Stranger Things Season 5 Review (Vol 1): A Somewhat Satisfying Start to the End

Stranger Things Season 5 Review: In the season finale, the kids find themselves with a singular mission – to find and kill Vecna once and for all. However, with his whereabouts unknown and Hawkins under strict military curfew, how will they bring an end to the reign of terror?

Stranger Things Season 5 will be released in three parts: Volume 1, with 4 episodes, will be released on November 27, 2025; Volume 2, featuring episodes 5-7, will premiere on December 26, 2025, and the last episode will be released on January 1, 2026.

Stranger Things Season 5 Review

It’s the final chapter of Netflix’s 2016 epic that took over people’s hearts and minds by storm during its first release almost 10 years ago. The kids have now grown up, and more complicated things are taking place with the Demogorgon, and the emotions are becoming increasingly tangled. Season 5, ushering in the last chapter of the Netflix epic, delivers a high-stakes, emotionally charged ride that will cater to fans in more ways than one. Although I don’t agree with releasing a TV series in three parts, the initial four episodes mostly deliver.

Season 5 picks up in the fall of 1987, right after the events of season 4, after the Rifts have torn Hawkins apart. The friends have come together once again to put a stop to Vecna and end the reign of terror once and for all, while Eleven is being desperately hunted by the military. There’s a lot at stake here, with personal relationships at stake and characters reeling from the scars of previous seasons, the season aims to bring all of these threads together satisfyingly.

The first four episodes are a character-focused start to the finale, as it balances suspense, horror and heart in the right doses. We see characters’ growth over the years as the series grows with them. Their hopes, dreams, aspirations, traumas and emotions all come together as the kids fight against an entity that is beyond all of them.

With the original child actors now grown up, Stranger Things tries to bring that growth into its storytelling. The conflicts are more mature and realistic, and you feel a sort of kinship to them in an odd way because it feels like we have seen them grow up in front of our screens. This makes the stakes feel higher, and the emotional arcs are deeper and more meaningful, delivering a richer experience for fans who have religiously followed the show since 2016.

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The show leans into the 1980s-inspired sci-fi aesthetic and matches that vibe well. The supernatural dread is imminent in every scene, and it leans into that feeling quite well, delivering a watch that is satisfying and nostalgic for hardcore fans. Plus, it doesn’t hold back from giving us nostalgic throwbacks to make us feel emotionally invested in the storytelling. The season is galore with nostalgic throwbacks, return of beloved characters with a good amount of screen time and, of course, the promise of a grand finale that is yet to come.

That being said, season 5 shows its age too well. You can tell that it’s bloated and aged, along with its actors, and can sometimes feel dated. Personally, the three-part release feels unnecessary and, frankly, annoying. Making viewers wait for months on end for a conclusive ending is a pet peeve of mine, and Stranger Things just loves to use viewers’ interest in the show to drag it out for as long as possible.

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Moreover, some plot threads might feel like they overstay their welcome, and sometimes, too many plot threads get pulled at once. It’s both overwhelming and rushed and feels thoroughly forced. At times, the pacing suffers because of this, because, as always, the show juggles a hundred different things together and overloads the episodes.

Lastly, viewers might find themselves a bit unsatisfied with the transition from youthful and innocent horror hunting to mature drama. This isn’t the biggest issue, because most viewers would find themselves prepared for the transition, but it does hit you sometimes that the innocence of the first few seasons is completely missing in this season, and the vibes are different.

That being said, the season is satisfying mostly because of said actors who, despite the loss of innocent charm, have the charisma to pull this season off on their backs. The series is mostly satisfying because it finally ends the Hawkins chapter once and for all, and the season raises the stakes and gives us mostly well-rounded characters. I think Stranger Things is a show that a lot of people liked for many different reasons. The question, thus, remains as to why you stayed to watch till the end.

Final Thoughts

Stranger Things Season 5 is here for one last ride, and the season finale might just be divisive for many. However, the season works because of the fantastic cast, who deliver their best performances and try to bring the charm of previous seasons to our screens one last time. It remains to be seen how well it lands the finale episode in January. Till then, the first four episodes are good enough to keep you invested.

What are your thoughts on volume 1? Let us know in the comments below!

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