Three years we’ve been waiting for this, three years and it’s finally here! It’s Stranger Things Season 5 day!!!
With the release schedule for Stranger Things Season 5 absolutely all over the place, we were treated to the first four episodes on November 27th, with a 1am GMT drop (a global release).
It took some time for it to be accessed though however because due to the sheer demand for the series Netflix actually crashed as a result at 1am on November 27th. 10 minutes later we were back up and running, ready for it all to begin!
The highly anticipated fifth and final season will release the rest of the episodes on Netflix on Christmas, with another three episodes, and then the finale, which will be released on New Year’s Eve.
This space will serve as a home to each episode review, so if you’re wondering where certain episode reviews are, then fear not, we will update accordingly.
So let’s catch everyone up to speed, as in the fall of 1987 Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the rifts, and our heroes must unite to kill Vecna but, at this moment in time, 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.
EPISODE 1: THE CRAWL
From the off we know that Will is going to be a major character in Season 5 but as Hawkins is adjusting to this new quarantined way of life the roles are reversing in their usual high-school dynamic.
Hawkins must be a stressful place to live because only one year since the events of Season 4 everyone looks considerably older! The result of three years between filming S4 and the release of S5 does give off a very strange time-jump that isn’t quite addressed in the show we’re just sort of thrown into the situation with much older cast members. It takes some getting used to but we get there… eventually.
Our original crew who used to back down in the face of bullies are now standing up for themselves, they’re becoming their own person and have naturally gained an inner-strength and toughness after everything they’ve been through together as friends, strong individually but stronger as a unit and the episode opens with that motto ringing very true because throughout this finale season those friendships and that bond will be pushed to its limits.
The Crawl is a very fitting title for this episode as it definitely feels like the calm before the storm episode as we’re just getting into things again, we’re settling back into a series that has been missing for three years and we’re being gently eased into things, a slow crawl into the chaos that is inevitably going to ensue.
Seeing the powerhouse that is Linda Hamilton in this episode certainly lends an extra badass quality to a very glossy and seriously elevated production budget opening episode.
There’s a lovely gloss on screen to the cinematography, there’s some incredible effects along the way and it all just feels very refined and very easy on the eye.
As the episode draws to a conclusion the crawl suddenly turns into more of an eager shuffle as we are hovering off that cliff-hanger that ends the episode off rather beautifully.
We’ve been reintroduced to our beloved heroes, we’ve had a nice slow but narrative-forward opening episode to whet our appetite but just as the credits roll we know we’re going to be in for one hell of a season to come!
EPISODE 2: THE VANISHING OF HOLLY WHEELER
If Episode 1 was a slow crawl, Episode 2 is quite a pacey run, as we are instantly catapulted into the action. Before the intro credits even start to roll, two characters’ lives are already in jeopardy after a Demogorgon chaos spree in Hawkins.
It’s quite the momentum shift, and as the episode piques our interest in every frame, there’s one character who already feels a little redundant as it stands — Joyce Byers.
Poor Joyce spent four seasons worrying about her son and going stir-crazy in the opening season, wiring up lights to try to contact Will in the Upside Down. But now that he’s all grown up, her character arc is becoming a little flimsy, with only a fleeting romance angle with Hopper keeping her relevant to the core cast.
It’s a shame, as this is the one episode where it really hit me just how irrelevant her character seems to be at the moment. Here’s hoping for a situation where she can resume being a badass once again and go out with a bang (gunfire, not with Hopper — just FYI).
Episode 2 also begins some sneaky foreshadowing of certain characters’ fates (if they come true, that is). The show’s writing is so clever; while it’s only subtle lines of dialogue and small chinks in the armour of the narrative, these are certainly the first signs that some of our core cast members won’t survive the duration of Season 5. It’s cleverly done (if it comes to fruition), but my spider-sense was tingling during Episode 2, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens as the series progresses.
So far, Season 5 feels very well done. If you blindly ignore the fact that the cast is much older and focus on the story, it’s absolutely gripping — just like the first season. Season 5 feels polished and direct, and it’s luring us in much like Vecna is luring our heroes into this cat-and-mouse chase through the Upside Down.
Roll on Episode 3.
EPISODE THREE: THE TURNBOW TRAP
Pacing seems to certainly be stop-and-start so far in Stranger Things Season 5, as we start off slow, ramp up in Episode 2, and Episode 3 now finds itself within a happy medium, as we get enough action to keep us occupied, including a Home Alone-inspired house trap to ensnare a demogorgon, which I bloody loved, but we also have a much more slower development of other characters.
