After nine long years and five incredible seasons, the beginning of the end for Stranger Things is upon us. The first drop of episodes in its final season has arrived, with our Hawkins crew gearing up for a final confrontation with Vecna, who has unleased the Upside Down on the once-quiet town.
Each of Stranger Things’ seasons has excelled in having a unique identity and distinct tone, while still feeling like a progression of the same narrative. For instance; the pure child-like wonder and nostalgia of season one is different to the fun, colourful, neon vibes of season three. Being the climax of a multi-season narrative, this season is by far the darkest, most serious and most streamlined entry to date. Despite having to pick things up after a pretty hefty time jump, these first four episodes waste no time getting us reacquainted with our characters and kicking off the sprint towards the finish line. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been, with the threat of Vecna and the Upside Down ever-present in Hawkins, and that is felt through every single scene. The presence of these stakes ties into how the season so far is laser-focused on building towards whatever climax the Duffer brothers have in store for us. There’s still a lot of fun character interactions and hilarious gags, but there’s fewer disconnected subplots happening concurrently than in previous seasons.
Season four, for instance, had our characters spread thin across Hawkins, California and Russia, with most of our main cast not sharing more than a single scene together. This season sees everyone we know based in Hawkins (and by association the Upside Down), with every character arc tying into the central narrative of defeating Vecna. Sure, some characters are sent on their own little adventures, but it all feels very focused, cohesive and in service of a common goal. No matter who we’re focusing on, there’s a distinct sense of urgency across each episode in volume one; a tense layer of anticipation that remains incredibly consistent from start to finish. They key to this being that every single mission that a character is embarking on in this season is riveting. There’s not an arc in here that is even slightly uninteresting; the Duffer brothers have crafted four episodes that are unbelievably well-balanced in terms of making every character’s presence feel important. And yes, with so many characters to focus on, you’re going to get a couple that have to take a bit of a back seat, but I think the effort to include those characters at all (when they don’t necessarily need to) speaks volumes of the Duffer brothers’ commitment to this world.
It’s really easy to make a final season of a series that just feels like any other season for 90% of the run and then gets into climax territory for the very end. This, however, feels like an ending from the moment the first episode opens. There’s scenes across each of these episodes that tie directly to events from the past and create clever emotional links that might only be picked up on repeat viewings. It’s this dedication to storytelling and crafting a complete TV experience that not only betters this season but betters the show as a whole.
Horror sequences and action-heavy moments have become increasingly more prominent as the series has gotten larger in scale, and there’s a decent spread of both within these episodes. The demogorgon is back and more menacing than its ever been, lending itself to some of the more tense moments of the season so far. It may not be the biggest enemy the show has at its disposal, but getting to see it tear through its victims like they’re nothing is a fun callback to when it was the central antagonist of season one. Sometimes you don’t need an army of creatures to be effectively terrifying; sometimes all you need is one nimble, seemingly unstoppable force. While these episodes are still building up to what’s to come in volume two, they manage to make room for the biggest and most chaotic action sequence to date. The scope and scale of this season is huge, some would say epic, with the Duffers delivering on a conclusion (thus far) that thrusts the series into that epic category. The large-scale action sequence at the heart of volume one is a great representation of the Duffers’ dedication to creating a memorable climax.
While there’s very much a focus on action, its the characters and relationships that bring the heart and add so much depth and hilarity to the story. The Duffers have done a great job of furthering relationships we’ve been following for multiple seasons, while also exploring character connections we’ve not been able to see much of in the past. With this season moving blisteringly fast, these moments are very quick and fleeting, but they’re also quite memorable. Hopper and Eleven share touching moments that flesh out their relationship even further, while Will and Robin share a number of scenes and we get to see how their personalities blend together. Speaking of Will, he’s thrust into the spotlight more than he’s ever been, continuing the trend of season four by giving him even more screentime and a more prominent place in the story. He’s potentially given more of a focus than Eleven thus far, which is quite poetic given where the show started.
When it comes to praising the performances, I could be here all day. The cast is stacked with great actors who all deliver in bringing their respective characters to life but none more than Noah Schnapp (Will). There aren’t too many deeply emotional moments in this season, but Schnapp is part of a number of character-focused scenes and really brings the heart. Will is a strong yet delicate character, and Will strikes that balance beautifully well. David Harbour (Hopper) gets to show off his incredible range once again, delivering heart, humour and ass-kicking brutality across each of the episodes. Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin) has a very different role this time around and he’s selling it wonderfully, all while still maintaining the loveable banter he shares with Joe Keery (Steve).
In the end, Stranger Things 5 is shaping up to be a phenomenal conclusion to one of the all-time biggest shows, delivering four episodes that are thrilling, tense, emotional and epic. Each episode in volume one feels like a mini movie, and when pieced together it forms a 4.5-hour spectacle that had me hooked from start to finish without a single break. The stakes are high, the pace is through the roof and every single scene is pushing the narrative towards a climax we won’t get to see for another month. While the series is darker than it’s ever been, it’s also more epic than ever, signalling the beginning of the end… and end I’m still not emotionally ready for.
9.5/10
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