The following review contains spoilers.

“Stranger Things” has been a fan favorite for many years, and with the first volume of the final season making Top 10 on Netflix’s weekly top ten list in over 90 countries, fans can’t seem to get enough of the show. Following the release on Nov. 26, the show received around 59.6 million views in its first five days, making it the biggest debut ever for an English-language Netflix series. While the first volume of “Stranger Things” has developed some of the strongest character development and story writing the series has ever seen, the weak dialogue in some instances made some performances look less convincing, preventing it from living up to its full potential. 

The character development is one of the strongest aspects of the entire season. Robin Buckley, played by Maya Hawke, helps Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, grow to accept himself. In the fourth episode, Robin shares how when she was Will’s age, she struggled with her identity like Will, sharing how she too sought validation from others rather than from herself. She tells Will that once she accepted herself and stopped caring about what other people thought of her, she ‘felt so free.’ 

Through her advice, Will’s character is exposed to be the most intricate and complex he’s ever been, and her speech helped Will power through the final minutes of the episode, when he starts to lose all hope as the group is being cornered by Vecna. He hears Robin’s words again, and a montage of his childhood before he got taken into the Upside Down appears, helping him channel his connection with the Upside Down to finally having powers which he uses to kill the demogorgons hurting his friends. This moment was a critical turning point of the show, as it finally gives Will a purpose and ties back with the first season when the connection between the Upside Down and Will was first established, providing a full circle moment.

The storyline is also one of the strongest aspects of this season. One of the best parts is the new addition of how Will utilizes his connection with the Upside Down. He is no longer just reacting to what happens in the Upside Down like in previous seasons, but he can now actively sense Vecna’s movements. This new connection helps him protect all kids ages nine to ten in Hawkins from the hands of Vecna. It also helps the group track down the disappearance of Holly to Vecna, when Will discovers that when he taps into the ‘hive mind,’ he is looking through the eyes of Vecna, who is looking through the eyes of Holly. 

This new connection is possibly the most important aspect this season because it could eventually help answer the question of why Vecna abducted Holly and other kids her age and why he is planning on taking more kids. This moment also, again, gives Will a much stronger purpose compared to previous seasons when he did nothing but react to the Upside Down.

Another part of the storyline that has captured much attention is Max’s big reveal towards the end of episode three, making her still an active character. In the final minutes of season four’s finale, Max was ultimately captured by Vecna, but, due to Lucas’ quick thinking and Eleven’s powers, she was placed into a coma rather than dying. This ties into season 5 as we see that while Max is still physically in a coma at a hospital in Hawkins, she is mentally inside of Vecna’s mind or rather, his memories.

This is a very exciting moment because Max is one of the most lovable characters in the series, and with her still being an active character, there is much suspense as to how she will escape. When Holly arrives at this mysterious place where Max is trapped, we see that there is ultimately an escape where Max and Holly can return to their normal lives. Holly having a big role in the story this season is an exciting detail and adds a unique feature to the plot, as she was one of the first people to notice that there was a demogorgon in the Byers house in season one. 

Though the story was well written with regard to the storyline and character development, the dialogue didn’t live up to expectations, resulting in the acting to look weak in some parts. For example, when Dustin says, “I wanna see Vecna’s heart on a platter,” there isn’t much emotion behind the line, and the line is very corny. The actors also seem to be out of touch with their characters, but this could also be because of the long break between the filming of season 4 in early 2020 and the filming of season 5 in early 2024.

As the second volume for Stranger Things season five draws closer, there is plenty for viewers to be excited about: the new connection between Will and the Upside Down and how Max and Holly plan on escaping Vecna’s ‘mind’. With Hawkins slowly falling into chaos and new plot twists every episode, fans are left hooked, wondering what will happen next with many fans making theories. Some believe that Kali, Eleven, and Will will all work together to defeat Vecna because in season four, when they were playing D&D, Erica rolled a 20 to defeat Vecna, and Kali (8), Eleven (11), and Will (1) all combined is equal to 20. 

The second volume promises more intense, emotional moments, closing in on how all of the main characters finally defeat Vecna and close the Upside Down for good.