Following a staggered television series release that included the dates of Nov. 26, Dec. 25, and Dec. 31, the pop-culture icon that is Netflix’s “Stranger Things” released its fifth and final season in three parts, with mixed opinions. The season scores 83% among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but only 56% among general audience members.
Season 5 comprises nine episodes with varying runtimes, divided into two volumes of four episodes and a finale. The story begins in Hawkins, Indiana, during the fall of 1987, roughly one and a half years after the events of the previous season. Hawkins is under a hostile military-imposed quarantine following the failed invasion of a dark wizard, and the main cast has to avoid the new obstacles and navigate the perils of the Upside Down while hunting for the main villain, Henry/Vecna/One, who is rumored to still be alive.
Volume 1
Because the spark of uniqueness has dimmed over the series’s nine-year runtime, the start of Season 5, Volume 1, released the day before Thanksgiving, felt a little too similar to the show’s past. The events were new, but the tension caused by the mystery that once made the series so engaging to watch was not present. It’s not the first trip to the Upside Down for the viewers, or the characters, so the plot twist of “Mr. Whatsit”’s true identity was uninteresting. The villain is too well-known, even with his many aliases.
However, the narrative became more intriguing once the fan-favorite character, ’Delightful’ Derek Turnbow, was introduced. Jake Conelley’s performance was a breath of fresh air in the large, well-established cast, with his raucous laughter and childish, yet charming insults. Because most of the actors have aged significantly since the beginning of the show, the addition is a good reminder that the central protagonists are, in fact, supposed to be children.
The idea that Eleven was the only young superhero was turned upside down because the revered plot twist in the last episode of Volume 1 revealed that someone else had major telekinetic power. There have been parallels drawn between the characters of Will Byers and Harry Potter, highlighting the trope that involves the connection between “The Boy Who Lived” and the evil wizard who tried to kill him. The similarities to older works of popular culture are an under recognized strength of Season 5 and “Stranger Things” as a whole because they attract an audience that spans generations.
Volume 2
On Christmas Day arrived the messy middle of the season, Volume 2. There are several plot holes and complaints to be made about the rushed, yet anticlimactic pacing of episodes five through seven. The series’s long lifespan, extremely large cast, and complex plot threads resulted in confusion. A vast amount of events occurred, and yet nothing appeared to have happened upon a surface-level reflection.
On the upside, the character development maintained engagement. From the reconciliation of fan favorite characters Dustin Henderson and Steve Harrington to the prolonged inspirational conversation during Max Mayfield and Holly Wheeler’s escape from Vecna’s mind, emotional tensions boiled over during scary moments, keeping one on the edge of their seat.
The coming-out scene was a major subject of debate online due to the broad audience of the show. Sure, the timing may have been awkward, but it was a necessary addition to facilitate the personal growth of Will Byers. It was a heartwarming moment that reintroduced the topic of sexuality from earlier seasons and made a real-life stand for societal progress, even in a world set in the past. Television shows such as “Stranger Things” need diversity to foster empathy and increase relatability, which it has pursued for its entire existence.
Volume 3
“Absolute cinema” is the best phrase to describe the New Year’s Eve Finale, otherwise known as Volume 3. The eighth and last episode of “Stranger Things” offers a mostly happy ending wrapped up in a bow with plenty of mystery left over for endless speculation and fan theories.
Overall, the final season has its ups and downs, but the plane of the franchise has successfully landed. It brought us back to the root of the series, a party of friends navigating a fantasy world. For me, the issues only added to the charm, because the entire adventure felt like a Dungeons and Dragons campaign – a huge cast, flawed but epic plot points, and the bittersweet realization of the difficulties of growing up and navigating friendships through change. These powerful themes can be felt universally. Even though the show is supposed to be unusual, we’ve all seen “Stranger Things.”
