Introduction

So, I’ve just finished watching the entirety of Stranger Things, which I started on New Year’s Eve after work. I’ve never watched much about it for too long, so I’ve entered this show with relatively scarce knowledge; this was due to perceiving the show as overrated and not really all that good. In doing so, I have a lot of thoughts, which I would like to share.

I will also link some videos below in the conclusion, which I watched to inform my discussion and for you to get a more holistic overview of audience reception to S5.

The Season 5 dichotomy:

When it comes to me, I tend to see a common trend of Season 5s in shows as being the ‘peak’ or ‘pinnacle’ of storytelling. For example, The Walking Dead with murder beard Rick Grimes, Breaking Bad, Snowfall, Shameless (USA) and The Office (USA).

However, this isn’t a guaranteed formula and can often result in underwhelming seasons of television, especially if it is the final one. For instance, Prison Break, You, Cobra Kai (this was especially difficult for me, as although I love The Karate Kid films, I found this show pretty cringey after a while).

Where does Stranger Things Season 5 fall in this spectrum?

Stranger Things S5 seems to fall within the latter, where I began to find more flaws within the show than prior. S4 did arguably begin to show me this with Hopper’s death in S3 being retconned, done so by having him survive in captivity within a Russian prison; despite this, I still really enjoyed S4 and found a lot to like.

Season 4 – Horror revival:

Specifically, I personally felt as though the balance of action and horror had been restored, as the lost dread of the show had been (temporarily, at least) revived through Vecna. His stalker approach to gathering victims for his world-ending plans was interesting and I enjoyed being sent to the dream sequences as characters like Chrissy, Fred and Max; it made Stranger Things feel scary again, like it did in S1 and parts of S2.

I suppose I can’t really be surprised. How can it still be scary if the characters and audiences are older and know what the established threat is? At the same time. We are audiences and expect to be surprised when consuming media. Especially when it is a show as long-lasting as Stranger Things, establishing its own conventions which the fans expect.

Moreover, in S4, we also got more interesting side characters, like Eddie and Argyle. They were fantastic additions. I think Vecna/Henry/001 was a truly intimidating figure and I enjoyed how it built upon prior seasons by stating that he was responsible for the prior events rather than the Mind Flayer.

Additionally, I actually enjoyed the inclusion of the military within S4, as our group were forced to become fugitives fighting to save their town. S5 exhibits this fugitive lifestyle to a less satisfying degree, as the military transition from somewhat compelling to lackluster. It also does a lot of things the prior seasons did to a less satisfying degree. Let’s get into it.

Disclaimer: Before we start, I would like to state something. This is my opinion and you may not agree. In doing so, this will of course invite discourse. I recommend you decide for yourself where you stand and think critically about my interpretations.

I will provide a season ranking, alongside a non-spoiler and spoiler review. You have been warned.

Season ranking:

1. Season 3
2. Season 4
3. Season 1
4. Season 2
5. Season 5

Non-spoiler review:

Now, what I will say is this. Season 5 is the worst season of the show. I think many will agree with me when I say that. But I don’t think it’s a bad season. The joy of a show as entertaining as this is that you can put aside your issues with the narrative and any plot inconsistencies. You love the characters and become invested in watching how they’re represented to the screen. While many watching Season 5 may not have been able to fully do so, I found that I could continue watching the episodes without my own deliberate interruption. It was the weakest entry, yes. But still consumable from an audience perspective, especially as a fan of Stranger Things.

How does Season 5 open up?

Season 5 takes place a year after Season 4’s finale of Vecna leaving Hawkins in ruins, with a higher military presence – particularly around the central area with the library, which contains a base of operations – and checkpoints for leaving and entering the town. Set in November 1987, many residents chalk up this increased authoritarianism to the ‘great earthquake’, whilst our main cast are well aware of the ‘gates’ concealed beneath.

Like S3 did with Erica, S5 takes the liberty of making a side character have a primary presence. In this case: Holly. I think this was a good decision, as often Holly has been observer to many of the abnormal things which have transpired. To place her into an active role which allows the viewer to personally identify with her is very much refreshing.

My favourite character Murray is shown to be a supply runner of sorts for the group, which does sort of make sense when we consider his fallout shelter hideout from S2 and S3 (perhaps this could arguably make him conform to Vladimir Propp’s idea of the donor character).

Mike, Will, Jonathan and Joyce have permanently moved away from Lenora, California to return back home. Hopper is now sporting more of a trucker look with long hair and a dishevelled beard. Our favourite telekinetic heroine is shown to be training within the junkyard, being far more agile and acrobatic than we have seen beforehand.

Next, Robin and Steve are now working for radio station WSQK The Squawk (alongside the help of Nancy and Jonathan). Max is still comatose but Lucas remains at her bedside, keeping the spirit of Kate Bush alive. Dustin is still grieving the loss of our favourite Hellfire member but he appears more reckless and defensive.

What happens within Season 5?

Now, I will give a vague overview of the season’s events. Essentially, the group hasn’t finished their pursuit of Vecna. To do so, they frequently sneak into the Upside Down to locate him, which results in several confrontations with the demonic figures and military personnel. However, it becomes unclear to what extent Vecna is carrying out his world domination.

