Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 review: Familiar frights persist in engaging but predictable build-up to final countdown

The final season of Stranger Things 5 returns quickly but feels predictable. Despite great acting & focus on Will, the four episodes are a lengthy, predictable build-up with juvenile conflicts.

Stranger Things 5 Volume 1

Stranger Things

Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 story:

In the first volume, set in the autumn of 1987, Vecna's apocalyptic onslaught rocks Hawkins with a military quarantine. A last-ditch, solitary mission unites Eleven and her companions: to track down and eliminate the mysterious villain who has vanished. In their dangerous "crawls" into the Upside Down, Eleven and Hopper find themselves separated from the rest of the group. They end up infiltrating a huge military lab in the alternate dimension, where they encounter a more complicated threat headed by Dr Kay. The return of Kali (008) is even more shocking. Meanwhile, in Hawkins, the battle heats up as Vecna targets children, including Holly, Mike's younger sister. The party is forced to set a trap, which goes horribly wrong but culminates in the shocking revelation that Will Byers possesses psychic powers. The discovery sets up a dramatic change in the final showdown.

Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 review:

This was so unexpected – to have the final season of Stranger Things come to our screens in just three years. When the show began almost a decade ago, there was a different atmosphere that was created where people of all age groups got hooked on the screen in no time. What might seem like a kid's show actually introduces more nuances that resonate with adults and encourage them to think outside the box about how much deeper the show can become. With each season, as a fan, one always goes back to the time when the character of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) just vanished out of thin air. Through each season, with other victims, all viewers could do was assume what could have happened to him in the Upside Down, courtesy of Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).

We are finally in the endgame, and four episodes are out of the final season. How was the experience of sitting up since 6:30 am and being glued to the screen? Let's find out...

ALSO READ: No time to revise all of Stranger Things? The Duffer Brothers choose 4 key episodes to watch before Season 5 Volume 1 release

The fourth season ended with Hawkins getting split into two, and the whole army has settled down in the town, gearing up for what's going to happen next. It's a déjà vu moment because this time we see Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher), the youngest sister of Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard), being the focus, and we know where this is heading eventually. The second episode title is given as "The Vanishing of...", but it's definitely a badass sequence, for sure. Holly's mother, Karen (Cara Buono), fights with a Demogorgon, and it's such a kickass moment, although the end is heartbreaking.

Well, the beginning of the season brings the caffeine of excitement in no time. But given that it's the end and the wait has been three years, so many build-up moments have been predictable. To be honest, that's what I felt throughout all four episodes. Yes, the moments are longer, and everyone does get their solo moment to shine; we still know what the conclusive part of the sequence is and how it's getting unfolded.

The gap between Seasons 4 and 5 in the show is about 18 months, and within this time span, the US military sets up a base in the town and also in the Upside Down while making the people go into quarantine. This also helps the whole clan get prepared for the worst and brings their usual A-game, with everyone knowing what to do and at what time. However, it's surprising that we see new townspeople as well as parents of, especially, Wheeler children, who are totally unaware of what might be happening in the town – their kids have gone through the worst, I must say!

Well, even when Holly talks about monsters and being protected from them, Mike jumps in and says they don't exist. Is he a protective brother, or is he simply creating a bubble in an already burning city? It's still surprising to see that the residents of the town seem not to care about the environment they are living in. Moreover, there's also not much connection to the outside world, and nobody even cares about that.

I strongly agree that too much is going on within themselves and they have kept their priorities straight, but is that enough? The clan's only connection to the outside world is through Murray (Brett Gelman), who delivers supplies to help them fight Vecna.

However, we are finally seeing Will become the main character he is meant to be in the show. Yes, it seemed like a deliberate move in all these years to have the young boy just be a catalyst and mere connection between two worlds. But this time, we get a peep into his past and why he has become the first-ever victim. Well, talking about the character development, it's nothing but plainly predictable. By the end of the third episode, I eventually understood his fate and what his ultimate role is in the show and the plan of action.

Meanwhile, the other characters, mainly Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), are trained by her adoptive father, Jim Hopper (David Harbour), to fight what's going to come in. To be honest, at this point, in the show, the characters have no idea if Vecna is dead or alive. They are just preparing themselves, without conducting much research over the past 18 months. Yes, the timeline is significant because these characters do not ignore the danger that is still present around them.

The final season consists of almost five hours, but it primarily serves as a build-up to the final showdown and explores the internal conflicts of nearly every character. Yes, the characters are adults now, and their problems have escalated, but their conflicts remain juvenile, as they refuse to mature.

This time, thanks to Robin (Maya Hawke), we have more of a conversation, and that too with screen space with Will. You know where this might have headed. Yes, there are lovely and delightful moments as we see them come together for one last time.

But there's nothing new that the show offers as such except that a new season has come out. We are currently only halfway through the final season, and in the second half, we will finally see how everything concludes without leaving any unresolved questions.

The Duffer Brothers know well how to tap into the emotions of the people via their characters, and rightfully so. However, this time, their only contribution was a preview of the exciting journey that lies ahead, set to unfold in just a month.

Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 verdict:

Stranger Things 5: Volume 1 offers a predictable but engaging start to the final act. While the characters crawl into the Upside-Down for a last stand, much of the tension feels déjà vu—a lengthy preparation for a final showdown we know is coming. Though the discovery of Will's psychic powers sets up a shocking finale, this volume mostly serves as a well-produced preview rather than a truly unforeseen beginning.

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