Season 4 already set our expectations high, particularly in episode 7 when the camera panned from the four younger bikers in the overworld to the four older bikers in the Upside Down. It’s one of the reasons why that episode, titled “The Massacre at Hawkins Lab,” is ranked 9.6 on IMDb—ranked second only to the final episode of season five, “The Sorcerer.” It was easy to see why reception for the final episode was so high. Derek, portrayed for most of the volume as an obnoxious bully, turns into a hero as he leads captured children to their escape from the military. We find out that Vecna needs children—specifically 12 children—as vessels to reach his goals, and the episode finally gives purpose to Season 2, Episode 7, “The Lost Sister,” with the return of Kali. This time, she’s trapped within one of the Upside Down military’s machines, and it seems they’re trying to use her powers against Eleven. While most fans had a feeling it wouldn’t be Vecna behind those closed doors, not many were anticipating it to be her of all characters.
The last ten minutes of the volume’s finale were nothing short of grandiose. After the military and the Hawkins party collided in a tense standoff, they shortly realized they had much bigger issues to worry about. Four demogorgons made quick work of the soldiers, and Vecna made his first appearance of the season, seemingly more powerful than ever. We witness one of the most gruesome deaths yet with some of the remaining soldiers, and his faceoff with Will is terrifyingly epic. As Mike, Lucas, and Robin’s fights with the demogorgons grew futile, we discovered the biggest twist of all: Will has powers, too. Between the intense music and apocalyptic battle setting, the final few minutes of the volume more than make up for its earlier shortcomings.
If the remainder of season five lives up to what we’ve seen so far, it’ll be well worth the wait. Volume 2 hits Netflix on Christmas Day, so come armed with your boldest predictions (and a box of tissues).
