Welp, Stranger Things 5 Could’ve Been An Email
Welp, Stranger Things 5 could’ve been an email.
It’s the final adventure for the Hawkins gang as they prepare to take down Vecna once and for all. After three years of waiting for this last season, did it live up to the hype? Unfortunately, no.
From the start, this season felt uneven. The first episode gave us a weak return, opening with distracting de-aging effects on Will (Noah Schnapp) that just didn’t look good. Between those bad effects and the choice to alternate between archival flashbacks and digitally altered versions, it took me out of the story and highlighted how artificial it all felt. Even more disappointing was the acting, which often felt stiff and phoned in. The actors felt like they were going through the motions instead of embodying these characters that shot them into superstardom over the last decade.
But the biggest problem was the writing. How many times can we possibly watch Max (Sadie Sink) sprinting through Vecna’s mind to “Running Up That Hill” before it loses all meaning? The first time was epic, but, by the third, its played out. There are so many long-winded monologues and montages, recycled catchphrases, and fake profound moments that go nowhere. The season leans into a cringey self-congratulatory energy that feels forced and hollow. It’s especially disappointing to find out that details fans have been turning into incredible theories, all of which were more interesting than the actual ending, were just mistakes and plot holes by the Duffer Brothers. Vecna is taken out in about five minutes and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) sacrifices herself… except maybe she doesn’t. Did Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) really use her power to help her escape? That was really the only reason to bring her back because she didn't do anything else in the season.
Season 5 does have its moments. We learn the truth about the Upside Down and how its really a wormhole, or bridge, to another dimension. Will goes on a true heroes journey across all five season to becoming his most authentic self. Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) gets a chance to step up, Delightful Derek (Jake Connelly) adds some much needed levity, and both Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) each get their own take down moments. The scene where Vecna gets in Hopper's (David Harbour) head and makes it seem like he shot Eleven almost gave me a heart attack. And don’t even get me started on Jamie Campbell Bower! He brought so much dimension to Henry and the cave scene was particularly fascinating. We saw this glimpse of him as an innocent kid just like Will and the rest of the Hawkins gang, except he doubles down on choosing to go with the Mind Flayer. I also enjoyed the small connections to the Broadway show Stranger Things: The First Shadow and wish there was even more of that.
But compared to the Battle of Starcourt Mall in season 3 or Vecna’s jaw-dropping reveal in season 4, this season and its final fight are empty and lackluster. The show pulls so much inspiration from other iconic shows and movies, but doesn’t do it better. In the end, no one really dies. There are no real stakes. It feels less like a finale and more like an extended epilogue. Sure, you can say the Duffer Brothers were formatting the entire series like a classic Dungeons & Dragons game and that’s why we got the ending we did, but it feels lazy and flat when you look back at all the storyline mistakes and inconsistencies over the course of the show.
This is undoubtedly Stranger Things’ weakest season. For a show that once took real risks, this ending felt surprisingly safe… and that’s what makes it so disappointing.
All five seasons of Stranger Things are streaming on Netflix.
