It’s one of the most anticipated series returns of the year, largely because fans have waited almost 3.5 years for it. Stranger Things premiered in 2016, so by now, the kids at the centre aren’t really kids anymore: they’re young adults. Explained away by puberty and a short time jump and we’ll accept the fact that some have facial hair, others are now married in real life while they’re still playing “kids.” Plus, there are new kids in the storyline to make up for it. But, I digress.
Part 1 of the three-part final season is now streaming, and it delivers everything you love about Stranger Things and more. It dives into TV tropes galore with gusto, delivers action packed scenes and fantastic costumes, make-up, and effects, and even introduces new scene-stealing characters. While some reviews give Part 1 a lukewarm reception, fans of the series will enjoy every moment, every jump scare, every corny scene, and every chilling revelation, just as they have Seasons 1 through 4.
The Story Continues, But There’s a Sharp Pivot
Season 5, Part 1 takes you on a wild journey into the past using crafty de-aging technology (apparently, AI technology was not used) then into present day as the group navigates quarantine in Hawkins. It’s almost two years later and residents have been recuperating from what they believe was a massive earthquake. The military is on hand, so no one gets in or out. But the group has found a way to keep the search going. Robin (Maya Hawke) has started her own radio show called Rockin’ Robin, with the help of Steve (Joe Keery), where she delivers coded messages to her friends within her colourful commentary. Hopper (David Harbour) uses this information to sneak into the Upside Down repeatedly by hitching a ride with the monthly delivery crew. But 30+ trips later and they still haven’t found anything. There’s no trace of Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
When Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) and Nancy’s (Natalie Dyer) little sister Holly (Nell Fisher), however, starts talking to an imaginary friend called Mr. Whatsit, it raises eyebrows. Once she goes missing almost exactly four years after Will (Noah Schnapp) did, it’s clear something sinister is going on.
The episodes follow the group as they divide and conquer, some in various places in the Upside Down, some in different locations in the real world. They have become experts of the Upside Down and Vecna’s wrath now, and as they have grown into young men and women, their level of confidence and fearlessness has risen leaps and bounds as well. None so much as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who is desperate to help but remains in hiding from the military. Hopper, meanwhile, is protecting her almost as much as Joyce (Winona Ryder) does Will, keeping her son in a proverbial bubble of motherly fortification.
There are fun moments, encounters with Demogorgons, surprises, and a big reveal that many guessed was going to happen all along. What Stranger Things does so well is storytelling. The story was written, as The Duffer Brothers have indicated, with a specific end in mind. But each season doesn’t just thematically lead to this end through a series of events to fill in the gaps. Little nuggets have been dropped from one season to the next, connecting it all like a hive mind that will give you tingles on the back of your neck. Every moment, even the ones that seemed insignificant, were intentional. Season 5, Part 1 makes this clear, and it’s likely more of these full circle moments will happen through Parts 2 and 3. It’s masterful writing that I’m confident no AI could ever replicate with the same degree of intricacy and foresight.
Of course, it’s the actors who bring the wonderfully written story to life on screen like notes in a song (Kate Bush tune, of course). While some of them come across as wooden now that they’ve emerged from their younger selves and are asked to deliver more nuanced performances, the standouts who have Hollywood staying power more than make up for the few scenes with dialogue that comes across as forced and rehearsed.
Along with the kids, Linda Hamilton is a wonderful addition to the cast, while returning supporting characters like Murray (Brett Gelman) are a delight. There are a few surprising return characters, too.
What’s most important is that the story, the scenes and on-screen direction, and the acting all come together to remind us why we love the show in the first place. From unlikely heroes to sacrifices, revelations, and horror, the first part of Season 5 delivers it all.
Season 5, Part 1 Pays Full Fan Service and Leans Into Tropes
As far as style and themes go, Stranger Things has always had a grasp on what fans want, and the series leans even deeper into fan favourite dynamics and personality traits. From Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve’s budding friendship (and now tumultuous, sibling-like bond) to Steve and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) fighting for Nancy’s affections, and Erica’s (Priah Ferguson) hilariously dominating presence, all these return in full force for Season 5.
The series also leans heavily into TV tropes, but not in a bad way. At the heart, Stranger Things is a The Goonies-esque coming-of-age story about kids still figuring themselves out, after all. So, you’ll find the usual tropes like kids rebelling against their overprotective parents (albeit under very different circumstances than other shows), fighting back against the system as Nancy does in the role of an ’80s feminist, and struggling with identity and complicated feelings.
The identity search heavily involves Will, and his journey is a big part of the season as he learns to accept himself as he is, find his confidence outside of other validation, and come to terms with what happened to him all those years ago. But there’s also a bit of a passing of the torch as kids like Derek (Jake Connelly) and Holly become key parts of the story as others fall into parental-like roles, a la Steve in Season 1.
Along with being deeply frightening at times, the season plays into fun themes, too, from warped versions of children’s fairy tales to the rise of technology in the ’80s, comparisons to Dungeons & Dragons, and even a scene that could have come right out of Home Alone. Unlike Kevin McAlister in that movie, however, there really are monsters under the beds and in the closets who aren’t just hapless thieves in trenchcoats. Don’t expect your young kids to get any sleep if you let them watch even the first episode before bedtime. In fact, you might have a little trouble doing so as well.
Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1 is a Strong Start
There are so many ways you could look deeper into the themes of Stranger Things. It’s a metaphor for society’s focus on power and control, creating hive minded-like people who follow, obey, and believe. It’s about power in numbers and building self-confidence. It’s about healing and trauma, love, and acceptance.
Most notably, the series is an homage to the underdogs, the unlikely heroes. In a world where an evil monster is trying to take over, it’s the nerdy D&D kids, the depressed cop, the absent mother, the ignored little sister, the aimless jock, the misunderstood popular girl, the quiet loner, and the quirky scientist, who come together to literally save humanity. And they probably will.
There will undoubtedly be losses along the way, including a few heartbreaking close calls in Episode 1 and 4. But something tells us Mike will get his quiet life in a place with three waterfalls eventually. Whether it’s in this life or another, with Eleven or someone else, remains to be seen.
Stranger Things Season 5, Part 2 stream on Netflix on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025. Stream Season 5, Part 1 now on Netflix.