Netflix ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Part 1 Review - A Befitting Start to the Finale

Stranger Things has finally dropped its first four episodes of the finale season, thereby drawing an ending to one of the most highly anticipated endings to the story of Hawkins. And let me tell you, you are not ready for this. Hawkins, a once sleepy town, has now become a total war zone, and all the chapters from season 4 are brought to an end in this season. With the opening of Upside Down into the real world, all the troubles start to feel too real to be true. The most important update we see is on Vecna. Though wounded and destroyed, Vecna is shown to be far from being defeated. And now Vecna looms over the lives of all those who stay in Hawkins, especially our main characters. As you all know, since what happened to him in the season 4 finale, Vecna has been absconding.  Hopper is on his regular search for the devil, and is also joined by Eleven.  All this made the ordinary residents of Hawkins live in constant fear as supernatural experiences continued to intensify. Hawkins is put under a strict military quarantine due to the Upside Down.  Now it is the duty of Eleven and the group to reunite with just one aim in mind: destroy Vecna before things get out of hand. And mind, they have to do all this before the thin boundary between both worlds completely vanishes.

This season is more than just a ghostly confrontation; rather, it is more about a proper confrontation that will eventually decide the fate of Hawkins. Also, this time, things feel more physical rather than just external. As the boundaries between Hawkins and Upside Down continue to diminish, time sure is running out before Hawkins turns into a complete war zone possessed by Vecna forever.

The highlight of this season is Veckna for sure. It is because of this character that all the other characters gain importance. If you analyze closely, you see how each character exercises their maximum capacities to save the town from Vecna. Hence, I would credit all the characters’ development to this demon. All the kids that we saw from the previous season have turned into young adults, who, though afraid, are ready to face and save the town.

Also in this season, the visuals are indeed scary. As they try to show us the somewhat merging of the two worlds, the way it has been portrayed and shown makes it feel that all this is happening for real. As a result, it is even more thrilling to watch. I don’t think I saw such enriching visuals in the 4 previous seasons so far. Additionally, this season, like season 4, is less chaotic. It feels way more structured in its overall execution. That actually is one of the plus points, given that this season is focusing on closing most of the chapters that have been opened so far. It is less of fun, playful times, and more of seriousness as the makers embark on a journey to show that the kids have indeed grown up. So all in all, even though it is the finale season, the makers have not shied away from experimenting with the character developments when giving them fresh arcs. Hence, this is a great watch.

But one thing is for sure: you have to give a substantial amount of time to the show. Because of the long runtime of the episodes and the nature of the plot, you can't just watch it like that. The only way to understand the plot is by sitting and sparing time for it. And trust me, you'll enjoy it for sure.

Final Score- [8/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Ch
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times