Full spoilers follow for Stranger Things: Season 5, Vol. 1, which consists of four of Season 5’s eight episodes. Vol. 1 premieres November 26 on Netflix, with the next three episodes debuting on December 25 and the series finale debuting December 31.
There’s been considerable grousing from critics and audiences alike that it’s taken Matt and Ross Duffer nine years to bring Stranger Things—their love letter to ’80s nostalgia and sci-fi storytelling—to its conclusion. But here’s the thing about Stranger Things as a series: the moment fresh chapters arrive, you remember exactly why it’s worth waiting three years and four months for new episodes. Pound for pound, the Duffers, their collaborators, and their stellar cast use their time away to deliver impactful character moments, surprising mythology twists, and emotional stakes on a level that few blockbuster films can hope to achieve.
This is the final season, which means expectations are arguably the highest they’ve ever been for the Duffers to pay off what amounts to a battle determining sovereign reality: the Rightside Up (ours) or the Upside Down (Vecna’s). Aside from a clunky first episode saddled with disseminating the exposition needed to bring audiences up to speed, the first block of episodes does an increasingly thrilling job of establishing the stakes for our heroes and setting up the major threats—both military and Vecna-related. And it culminates in a Chapter 4 climax that rivals anything the show has accomplished before in scale and cinematic ambition.
A Changed Hawkins
The Hawkins, Indiana, we return to has transformed dramatically since it was first introduced in 1983 as an idyllic example of middle-class suburbia. In the 584 days since the Season 4 finale—when Max’s (Sadie Sink) brief death tore open Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) gates to the Upside Down and his realm bled into Hawkins—the town has been essentially cosplaying what it once was. It’s now a militarized zone, quarantined from the rest of the state by barbed-wire fences and checkpoints, filled with soldiers monitoring the breaches and the residents who refused to flee.
Among those stubborn Midwestern remainers are Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and her children, the Wheelers, the Sinclairs, the Hendersons, Robin (Maya Hawke), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and Hopper (David Harbour). Our familiar players share a secret purpose, operating beneath the radar of their fellow citizens and the military while attempting to determine what’s become of Vecna, who has essentially vanished since Max entered her coma. Under the powerful transmission tower of WSQK radio station, Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Steve (Joe Keery), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), and Robin work to use the site’s equipment and remote location to plan covert Vecna scouting missions for Hopper into the Upside Down. Meanwhile, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Will (Noah Schnapp), and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) continue attending school but assist as lookouts and field support during operations.
The Hawkins, Indiana, we return to is much changed from when it was first introduced in 1983 as an idyllic example of middle-class suburbia.
Character Evolution and Standout Performances
Generally, the united allies are as purposeful and organized as they’ve ever been—with the exception of Dustin, who hasn’t been the same since Eddie Munson’s (Joseph Quinn) death. In the aftermath, he’s become bitter, angry, and defensive of Eddie, who remains vilified by their community for his perceived demonic pursuits through the Hellfire Club. Dustin’s surly attitude is a welcome and realistic turn for the typically sunny character, forcing the rest of his circle—especially Will—to take up the creative and mental slack as they attempt to anticipate Vecna’s quiet machinations. Matarazzo remains a cast MVP, and his performance ensures Eddie’s death carries weight as his character wrestles with pain he can’t process healthily. His is a standout characterization this season, along with Hawke’s energetic and witty Robin and Schnapp’s more assertive take on Will, who bristles against Joyce’s overprotectiveness and moves away from being the group’s victim.
At this stage in the series, there’s an abundance of Hawkins support characters to weave into the narrative because the town was developed into a fully realized community. This means welcome returns from Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono), boisterous Murray (Brett Gelman), and Lucas’ sharp-tongued sister Erica (Priah Ferguson). There’s also a new, more developed version of Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) and even her bully classmate Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly), who together restore the kid-centric vibes that have always made Stranger Things special. Few shows have created an ensemble network as successfully as the Duffers have in Hawkins, which allows them to draw on even minor players to create unexpected jeopardy or touchback on the show’s own mythology with purpose. And they absolutely do.