There’s a storyline brewing as Henry Creel is back (no spoilers there), but there’s weird things happening in Hawkins with the children that, as it stands, has gone unexplained, and as Season 3 draws to a conclusion with another fan-service close-out, I’m still scratching my head as to why it’s all happening, but slowly we’re being drip-fed just enough information to know that the answers are coming soon.
Like I mentioned previously, there’s such a lovely feel to all three episodes so far; you’d think, five seasons in, that magic or that essence as to what makes the series so great would start to fade a little, but there’s certainly none of that here. It really is peak series television at its very best, with an 80s vibe of nostalgia (and movie references) slapping you in the face regularly.
GREAT SCOTT! It is good.
This big overarching mystery is looming over the first three episodes, and if I was putting pen to paper, I’d be wrapping up those explanations at the end of the first volume (Episode 4), whilst asking more questions to tease people going into the Christmas release and, finally, the big finale.
Season 3 does a good job of lightening the mood a little bit after two rather dark episodes, but that light is merely a distraction—an illusion as to what is about to follow.
It’s also great to see Murray (Brett Gelman) back in this episode, delivering his classic humour, teasing the main cast, and standing on his own two feet as a vital and engaging character within the show.
I want to also single out Nell Fisher, who plays Holly Wheeler. Within the first four seasons, Holly was portrayed by twin sisters Anniston and Tinsley Price, but with the time-jump and rumours that the twins didn’t want to act anymore, Holly was recast for this fifth season by Nell.
She absolutely smashes it and is a vital part of the story currently, and she’s carrying her own segments with such grace and endearment. A real star in the making, and I was captivated with her side-story that is pivotal to what Henry Creel (Vecna) is planning for Hawkins.
Will is also taking his first steps from behind the main cast and to the front of the pack; his arc is evolving, and the emotions within the show are too. Season 5 is diving into everyone’s story individually with more care and attention, and as someone who’s seen one too many things like this before in the past, it’s merely a build-up for the eventual slaughter, where we’ll be much more impacted when their character croaks it.
So far it’s working. I’m fully invested in every single one of them (yes, even Will), and with a cliffhanger like that at the end, Episode 4 is primed and ready.
EPISODE FOUR: SORCERER
Episode 4 may just be the best episode yet, especially toward the latter half, as everything ramps up just enough to keep us hooked — with an almighty payoff by the time the episode closes — while also keeping us invested again in what’s to come in the following episodes.
Now the great thing about this episode is the connection to Henry Creel’s backstory which is the entire concept of The First Shadow theatre show playing in the West End and Broadway, a stage show that I HIGHLY recommend you check out!
It’s great to see how that prequel stage show, depicting Henry’s upbringing, is now tied directly to this Season 5 episode, and how all the pieces are slowly coming together one by one.
Season 5 belongs to Will (Noah Schnapp). The writing is on the wall, and this episode further reinforces it. All of the emotional connections that form the fabric of the group are explored, but Will’s character is taking things to a new level.
It’s not just a character arc for Will — it’s a character redemption. Arguably the most under-utilised character in the entire franchise so far is now coming full circle and will no doubt become a fan favourite in this season. Hats off to the writers for gritting their teeth through four seasons to finally allow Will to truly shine, giving fans a reason to go back to the beginning and rewatch the series with a fresh perspective and a new set of eyes.
As the episode draws to a close, I’m left with many questions regarding this “prison” that Henry has created within the minds of those he has taken. There seem to be a few plot holes or, at the very least, rifts in the Upside Down of my own mental processing of it all.
The reason being, surely, is that if you want to keep people trapped, you shouldn’t be letting characters meet up within it and plot things — just a heads-up for any evil psychic otherworldly beings out there.
Episode 4 ends with perhaps the best 5 minutes of Stranger Things I’ve ever seen, truly outstanding work and a major step-up for one character in particular that’s been so overlooked this entire time who’s episode by episode becoming an absolutely badass.
Badass Byers to the rescue.
EPISODE FIVE: SHOCK JOCK
After the weeks had passed since the ‘mic drop’ first part finale episode four we finally managed to scoop our jaws back up off the floor ready to enjoy episode five.
There’s been many a slow burn episode during Season 5 followed by some incredible ramped up action scenes but Episode 5 falls into the trap of winding down the pace once again.
