The Netflix show Stranger Things has a world that always intrigues viewers, including me. If you’ve seen the show, you’d know that throughout these seasons, you get to see this world-building, with the Upside-Down, Vecna, the Mind Flayer, and much more. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things should combine all of that to execute a powerful and emotional sendoff. Did they do it? They did, but not in the best way. In my opinion, Stranger Things Season 5 was the weakest in the series, and you’ll see why.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The plot for this season aims to resolve the conflict between Hawkins and the Upside-Down. Although this story can get exciting at times, it often feels rushed and lacks clear direction. The episodes from Volume 2 include long conversations, which cause unnecessary delays that force them to rush major events, despite this being the biggest season. However, I do like the epilogue in the finale, aside from a slight drag due to the rushed final battle. There’s also a lack of tension in this season when it’s supposed to be the most intense because the story presents no obstacles, with Vecna and the Mind Flayer being easily defeated, and having no main character deaths. Additionally, there are several plot holes and confusing moments in this season. Even when the Duffer Brothers attempted to clarify these issues, it only made things weirder. This was the season’s weakest area, which left me feeling unsatisfied.
On the other hand, the acting was top-notch. There were notable performances from the entire cast, but some stood out. For me, that was Gaten Matarazzo, David Harbour, and Jamie Campbell Bower. I also like the addition of the characters Holly Wheeler and Derek Turnbow. I will say that Derek was hilarious throughout the entire season and made it a lot more enjoyable. The character relationships are amazing, especially between Steve and Dustin, and Eleven and Hopper. Although the characters were good this season, some were undermined because of the story’s rushed pacing and the newly added characters. Holly is a great character, but she takes up too much screen time, which gives less recognition to some main characters. Nonetheless, the characters are still great, and I love their endings in the epilogue.
For the visuals, it actually looked decent for the most part. It’s not as good as Season 4 with some minor drops in quality, but it still looks great. It feels like you’re watching a movie when it’s actually a TV episode. The world-building is great and intriguing, like I said earlier. I loved the reveals about the Upside-down, the Abyss, and the Mind Flayer’s influence on Vecna. The only problem I have is that the Upside-down feels and looks less creepy and eerie. The Upside-down is supposed to be a place where people get nervous and scared, but it simply doesn’t feel that way. The visuals and world-building were strong areas for this show and arguably the best ones.
This season was by far the weakest in this series, and honestly, a letdown. Despite having solid acting, visuals, and world-building, it’s held back by its rushed pace, lack of stakes, and plot holes. Nevertheless, it still delivered a nice and emotional conclusion to this beloved series with the epilogue.
