Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 Review: Good To Be Back

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is finally here, and what a start to the last season it is. Epic action, heartbreaking moments, all done on a grand scale.

It is the end of an era. The final episodes of Stranger Things are upon us, and I, for one, am not ready. I feel like I have watched these kids grow up. Probably because I have. This show is a global phenomenon, and for good reason. The cast has insane chemistry, the characters’ arcs are brilliantly written, and it is genuinely terrifying at times. It is a love letter to the 1980s and Dungeons & Dragons, which is something I appreciate as well.

Stranger Things Season 4 is the first time that there was no real glimmer of hope at the end of a season. Season 5 picks up a little bit down the road, but we see the effect that the events of the previous season have had on Hawkins. It is walled off, completely, by the government. The residents are unable to leave, while the lab and military have their own secret base in the Upside Down. And Eleven, well, she’s still in hiding.

As stated above, the cast is one of the things that makes this series work so well. To no one’s surprise, this continues to be the case. Sure, tensions are riding high, and there is a lot of bickering going on between fan favorites. Our core group knows that they have one last chance to take down Vecna, or Hawkins, and the world will fall.

Dustin has seemingly taken on the role of Eddie Munson, Rest In Peace. Dressing like him, complete with the hair and rings, and acting like him as well. This has caused a small rift between him and his friends, but surely he will be there for them when they really need him?

At the same time, Eleven is working to max out her powers, and Will is eerily feeling that connection to Vecna that we all worry about. As seen in the first five minutes, which were released online by Netflix a while back, we know (or rather can assume) that Will was caught and then released by Vecna. Which is sure to have a lot to do with how it all ends. There is no doubt about it, Stranger Things will come full circle in season five.

There is something familiar and comforting about knowing that Eleven, Mike, Will, Robin, Steve, Dustin, Nancy, Jonathan, and Lucas are all training to fight this evil together. It is reminiscent of season one, but with much higher stakes this time around.

The visuals have once again stepped up a notch. Netflix and The Duffer Brothers spared no expense for the final episodes. Much like in season four, season five feels like a movie. The scale is massive, the production is insane, and the sets and effects look incredible. There are several big action set pieces and battles just in the first few episodes. We get closer, longer looks at the Demogorgons, and those things are absolutely terrifying.

The final moments of season 5 episode 4 had me screaming, quite literally, and begging for more. It is hard to judge without knowing how the season will wrap up, but if these first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 are any indication, we are in store for one wild, chilling, thrilling, and heartbreaking adventure.

About Stranger Things Season 5

The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding.

As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is now streaming on Netflix.

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