Warning: Contains spoilers for “Stranger Things” season 5.
Leaving the “Stranger Things” fans on a cliffhanger, season 4 concluded with the town of Hawkins being invaded by the Upside Down, confirming “Vecna’s” victory. The opening scene of season 5 presented a flashback of Will Byers in the Upside Down and Vecna eventually implanting a haunting substance on Will, establishing him as his first link to the human world.
Season 5 returns the main group of teens, Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will and Max, alongside the older allies like Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Jonathon all working together to find and diminish Vecna, who had gone into hiding, but also protecting Eleven from the government’s hunt on her.
In this season, Holly, who was a background character in previous seasons, was introduced as a main character who plays a vital role in this season as she was kidnapped by Vecna, forcing the main crew to rescue her.
“Stranger Things” season 5 has been one of my favorite seasons of the show so far. As the final chapter of the series, it has lived up to expectations. I think the overall storyline is unpredictable, and the Duffer Brothers always do a great job introducing new characters while still tying everything together. The introduction of the radio show, directed by Robin, is a great way to show everyone’s point of view as they listen to it and reveal where each character is at.
It’s impressive how the show also connects back to the previous season by showing the military and how the Upside-Down portal that opened at the end of Season 4, is now heavily protected. In Episode 3, the Hawkins crew sets up a trap for Vecna. The trap was set up really well, and it eventually leads them deeper into the Upside Down.
Meanwhile, Eleven and Hopper are dealing with the military trying to break into the base because they believe Vecna is being kept there. I appreciate the separate situations, but connected plot. The climax of Episode 4 was thrilling. The capture of all the kids and eventually when Vecna appears, it creates an engaged audience. This is when the show reveals a detail that will further impact the remainder of season 5 in fantastic ways.
Overall, the structure of Volume 1 was extremely well done, and everything tied together
perfectly. It left a variety of the audience with conspiracies and predictions regarding the finale of the season. The remaining episodes known as “Volume 2” (episodes 5-7) arrive on December 25th, and the series finale on December 31st.