His approach seems different this time around, however so too is the main group’s technique once key events begin to fall into place. Holly is also taken after a “vicious attack at the Wheeler home” (Netflix, 2025). During this, the cast begin to realise that the anniversary of Will’s disappearance is coming up, which does arguably play a thematic function within the larger narrative unfolding. The show does indeed have a conclusion, but where you stand depends entirely on your own interpretation.

Non-spoiler conclusion:

Overall, I would say this season reverts back to the action-oriented approach of Season 3, but to me this feels incredibly overloaded. Unlike Season 3, S5 doesn’t use these moments sparingly but in abundance. I can partly understand due to the higher stakes established but there feels like to me less moments of meaningful dialogue and conversation. Because of this, the fights in S5 often become repetitive.

Perhaps it is because I preferred S3’s suspense via Will detecting the Mind Flayer’s presence and Billy as this almost supernatural serial kidnapper stealing people away within the small town of Hawkins. I also think the world building is much stronger in S3, with the mall and the hospital of course being standout locations within the show. The hospital in S5? Well, it’s here. But I wouldn’t say used as well.

I would also say that the characters this time around feel a bit too invincible and are able to survive some rather absurd scenarios. I understand the showrunners’ concern for fan backlash regarding any major shocks but this feels like it plays it too safe. Even with certain choices made for the finale.

All in all, the worst season within the show but not a terrible season by any means.

Spoiler review:

Ok, so let’s get into spoiler territory. To do so, I will separate my thoughts into pros and cons.

Pros:

• The music (I think no matter what season you watch, the show still provides a stellar soundtrack, thanks in large part to composers Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein)
  
  
• Most of the characters got a satisfying send-off:
  A notable favourite of mine is Steve becoming a baseball coach and Sex Ed teacher (I do respect his self-made attitude, where he mentions how he is saving up for a nice home on Forest Hills “on a coach’s salary” | 1:38:47-1:38:49; this is a nice arc of characterisation in comparison to S2’s opener when he fears that he’ll “end up working for [his] dad anyway” | 13:23-13:25)
  
  
• The homages and callbacks were great (e.g – El in Hawkins Lab’s water tank from S1, Holly’s friend group in the finale mirroring the D&D ‘party’ of the main cast) and I liked how it cut back to Mike when leading up to graduation. It made him again become the “heart” of the show, which is what I feel S1 had made him and what S4 implies is the case through Will’s painting (showcased in S4, Ep8 at 16:45)
  
  
• Vecna’s death was incredibly satisfying (watching Will use his sorcery, El fight back and Joyce deliver the killing blows was so rewarding to watch); however, they killed him rather easily and the only satisfying part was watching the characters fight back than the actual realism of the situation. I feel as though we should’ve had Kali there in the Abyss fight Henry with Eleven and then die during that altercation
  
  
• Will siphoning Vecna’s powers (it was great to actually see him do something in S5 rather than get goosebumps or be too afraid to speak up)

Cons:

• The plot holes became glaring and inconsistencies/lazy writing grew:
  
  – In S1, what exactly was Vecna’s goal? Because if he had always planned for world domination, then why not do so in S1 when he had Will under his control and carry out the merging of the Abyss and Earth with a less powerful Eleven and sparse group to fight against him? To be fair, this is a minor discrepancy since if this happened, there would be no 5 seasons of TV
  
  
  – Where was Vecna in S2? We can assume now that when Will masculinised the Mind Flayer that he was in part referring to Henry but why didn’t Vecna carry out his acquisition of 12 children then? From what we’ve seen, the show never seems to explain what makes these kids unique and feels like he chose them on a whim rather than strategically.
  
  I understand the numerical symbolism of 12, mirroring Dr Brenner’s program of Project MKUltra via 12 special children (we can presume there are 12 through this IMDB link) but what powers did the S5 children have? If they were simply just being given Henry’s power, then he could’ve chosen 12 children a long time ago. Seems like a plot contrivance
  
  
  – In S3, how exactly did the Russians manage to get underneath the mall and build an underground base? Even military colonel Lt. Jack Sullivan – who we meet in S4 – reminds Dr Sam Owens and the audience on said matter in 4×3, when he says that “A foreign government invaded our country, all under your watch (1:36-1:39).
  
  
  – While I love S4, there is one major thing I don’t understand: how could the people of Hawkins rally behind the idea of a satanic cult orchestrating a series of murders but then the second the Earth is literally ripping itself apart and rifts are coming through the ground, it is chalked up to an earthquake?
  
  S5:
  – Why does the power lever at the Squawk radio station change from having a black (5×1) to a red arrow (5×5)?
  
  – How did Max manage to graduate alongside the others when she was in a coma for a long period of time? Additionally, how did she manage to gain a 100% recovery from having her limbs snapped and eyesight removed in S4’s finale?
  
