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Stranger Things Season 5 review: Netflix’s flagship supernatural saga returns with its final season. And the first half, also known as Vol. 1, is delivered with both spectacle and strain. Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1 feels bigger, darker and emotionally loaded, yet also weighed down by the growing pains of a story carrying too many characters and too much nostalgia.
The opening episodes pick up after the catastrophic events of Season 4 and drop viewers straight into a Hawkins sealed off under military quarantine. The once-lively town has been reduced to a barricaded war zone, its residents living under constant surveillance as the Upside Down seems to breathe beneath its streets. While the passage of time inside the story is meant to be brief, the cast now looks noticeably older. It becomes hard to ignore when they’re written as teenagers wrestling with adolescent fears.
Still, the Duffers attempt to recapture the show’s early magic by narrowing the narrative. Much of the action stays rooted in Hawkins or the shadowy corridors of the Upside Down. The world feels smaller, almost claustrophobic, but the choice works in the show’s favour during its adrenaline-heavy set pieces. The third episode alone contains a cracking Demogorgon trap sequence, complete with barbed wire and makeshift explosives, that reminds fans why this show once rewired pop culture.
The emotional spine of Season 5 remains strong, especially in the arcs of Will, Eleven and Nancy. Will’s long-suppressed identity and history with Vecna form one of the most moving threads of the volume. Eleven’s quiet moments of vulnerability, balanced with fierce determination, show Millie Bobby Brown at her most affecting. Nancy, meanwhile, steps into a sharper investigative role that finally gives her a compelling sense of agency.
But the cracks are visible. With so many characters sharing screen time, several are left hovering on the sidelines with little to do except react. The familiar spark between the older teens, Mike, Eleven, Nancy, Jonathan, Robin and Steve, flickers inconsistently. Some interactions feel like echoes of past seasons rather than new emotional beats, and the romantic subplots lack the fire they once had.
Visually, the show remains a lavish production. The Upside Down is rendered with thick, atmospheric dread, and the practical-CGI blend holds strong in the bigger battles. Yet the urgency of the story sometimes overshadows the emotional weight. The narrative races, but not every moment lands with the intended punch. Several story conveniences seem engineered solely to propel the action forward.
Despite its flaws, Season 5 Vol. 1 still delivers the kind of pulse-pounding, nostalgic entertainment that has defined Stranger Things from the start. It’s messy, ambitious, occasionally frustrating, but undeniably addictive. The volume ends with a promise of high-stakes confrontation, hinting that the final episodes may still carry the grandeur fans are hoping for.
The end is near, and if the Duffers can tap into the emotional clarity that once made this series unforgettable, the final bow may yet be spectacular.
Series Name: Stranger Things Season 5 Vol 1
Stranger Things Season 5 Vol 1 cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Brett Gelman, Priah Ferguson, Linda Hamilton, Cara Buono, Jamie Campbell Bower
Stranger Things Season 5 Vol 1 directors: Ross Duffer, Matt Duffer
Stranger Things Season 5 Vol 1 ratings: 3/5
