Three years have passed since Stranger Things Season 4’s cliffhanger finale left Upside Down fissures in Hawkins, but time has largely remained unchanged for our heroes in Stranger Things 5, at least at first. The fifth and final season brings things full circle, picking up a year and a half later, exactly four years after the disappearance of young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) on November 6, 1983. Vecna’s endgame heightens the danger and stakes immediately, setting an action-heavy Volume I in motion that brings Blockbuster-level thrills and euphoric bursts of action and heroism, but little room for much else.
The series’ ultimate big bad, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), has been biding his time, laying the groundwork for his master plan between seasons. This gives Hawkins’ most heroic residents enough room to nail their teamwork and recon strategies as they dodge Hawkins’ military-enforced quarantine while searching for a rather powerful enemy. While they’ve become a relatively well-oiled machine in this regard, their personal lives have been stalled.
STRANGER THINGS: SEASON 5. (L to R) Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, and Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson in STRANGER THINGS: SEASON 5. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) still hasn’t found a moment’s respite to work on his insecurities in his relationship with Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), bringing tired echoes of Season 1’s love triangle with Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) back into the equation. Steve has his own unresolved issues with friend Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), who has not processed the loss of Eddie (Joseph Quinn) at all. Dustin’s rebellious, bitter angst and guilt over his mentor’s passing are exacerbated by Eddie’s unfair branding as a killer in town.
Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) remains steadfast by the bedside of his comatose girlfriend, Max (Sadie Sink), whereas Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) fugitive status and constant combat training with Hopper (David Harbour) mean Mike (Finn Wolfhard) rarely gets to see her.
There’s very little room for repairing relationships and friendships with stakes this high, though. As established last season, Vecna is playing for keeps and almost immediately puts the characters on the defensive in such brutal fashion that Volume 1 effectively demonstrates that death is a very tangible possibility for anyone this season.
The gloves are off, and series creators Matt and Ross Duffer maintain laser focus on corralling this action-heavy, epic-sized final season into a propulsive, nonstop sci-fi horror bonanza that reminds us why the series became such a smash hit nearly ten years ago. The Duffer Brothers, who helm three out of Volume I’s four episodes, enlist high-caliber talent like director Frank Darabont to help unite so many moving plot and character parts into a cohesive whole with stunning precision.
STRANGER THINGS. (L to R) David Harbour as Jim Hopper and Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in STRANGER THINGS. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
While I won’t spoil the absolute standout that is Episode Four, an exquisite showcase for this series, it’s safe to say that the Duffer Brothers are pulling out all the stops. The episode not only sets up eager anticipation for Volume II, but it’s also a technical showcase of intricate action set pieces and one tracking oner that impresses as a key centerpiece.
In keeping with the final season’s cyclical thematic nature, Volume I also finally brings Will Byers back into the equation. After surviving the Upside Down and escaping the Mind Flayer’s control in Season 2, Stranger Things has mostly sidelined the character, unsure how to fold him into the plotlines and character development that began while he was missing. Noah Schnapp finally gets the spotlight with an affecting arc that sees Will finally grappling with his sense of identity and coming into his own with the help of team MVP Robin (Maya Hawke) and the frustration of overprotective mom Joyce (Winona Ryder).
STRANGER THINGS. (L to R) Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven and David Harbour as Jim Hopper in STRANGER THINGS. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
How that dovetails into the group’s fight with Vecna unveils Volume I’s true magic and serves as a sturdy reminder that this series, despite its lengthy absence between seasons, can still surprise. In truth, not much has changed in Hawkins or the series at large. The breakneck speed and demands of the oncoming final battle make for a thrilling, binge-worthy watch, one that’s filled with revelations, reveals, and plenty of character moments that shine. But the threat level is so perilous that there’s little room to explore the core friendship and connections that made us fall so hard for these characters in the first place. It’s a minor quibble, especially where the stagnating subplots are concerned, considering just how much ground is effortlessly covered in setting up the final battle and with slick style.
Volume I ultimately makes for an exhilarating return to Hawkins, almost single-handedly by Episode Four’s audacious bravura alone. Some of the series’ signatures, like its use of needle drops, feel muted so far, but that’s compensated for by a course correction on past seasons’ reluctance to put its key players in mortal peril. Bower’s Vecna is more terrifying than ever as his power grows, giving multiple characters a brush with death in a way that injects palpable suspense. It all teases a bigger, wilder, and emotionally powerful conclusion in the season’s back half.
Stranger Things 5 Volume I debuts on Netflix on November 26. Volume II releases three on December 25, and the series finale on December 31.
Each volume releases at 5pm PT/8pm ET.