From chasing Demogorgons to slaying the Mind Flayer to coming up with a plan to defeat Vecna, “Stranger Things” has always been a popular show that has developed plot-wise. This show has been in production since late 2015 and is now nearing its bittersweet end.
The first four episodes of Season 5 released during Thanksgiving have been a hit in my eyes. Although it’s not one of my favorite seasons, I appreciate the complex plot and the attention to detail from past seasons.
At the end of Season 4, Hawkins was split in half and forced into quarantine. Season 5 continues these events, starting off with both the Byers and Wheeler families living together. Audiences are also reintroduced to Steve and Robin, who have new jobs at WSQK Radio Station. Robin gives a quick overview of what has happened the past few months after the split.
I liked how they reminded us of what happened last season and gave us a glimpse of the months we missed in the story. It was fun seeing all of our favorite characters come back after three years of waiting for a finale.
One of my favorite characters in the show is Will Byers. From the beginning, Will has been targeted by the Demogorgon starting from the first episode of Season 1 when he was kidnapped into the Upside Down.
There is an important scene in Season 5 where Vecna comes out of the gate in the military-confined area. He threatens Will and calls him weak. As Vecna walks off, he sends his demogorgons after Will’s friends Robin, Mike and Lucas.
Prior to this event, Robin Buckley talks to Will about accepting himself and looking inward to find the answers. Will uses Robin’s speech to uncover his unlikely powers and he defeats the demogorgons attacking his friends.
Volume 1 of Season 5 ends with an intense scene of Will wiping the blood from his nose. I really like how they wrote the lead up to this scene with flashbacks from Will’s mind before he ultimately uses his powers.
One thing that surprised me this season was when Max appeared with Holly Wheeler in Henry’s mind. When Holly was kidnapped by Mr. Whatsit (Vecna), she was trapped in Henry’s mind. Max reached out to her through a note and we discover that Max is still alive even in her coma, she just lives in Henry’s mind.
They end this volume’s storyline by showing Max and Holly coming up with a plan to escape.
“Stranger Things” is a show most of us have grown up with, so this being the last season has given me bittersweet feelings. This season so far has been filled with an investing plot, funny dialogue and well-known, memorable characters.
With only four episodes left – three on Christmas Day and the finale on New Year’s Eve – we can only hope and wait to see what happens next.
