Stranger Things Season 5 Review

**There may be spoilers ahead!

After waiting for so long, we got what we were all waiting for season 5 of Stranger Things. Theories were made, declarations of who will die were cast, and the hope of Hawkins laid out. Given to the people in three sections, we had to wait even longer still to find out what would happen to our D&D kids.

Volume 1, volume 2, and the season finale were built up and at the end, we became underwhelmed and dissatisfied. Did The Duffer Brothers forget the plot after so many years away?

The fans came up with better theories than what we were given this season, honestly. I felt every season strayed from the original story. These are just some takeaways I felt.

Biggest shocks/Good things that came from this season

Will’s Super Powers

The hive mind came to fruition in full force. It was awesome. The build up of was amazing as well. We see Will’s development of throwing up the demogorgon baby, the back of the neck tingles, the building of the tunnels, and then being able to see through the demogorgons eyes. Then for the finale, he has powers of his own through the connection with Vecna. It was the best way to end the first volume. It was cohesive with seasons and made so much sense!

Dustin’s & Steve’s Friendship

Tension in the beginning and a lot of fighting, Dustin and Steve were in a big rough patch. Dustin had a traumatic ending to season 4 and every after a year and a half he was still having a hard time processing what happened to one of his mentors. The unlikely friendship between the two sparked a lot of joy from the viewers and watching them fight was a hard watch. During the second volume we see them battle it and finally come to terms with each other’s trauma’s and reignite their friendship.

The last D&D game

This was the greatest ending. To where it all started and then ending it this way with a new group coming in to take the torch was great storytelling. The campaign’s told the story in the beginning what was going to happen, then again in the hellfire club’s final campaign, and then at this final scene. The mage to save them all. They were true to their game names and brought the game to a close.

Momma Wheeler

She has been a force this whole time. A true mom who is worried for her children through and through. She had amazing character development and even her own storyline in season 3. We got to see her go through many trials and come out stronger. How amazing was she hiding her daughter and then fighting a demogorgon with a wine bottle? Iconic, honestly. She then, while nursing her injuries back to normal, killed three more demos. It was unfortunate the she still stayed with Ted. I have a lot of words about Ted. After everything those two went through in this season, he still reverted back to being not all the way involved.

I just wish some of the theories about her were part of the story, like her connection to Henry.

Mr. Clark- Our Unsung Hero

This man right here is the true MVP. He helped the kids every season solve a big mystery that lead to their success. He was a responsible adult (honestly though he was a player!) but indulged the kids grandiose ideas. The fact that he didn’t think anything of it for so long was astounding!

The Not so Great Stuff

Almost everyone’s acting skills

For starters, Holly. Her acting was not up there. She acted way to much with her face and her lips. Her lips better be insured cause that’s all she got going for her. I’m sure she will improve, but I was a little disappointed with her part. Even the main four were better actors and they were younger. However, Mike and Will haven’t improved to much. Eleven is an over-actor as well. And the lip filler was not it.

Everyone else was pretty standard and in character.

Will’s Declaration/ Max’s Monologue

Nothing against coming out (ever), but I felt the dialogue was just hard to empathize with because knowing what we knew about Will and that his friends should have known (at least the main ones) we should have had more of a, “we know and obviously are going to stay with you” kind of moment. Because they knew! Mike knew and you knew his other friends could tell.

Max was running for so long and now that they are at the moment they were waiting for she has to have this 5 minute monologue? Girl, please.

The ending: Where are they now?

Honestly, this part was super underwhelming. For the Core Four and the younger counterparts I thought their ending wrapped up nicely, but it was the adults for me. I just couldn’t wrap my head around what they were doing with their lives. Steve’s ending made total sense, but I would’ve liked to have seen him married with a kid on the way because that’s what he wanted. I would’ve liked have liked to have seen Nancy finishing school doing active journalism with a job in the trenches. I think Jonathon would’ve been doing well at community college pursuing photography or something like that. And Robin, I feel like she’s a wild card. She could do anything, she had such a plethora of knowledge. Honestly, she could have died. Haha!

The short end of the stick: Mike, Will and probably Mike’s Mom?

The ending for some characters was a little underwhelming. Let’s stay with Mike. I feel like the whole series he got the short end of the stick. First he loses his best friend, then his first love, his parents have a crap marriage, and dude only keeps his friends. The others branch out with other friendships (good or bad) and he stays the same. Argue all you want but he doesn’t progress much with others like his friends do.

Mike’s mom. This woman has one of the best developments on the show and is stuck with Ted. Dude has no development whatsoever and Mike’s mom is one of the best moms on the show and gets the shaft a lot.

I feel like Will got the short end most of the series. He was isolated so often, his mother smothered him, his parents divorce probably hurt him, and why the heck was he kidnapped? Every kid is susceptible according to Vecna. We never got why he was so special. Like really special.

Where is everybody else?

Most importantly, Suzie! It’s fine if her and Dustin didn’t become endgame, but we never got closure! She was one of my favorite side quest characters and there was nothing. The list goes on though:

Dr. Owens, everyone else’s parents (they came at the end but they should’ve been more involved with the nature of Hawkins), the Russians, and Argylle.

Others we didn’t get anything else from- Erika, Sarah Connor’s role, Murray, and Vicky. There was nothing closure for them. Murray was my top five favorite character, where did he go?

No one died!

Yea we got a few deaths, but they weren’t super satisfying and possibly predictable. Death does not need to happen to further plot unless it’s necessary to further the plot, but when all the characters have plot armor in a dangerous world something just doesn’t feel right. The fourth season was dark and where I was hoping this season would go, but it stayed pretty light considering. Who I felt should have died: Will, he was connected to the hive mind when it died he should’ve died. Robin, honestly the least essential character in season 5 and I loved her in the other seasons. Ted, he was not the best husband. Dr. Kay and the main soldier guy, would’ve given their characters closure.

Hit or miss deaths: Max (didn’t super care for her character), Murray (I loved him so much though), Joyce (saving her sons would’ve been epic, but her killing Vecna was poetic), and Vicky (would’ve given Robin a vengeful arc which would have been cool).

Unanswered Questions:

Where were the demogorgons in the last episode?

What is the old high school memory referencing, why is it important?

Why is the upside down stuck on the day Will went missing?

How can max see now?

What happened to the demobats?

Where did the military go?

Is the upside air breathable now? Do they care? lol

Are the pregnant women dead?

It seems like The Duffer Brothers knew what they wanted to do, what they wanted to accomplish with this show. Coming from the writing in season 1 to this season however was not the same and you could tell.

For coming to a conclusion this felt like Game of Thrones to me. This giant build up and then getting disappointed with the ending even though it satisfied somewhat to some end. Which, allegedly Finn Wolfhard said something similar.

I’m sure others have their own thoughts but these are mine! What did you think of it?

Now there’s a theory the ending is all just a Vecna mind manipulation… I don’t know if we will ever find out?