This back and forth with the pacing is quite difficult to fully invest in compared to previous seasons. There’s usually some sort of build up or flow to each episode in previous seasons but in Season 5 it really is rather all over the place.
Maybe it’s a respite from the antics of episode 4 bringing us back down to earth before ramping things up again but I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it all and this dream world of Henry’s creations is just getting a little dull for me (I certainly can’t be the only one).
Dips**t Derrick (Jake Connelly) may just be the stand-out character of Season 5 so far, he really delivers a comedic element whereas all the other main characters have slapped on a straight face Derrick is leading the way with comedic timing and a heart of gold, he’s a real stand-out in what is quite possibly the slowest episode of the lot to date.
Dustin’s character is also another gripe within this season. His whole demeanour has changed, it’s almost like the writers are tee’ing him up to be killed off without anyone really caring about him anymore. Quite a decision to make considering how long he’s been a fan-favourite so I’m absolutely expecting some sort of character redemption for him soon as his character has become a real d**k this season.
Similar to Episode 4 though Shock Jock does end on a very cool high note but by this point I’ve been somewhat lulled to sleep from a very mediocre episode where there was no character building, no real exposition or furthering of the story, just a lot of dead ends and wasted screen-time.
A real shame this one. Let’s hope Episode 6 steps up!
EPISODE SIX: ESCAPE FROM CAMAZOTZ
We start off with a bang (quite literally) as episode six ramps us back up again and further proves that Season 5 may just be the most unpredictable and pace-issue laden season the duffer brothers have created but now we’re back on track and ready to rock n roll.
There was a certain moment during this episode where I was adamant we were going to lose our first character and if I’m honest (not even sorry) I was kinda rooting for it. I have my reasons. Sadly, they woke up. Maybe next time?
Holly Wheeler is fast becoming the real hero of Stranger Things Season 5 which considering the majority of the main cast have taken a huge backseat so far it’s about time someone else stepped up to solve this thing out.
Everyone else is going through the motions and it’s quite a shame to see Season 5 going in this direction with regards to character development as they’re being replaced by other story arcs from lesser known character.
Whilst the title of this article says viewers are in for a treat, they are, you may just need more patience than you’ve ever had before with the season as it sort of ducks and dives its way to a grand finale.
EPISODE SEVEN: THE BRIDGE
Sadly Season 5 is now teetering out into nothingness or simply being used to build-up tension for the big finale episode but once again despite small glimpses of potential and engrossing storyline comes these filler episodes that are very boring.
I want to enjoy them, I want to get hooked on them and really have the episodes build towards this grand finale but they’re all just blending into one another with no substance or real purpose.
Extending the length of the episodes seems like one whole bloated mess as over 50% of episode watched so far this season has been a pointless waste of screen-time.
Why extend the episode lengths if you’re not delivering anything of note for the fans, it’s just further convoluting the story and providing some quite mundane and lethargic scenes that have plagued the abysmal pacing of this finale season.
It’s a real shame as if you trimmed the fat you’d have something rather incredible but my god the exposition, the bloated mess and the unnecessary scenes that should have stayed on the cutting room floor are ruining one of the greatest scenes of all time.
It was stated that when the cast read the final episode they were all happy with how it ended, it’s just a shame we’ve had to put up with seven rather mundane episodes that had glimpses of greatness but ultimately have fallen very flat with myself (and others) in its rather feeble delivery at a good send off.
This whole season has been:
‘I’VE GOT AN IDEA’
‘OKAY LET’S TRY IT’
something happens.
‘OKAY LET’S TRY THIS IDEA’
something happens.
OKAY THAT DIDN’T WORK, LET’S TRY THIS IDEA.
The irony of this is that I imagine the Duffer brothers to be going through this exact scenario throwing s**t plot ideas at the wall and hoping something sticks.
What was a saving grace within the episode was a monologue that Will delivers to the group about being true to himself and overcoming obstacles. This inner power that Will discovers this season has truly allowed him to become one of the standout performers within the show as like previously mentioned the others really do seem to take a back seat.
This inner strength, this inner power, this brave and bold new Will unlocks something within himself that has been subliminally delivered to us from Season 1 and now that everything is out in the open, his true power is now unlocked.
But that doesn’t take away the fact that The Bridge may just be the most lethargic, bloated and poorest episode of Stranger Things ever made.
May the last episode save this entire season because it’s going to take some doing that’s for sure!