New Threats and Linda Hamilton’s Arrival
Beyond the threat of Vecna, Season 5 continues the secret-lab storylines that originated with Dr. Martin Brenner’s work revealed in the first season. There’s been a sinister baton-passing to Linda Hamilton’s Dr. Kay, and while her overall motives remain unclear, it can’t be positive that she’s figured out how to operate a lab in the Upside Down where she hoards an abundance of nasty creatures (à la Bishop in Aliens) to dissect. She’s also protecting a secret room that El and Hopper—who spend the majority of these episodes together in the Upside Down—will eventually infiltrate. Hamilton is always an asset to any cast, but she’s just simmering so far, promising explosive developments to come.
Episode-by-Episode Breakdown
Assessing the four episodes as a mini-season, “Chapter One: The Crawl” (written and directed by the Duffers) is the least graceful of the collection as it stuffs its 71-minute runtime with an overwhelming amount of information. There’s considerable plot servicing at the expense of smaller character moments. For example, the new radio station initially functions as a vehicle for Robin to deliver an exposition dump to the audience, leaving it feeling like the least organic set piece in the entire series. Let’s just say it’s no Hawkins Lab or Starcourt Mall. Another misstep is several one-note character scenarios that feel beneath the caliber of the cast. Steve and Jonathan’s basic rivalry over Nancy’s affections feels somewhat tired, and reducing El to merely an obsessed training machine—which again triggers Hopper’s worst protectionist instincts—feels like a regression of their dynamic.
However, the Duffers regain their rhythm by “Chapter Two: The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” which returns the series to its horror roots. It opens with a terrifying Demogorgon attack evoking one of the most memorable scenes in Poltergeist and immediately puts three long-time characters in mortal danger. The episode also signifies a more natural return to the show’s multiple-plot structure where the Duffers balance their large ensemble by clustering characters together on individual missions. One of the freshest pairings places Will and Robin together. As he explores his reactivated connection to Vecna, Robin’s independence and confidence gives him not only someone to admire but also the only person he can discuss his burgeoning same-sex feelings with.
Frank Darabont Brings His Mastery
The legendary Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) directs “Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap,” which lets him unleash period-piece elements, Commando-style action sequences in the Upside Down featuring El and Hopper, and establishing Holly as the unexpected focus of Vecna’s attentions. He showcases the quiet menace of Bower’s Henry persona and demonstrates his prowess working with young actors. He’s also gifted with framing an excellent reveal at the episode’s conclusion that injects momentum into the entire show heading into the climactic final episode, “Chapter Four: Sorcerer.”
A Breathtaking Vol. 1 Finale
The Vol. 1 finale, written and directed again by the Duffers, is equal parts love letter to Madeleine L’Engle’s teen sci-fi classic A Wrinkle in Time and to ’80s action cinema. Sink’s Max returns to the story transformed yet even more admirable in her role as Holly’s protector and relentless fighter against Vecna. Then the episode shifts into full action mode, with the climax especially featuring some of the brothers’ finest work on the series, rivaling prior season finales in sheer scale and consequential reveals. It also exceeds what’s come before in Stranger Things‘ depiction of graphic violence, so consider this a warning if you’re watching with younger viewers.
There’s much to admire about how the Duffers blend their converging storylines into a propulsive The Great Escape-meets-Children of Men mashup sequence. Using extended single takes and exceptional editing pace, this is an audacious closing battle that dares to cross-cut between an Upside Down jailbreak of children and a Demogorgon orgy of violence. It leaves things on a breathless note while setting viewers up for the final four episodes with clearer understanding of Vecna’s plans, an unexpected realignment of how Will’s simmering connection might flip the power dynamic, and provides a path for Max’s return to the fold. There’s also a fantastic callback to Season 2 that might rectify one of the show’s more controversial story arcs. Fans will be riding the high of this cliffhanger while knowing there’s only a month before the story delivers its final resolution.
The Verdict
The Duffers quickly rediscover their groove in Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 1. These four episodes are a welcome return to the town and characters of Hawkins that fans have spent nearly a decade with. The fight against Vecna takes an unexpected new path, and the show’s tone has matured alongside its cast and the experiences of its characters. For fans who’ve been on this journey since 1983 Hawkins, this first volume delivers exactly what we’ve been waiting for: high stakes, emotional depth, and the promise that the Duffers know exactly how to stick this landing. The wait has been long, but these episodes prove it’s been worth every single day.
