After a three and a half year wait, volume one of the fifth and final season of the world renowned series, “Stranger Things” aired on November 26. Needless to say there was a large, eager audience waiting to watch. The season was incredibly well-written and thrilling to view with many twists and turns that unveiled unbelievable secrets. 

“Stranger Things” is a sci-fi horror series written and directed by the Duffer Brothers, following a group of teenagers in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana who discover a supernatural parallel dimension known as the Upside Down. This dimension brings all kinds of terrifying creatures including demogorgons, the Mind Flayer and the most terrifying of all – Vecna, who is an evil humanoid monster that has haunted the town of Hawkins for the past five years. The story begins when a friend from the group, Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, suspiciously goes missing and they work with a girl with telekinetic powers, Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, to find him. The first season was released nine years ago, when it became a global phenomenon, and the series has been the talk of the internet ever since. The new season is set a year and a half after the devastating end of season four as the characters recover from the traumatic events, which are emotional enough to make a grown man cry. With the start of the fifth season, the team returns for a final fight with Vecna.

Season five has everything one could possibly imagine in a perfect TV show including thrilling adventures, intense emotions, puzzling mysteries and even a little romance bubbling throughout. But of course, one of this season’s strongest assets is its performances, particularly by Noah Schnapp as Will Byers. Schnapp surprised fans this season with his over-the-top commitment to his role and in depth acting skills that made him one of the most loved actors this season. Fans are specifically engrossed in one moment in episode four during a tense confrontation with demogorgons. Schnapp’s controlled expressions and precise reactions elevated this scene, making the grand revelation even more emotional. From the tiniest eye twitch to the most expressive dive, Noah Schnapp gave all of his efforts during this intense battle. On the other hand, although fans did love the professionalism of the acting this season, an unaddressed elephant in the room still lingered: the age of the actors. With pandemic related delays, it is no secret that there has been a great deal of time passed in between seasons, and with time comes aging. Because of this, many of the actors look several years older than their characters, and it doesn’t match the teenage vibe of the series. Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven in the show, is 21 years old, but she first began filming the show at the age of 12. Despite the growing appreciation for the series, the nine year age gap is extremely prominent throughout the season and is becoming a problem for some fans. 

Apart from the actors, there are some quiet heroes behind the scenes that are very often overlooked in TV shows: the technicians and crew members. The technical aspects of Season 5 of Stranger Things, including special effects, CGI,  and especially the scripting was incredibly well executed. The Duffer Brothers have always been genius at writing scripts, but they have really outdone themselves with their creativity this time. Their writing is built with scenes intentionally constructed to reflect earlier seasons. A notable example happens in episode four, when the flashback sequence of Will’s most fond memories from his childhood is revisited. Filmed through the lens of an 80’s style camera, the sequence referenced specific moments that were mentioned throughout the series like building Castle Byers and the friendship of Will and Mike. This added to the expertly crafted visual storytelling and attention to detail of the show. It is small elements like this that hold big meanings for viewers and really make “Stranger Things” the internet sensation that it is. 

Let’s take a look at the most spoken about element of this season – the character and plot development throughout the show. The world was very excited to see the return of familiar characters that were explored in previous seasons, and how their dynamics contributed to the overall outcome of the story. Personally, I liked to see how they incorporated the history of Vecna’s past family struggles and indirectly connected it to characters like Will. Speaking of Will,  it was also interesting how they explored different groups that the characters were working in rather than the classic teens, adults and kids that was consistently presented throughout past seasons. In season five, they paired Will and Robin Buckley as a duo and used their similar struggles with their emotions as a bonding mechanism. They also further explored the meaningful relationship with Will and Joyce, using Joyce’s maternal instincts to be viewed as overprotective by Will, which is relatable for many fans. Their wholesome moment when Joyce finally supports Will pulls heartstrings and explores deeper emotions from the season. In contrast, Dustin Henderson, played by Gaten Materazzo, had a complicated relationship with Steve Harrington, played by Joe Keery, this season, which has sparked backlash. This was a devastating realization for fans  because if you know anything about Stranger Things, you would know that Dustin and Steve’s duo is the most admired dynamic in the entire show. While the breakdown of this bond was difficult to watch, it aligns with Dustin’s grief coming from the death of his friend Eddie Munson in season 4, which was a very traumatic and world-stopping event for  him. Furthermore, since Dustin and Steve have developed so much since the first time they became friends, it’s difficult for them to adapt to these changes while processing the feelings of losing their friend. Despite this devastating break-up, there was never a moment in this season where I felt bored or felt like anything was irrelevant to the plot like some previous seasons. In fact, this season did the exact opposite. Robin’s emotional speech to Will not only impacted him, but taught me that I should stop acting based on the expectations of others. Like many characters in “Stranger Things,” I learned that the only person holding me back is myself.

To sum up, “Stranger Things” was an incredibly worthwhile watch that proved the talent of the actors, creativity of directors and technical crew and left fans with memorable lessons to take away. I would definitely watch this series again multiple times and would recommend it to anyone that is interested in horror or science fiction tied together with raw emotions and wholesome friendships. Overall, volume one of “Stranger Things” not only sparked an exhilarating start to the end of the series, but also excited fans for the episodes yet to be released.