Just four episodes in, season five already feels more intense than any season before, with each episode running nearly as long as a movie. What are the main takeaways from these opening chapters of Stranger Things?
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 80s, in the town of Hawkins, Indiana where a young boy named Will goes missing. A government lab is linked to a dark, alternate dimension called the Upside Down, from which monsters begin to emerge.
And a group of local kids, alongside their parents and friends, team up with a psychokinetic girl named Eleven to fight these monsters, find Will, save their town, and ultimately, the world.
Season four left the town of Hawkins in its most dangerous state yet. As Max is nearly killed by Vecna and left in a coma, the final gate opens and tears through the town, allowing the Upside Down to break into the real world.
Eleven, having regained her powers, tries to save Max but can’t stop the damage, and the group realizes that Vecna is still alive. As it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish the real world from the upside down, it is obvious that the final battle is only just beginning.
Episode one of season five is very simple: everyone tries to adjust after Hawkins basically collapses. Hopper occasionally enters the Upside Down to investigate a military base that is looking to capture Eleven while everyone works to track and communicate with him. However, one of his missions fails when demogorgons attack the soldiers, forcing Hopper deeper into the Upside Down.
At the same time, Holly Wheeler is visited by an imaginary friend named Mr. Whatsit, who tells her that Hawkins is under attack and that he will protect her from the monsters that come her way.
The episode pacing is slow, which I actually liked because it builds suspense the whole time. So when a gate to the Upside Down suddenly rips through Holly’s room in the final minutes, it feels way more intense and unexpected.
The show takes a complex and intense turn in episode two, when the Wheeler family is attacked by a demogorgon. Holly is taken to the Upside Down, and Mr. and Ms. Wheeler are left on the brink of death.
Nancy and Mike rush to find their sister, and when they figure out that Mr. Whatsit is actually Vecna, the episode takes a nerve-wracking turn. As a viewer, you instantly feel that same panic as Nancy and Mike because you know Holly’s in real danger.
Eleven enters the Upside Down and reunites with Hopper, wary of the military base nearby.
Meanwhile, Will and Robin establish a tight-knit friendship, working together to investigate Will’s visions of the upside down as well as clues regarding Holly’s whereabouts.
Episode three is way more fun and eventful, especially since episode two was pretty dark and slow. The contrasting episodes create a balance that makes the season more engaging. The group learns that Vecna’s next target is this kid named Derek, using him to lure a Demogorgon, so Steve, Jonathan, Dustin, and Nancy can follow it into the Upside Down. And at the same time, Will’s visions of the Upside Down start feeling more real, which makes everything feel even more intense.
Eleven and Hopper capture a military soldier who reveals the army is hiding something important in a secure vault within their base, which Eleven suspects to be Vecna.
Additionally, in a vision world within the Upside Down, where Vecna is holding Holly Wheeler. Holly discovers Max, who is alive and trapped in Vecna’s mindscape.
Now if you thought that was a lot, Episode 4 is easily the most chaotic one yet, with enough happening to rival entire seasons. The chaos is what makes the episode stand out, since everything hits in the span of 10 minutes, evoking immense excitement.
Eleven and Hopper storm the military base in the Upside Down, only to discover that they have captured Eight (Eleven’s sister who has the power to create illusions), not Vecna.
Max and Holly plan to escape Vecna’s mind prison.
As the military takes all kids in Hawkins between the ages nine and ten, in an attempt to lure Eleven (who they think is guilty for taking Holly), the Hawkins Crew hatches a plan to take those who are suspected to be Vecna’s next victims.
However, they are caught and as they attempt to escape, attacked by demogorgons and Vecna, who kill the soldiers. Cornered by Vecna, Will looks back on the meaningful speech Robin gave to him, embraces his identity, and reveals his powerful telekinetic powers, saving Mike, Robin and Lucas.
With only four episodes so far, season five is unlike any season before. Every character has something major going on.
Will, who’s always been shown as the quiet, vulnerable kid, is suddenly as powerful as Eleven. Eight is back in the show, Max is stuck inside a warped world Vecna created, and Holly Wheeler, who’s always been a background character, is suddenly turning into the key to finding and possibly stopping Vecna.
But even with everything happening, the show still keeps the focus on the friendships and the relationships that have always made Stranger Things special. The group is more connected than ever and new connections are being formed.
If this is just the start, I can’t imagine what the rest of the season will entail. It’s clear that the Duffer Brothers aren’t holding back for the Stranger Things finale.
