Stranger Things 5 kicks off with a mad dash to the conclusion

A decade has passed since the Stranger Things sensation emerged, and the Duffer brothers have had sufficient time to develop a solid conclusion to their breakout hit series. However, the kickoff of the show’s fifth and concluding season resembles a hurried sprint to the finale.

Although Stranger Things wasn’t Netflix’s initial blockbuster, it elevated the platform to a new standard of cultural significance by weaving an incredibly engaging narrative that captured public attention. The lingering nostalgia for the ‘80s has persisted, yet Stranger Things sparked a revival of shows and films that felt like other studios were striving to replicate the Duffer Brothers’ triumph. Stranger Things became a monumental phenomenon that did not exhibit many signs of dwindling popularity throughout its initial seasons.

However, by season 4, new episodes were emerging at a notably slower pace due to production delays related to the covid-19 pandemic. While the broader Stranger Things franchise was expanding with a stage production and plans for an animated series, following the 2023 writers strike that led to further holdups, it seemed that Netflix might face challenges in rekindling excitement for audiences to return to Hawkins for the core series’ concluding season.

In the first four episodes of Stranger Things 5, it’s apparent that the Duffer Brothers strive to rectify prior production issues that were out of their hands while also delving into storylines they had envisioned long before the series commenced airing. Although this season resumes precisely where the previous left off, it is filled with elements that highlight how much time has elapsed in reality since we last encountered these characters.

The younger cast appears and feels considerably older in ways that cannot solely be attributed to sudden growth spurts. Characters often communicate with each other through witty snippets of exposition, as if aware that viewers needing a memory refresh are tuning in. Such aspects of Stranger Things 5 require a suspension of disbelief that seems justifiable, given all the external influences that delayed this season’s release.

Despite significant changes in Hawkins since it was nearly destroyed by the Upside Down, the majority of residents continue their daily routines. Everyone recalls the ground-shaking interdimensional forces that ruptured the streets. Yet, they attempt to avoid reflecting on the events as the damage has mostly been concealed with large metal sheets.

Apart from the mandated medical evaluations and a military-enforced quarantine preventing civilians from departing the area, life seems fairly standard to individuals ignorant of Vecna.

(Jamie Campbell Bower) and his numerous Demogorgons. However, for Eleven / Jane (Millie Bobby Brown), Hopper (David Harbour), and their team, the eerie tranquility signals the escalating danger that lies ahead.

To remind you of how this winding narrative began and to highlight the threats Stranger Things‘ protagonists face, the new season allocates more screen time to Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). Will is eager to take on a more significant role in the teens’ strategies to confront Vecna in the present, but the series also revisits the past to unveil what transpired to the boy during his initial abduction into the Upside Down in season one. While many of this season’s otherworldly visuals and effects are captivatingly unsettling, the Will-centered flashbacks featuring a new child actor overlaid with Schnapp’s de-aged face detract slightly from the show’s fantasy elements. Similar to the show’s prior attempts at de-aging its rapidly aging stars, the visual effect doesn’t quite succeed. Still, it conveys that the Duffers genuinely wish for this season to feel like a culmination of certain characters’ story arcs.

You can sense that same desire when the show flashes to posters of a younger Eleven before disclosing that she is indeed hiding in the woods with Hopper and honing her abilities for combat. Hop—first introduced as a disheveled character in season 1—recognizes that his adopted daughter has matured beyond childhood. He and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) are both aware that Eleven may be their sole chance of ultimately defeating Vecna, yet they struggle with her readiness to risk her life.

Stranger Things has consistently showcased a vast ensemble cast and executed a (mostly) commendable job of intertwining their storylines organically. Nevertheless, due to the current season’s dedication to providing everyone one final moment in the spotlight, the show quickly begins to feel overly cluttered.

The season shifts between family dramas revolving around Hopper, school dilemmas for the other remaining members of the Hellfire Club (Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Priah Ferguson), and a complicated love triangle among some of the older teens. Moments such as the budding friendship between Will and Robin (Maya Hawke) have to develop relatively swiftly, given the show’s limited timeframe. The narrative intensifies even further as Stranger Things 5 places greater emphasis on Mike’s younger sister Holly (Nell Fisher) and her outspoken classmate Derek (Jake Connelly).

While Stranger Things 5 strives to further develop some of its characters, it frequently conveys the sense that the show is relying on the assumption that you still recognize and cherish these characters enough for their storylines to reach completion to suffice for an engaging tale. After so much time spent in the pipeline, however, what Stranger Things truly requires to successfully conclude is a final chapter that stands as its own enticing narrative. The show may manage this in its last four episodes if it can take its time and fully embrace the emotional depth that made Stranger Things so striking in its earlier installments. Yet with this season already halfway completed, Stranger Things 5 has significant challenges ahead of it.

Stranger Things 5 also features Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Brett Gelman, Cara Buono, Amybeth McNulty, and Linda Hamilton. The first four episodes are currently available for streaming, the following three launch on December 25th, and the finale broadcasts on December 31st.