  – Why do Joyce and Hopper never mention the fact they knew Henry Creel in 1959? We assume this happened through Max traversing Henry’s memories
  
  – How does Nancy get away with gunning down several soldiers? Surely at the epilogue, she should be prosecuted and suffer some jail time
  
  – We are shown in S4 that the Demogorgons and Demodogs originate from the Abyss; where are they in the finale? Did Vecna let them use their holiday hours or something?
  
  – Why do the military use ordinary weapons against the Demogorgon? It is established that fire is the best weapon against it
  
  – How did Derek fit through the cave wall into the red dimension? We see that Max struggled getting through that gap so I imagine Derek would’ve taken even longer and Henry would’ve captured him
  
  – Why doesn’t Will end up dying in the finale? If he’s part of the Hive Mind, then surely from what the lore has told us, he too would perish if the Mind Flayer was killed
  
  – Are Robin and Vicky still together?
  
  
• Some characters don’t get a satisfying send-off:
  
  – Murray isn’t shown within the final concluding moments, left open to interpretation; we can assume since he is a journalist that he’s finding more scoops or perhaps remains a supply runner. Regardless, we don’t know.
  
  – Kali and Eleven’s fates are left ambiguously; while I do prefer Eleven’s outcome, the fact that Kali potentially resurrected herself to conjure up 2 spells before seemingly dying seems a bit absurd. Regardless, we can imagine Kali for sure is dead after the Upside Down was completely evaporated (people have speculated she faked her gunshot from Akers but I’m unsure). Eleven’s fate depends on Mike’s theory, which is that Kali masked Eleven’s escape and now El is on a lone journey of exploration and self-discovery.
  
  
• Henry’s backstory with the Mind Flayer and the scientist having that element within his briefcase felt sloppily executed; it felt very last minute and abrupt, where I feel like S4 had executed Henry’s backstory far better
  
  
• The show was too afraid to kill off its main cast (e.g – Mike/Lucas/Robin against the Demogorgons | S5, Ep4 | Nancy and Jonathan within the Wax Room at Hawkins Lab | S5, Ep6 | Steve on the radio tower and Nancy against the Mind Flayer in the finale)
  
  
• There was no threat level within the Upside Down compared to S4 (which doesn’t make much sense, as in S4 the Upside Down was incredibly dangerous due to the bats and Demogorgons)
  
  
• Kali and Murray were plot devices used to help aid the characters, conforming to Propp’s idea of the donor character (Murray with his supplies and Kali with her perception manipulation). Moreover, Max was relegated to doing basically nothing within the finale, only pushing the plot forward through her interdimensional self)

Conclusion

So, that was a few of my thoughts on the Stranger Things finale. I wasn’t entirely frustrated with the ending but there was a lot more glaring issues and I actually think S3 and S4 serve as more conclusive components to the established lore. If the show had simply been a trilogy of S1, S2 and S3, it would’ve been phenomenal and likely hailed as one of the greatest pieces of media ever constructed.

In addition, I think S4’s ending of Hawkins repairing itself after the rifts began opening from the ground could’ve sufficed (although S4 arguably is more of a setup season to S5 rather than a true standalone watch).

#Conformitygate and ‘S5, Ep9’

From what I’ve heard, there are rumours of an additional episode coming out today, with audiences theorising that the epilogue was an illusion constructed by Vecna (e.g – Mike’s future appearance resembling Henry’s S5 human form, the party’s D&D books spelling out “XLIE”).

Ironically, this need to satiate fan demand parallels Jonathan’s movie in the finale, which he has began developing at NYU called The Consumer. In this, his tagline is “The more she eats, the hungrier she gets”. This alongside countless other strands of evidence have amplified the #conformitygate theory.

However, this has been squashed via the show’s social media accounts asserting “ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING”.

Despite this, fans aren’t satisfied. Even the official Uno Instagram account is capitalising on this dominant fandom psychosis by stating “skip to ep9”.

What is the future for the franchise?

Furthermore, there is also rumours of a spin-off set in London during the 1990s, while a definitive new entry called Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is set to release; Tales From ’85 takes place between S2-S3 of the mainline show, debuting sometime this year. On January 12th, a Netflix behind-the-scenes documentary for Season 5 called One Last Adventure: The Making Of Stranger Things 5 is releasing, so stay tuned for that.

I would like to leave you on one last passing remark: #conformitygate never dies.

Any questions? What did you think? Feel free to contact me on johnjoyce4535@gmail.com!

Check out my last piece: To The Other Animals

Links – Stranger Things S5:

• Amanda Todhunter – explaining why everyone hates stranger things now if you’re employed and wanna know the tea
• Jaren Talks Movies – The Stranger Things Finale SAVED The Series (Spoiler Review)
• My Little Thought Tree – Stranger Things S5 FORGOT the point of the story (personal favourite of mine, as he gives a balanced overview)
• Lessons in Meme Culture – People Do Not Like Stranger Things S5 | Stranger Things Fans Are Going Insane
• kayla says – The Stranger Things Finale Drama, Explained
• Giovanni Marks – Stranger Things 5 DESTROYED a perfect show
• Think Story – 43 Plot Holes [in Stranger Things S5] That Will Have You Going “Huh?”

For more reviews, check out the following link:

https://www.liverpoolguildstudentmedia.co.uk/category/reviews