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Created by: The Duffer Brothers
Language: English
Cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Linda Hamilton
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Rating: 3.5/5
Stranger Things Season 5 Review: Stranger Things returns after a long gap, and the fifth and final season opens with a nice time jump. At first, it seems a little chaotic: the shift in Hawkins, the changed stakes, the altered dynamics, but the rhythm settles quickly, restoring the familiar atmosphere of earlier seasons.
The scale is bigger, exactly what a story steering into its conclusion demands. The tone turns heavier, the tension stretches across multiple fronts, and the narrative widens at a rapid pace. This kind of expansion is expected at this stage, as the series races toward its final arc. Despite the size and speed, the pacing holds; it’s expanded fast, did great too, and the connection stays intact.
Little To No Character Growth
This volume highlights the age gap between Season 4 and now. The more noticeable concern is the uneven character focus. There is little visible growth in Eleven’s personality as portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown. Mike remains barely present, and Lucas appears sharply but sparingly. Mike, Lucas and Eleven deserved more space, especially in these first four episodes of the final season.
Also Read | Hawkins At War: New ‘Stranger Things 5’ Trailer Sets Stage For Epic Final Battle With Vecna
Several dialogues carry a familiar nostalgia, even the ones that once felt outright childish — “easy peasy,” “we are toast,” those classic Stranger Things phrases that used to land with an almost cringey innocence in earlier seasons. Back then, the script leaned heavily into the kids-being-kids rhythm, and the cast’s young age made those lines feel natural, even if slightly exaggerated. Now, the same phrases surface with a different weight. They echo the past rather than define the present. The nostalgia is there, but it doesn’t land with the same punch it once did, because the characters, and the actors behind them, have visibly grown up. Their real-life maturity shows; their performances are steadier, more composed, more aware. That growth almost neutralises the childish edge those lines once carried. The only exception here is Eleven, who still feels rooted in her earlier emotional tone. Her dialogue and presence carry traces of the younger version of herself, not fully aligning with the age and maturity the others now project. This contrast stands out and raises a larger question about how her arc is meant to evolve.
Character development stays thin across the board this season. Even with the time jump and high stakes, most characters show little to no internal growth, except for Will. Even new characters like Derek show more evolution than the older main characters, who barely develop at all.
Will Shows Strong Development
The protective nature of Will’s mother finally comes through with clarity. Will, on the other hand, shows significant development this season, breaking out of the emotional stasis that defined his earlier arcs. Yet his mother still speaks to him in the same tone she used back in Season 2, repeating old patterns even as he clearly moves forward, creating a noticeable contrast between her unchanged approach and his growth.
The overall standout presence in the entire season is none other than Will.
In the end, Season 5 Volume 1 pushes Stranger Things toward its final showdown with scale, urgency and nostalgia, even if the character depth doesn’t always keep pace. The world grows bigger, the stakes rise, and the story moves with clear intent, but the emotional evolution lands unevenly across the cast. Still, the core atmosphere that defined the series remains intact, and the stronger arcs, especially Will’s, anchor the season with real weight.
Also Read | From Hearing Loss To Hollywood Stardom: Who Is Millie Bobby Brown, Aka ‘Eleven’ In Stranger Things?
Stranger Things follows the story of a small town pulled into a series of supernatural events, where a group of kids, their families, and a tight circle of friends confront forces from the Upside Down while navigating government secrets, growing dangers, and the shifting dynamics of their own lives.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is available to stream on Netflix.
