Stranger Things Season 5: Not a Flop, Just a Different Show

By Bailey Smith

People don’t like to see a series change, especially when it’s one they’ve grown up with. Since the release of the first episode, Stranger Things season five has faced harsh criticism from fans around the world. However, I did not view this season's evolved plot and character choices as a downgrade. 

Season 5 was released in three parts, with four episodes premiering on November 27th, three on Christmas day, and the last on New Year's Eve. The party are now seniors in high school and still on the hunt for Vecna, who has been regaining his powers and planning his final attack. Using the persona of Mr. Whatsit, Henry (Vecna) kidnaps numerous children of Hawkins, including Holly, trapping them in his memory world. The characters venture in and out of this alternate plane of reality as they resist Vecna’s mind control, simultaneously discovering the origins of his power and his goal of bridging the gap between worlds. 

In the season finale, the party pulls off their final and most complex mission, traveling into the barren world that lies even past the upside down. There, they battle the hive-mind, overpowering Vecna and with the help of Eleven’s powers, kill him. On the cusp of returning home, Eleven breaks away from the others, vanishing with the destruction of the Upside Down. Readjusting to normal life, the others graduate high school, grateful for their friendships and journey together, but left to sit with the open-ended death of Eleven. 

Eleven faces the monstrous hive-mind in the series’ finale, arriving just in time to help the others in the ruthless battle against Vecna. 

Many found the season to be rushed, with its episodes jumping quickly between different realities and perspectives. The shocking graphics and far-reaching concepts gave the season a very different feel compared to prior seasons, as the show became less about mystery and more about making sense of it. Additionally, the core actors, now in their twenties, didn’t bring the same innocence as in earlier seasons, because, well… They're adults. Caleb McLaughlin, the actor who portrays Lucas, even has a full on beard.

But the faster pace and character changes were necessary for the completion of the show, as there were many complex ideas that still needed to be tied together. Being the last season of the series, the Duffer brothers were tasked with explaining the twisted mysteries of Hawkins.

Matt Duffer speaks on the series’ controversial ending in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, telling, “We’re not trying to shock or upset anyone. I hope by the time people get to the end of the finale that it just feels like there’s something inevitable about what happens.” Many people were looking for something more from the season finale, whether that was clarity on Eleven’s death or a deeper dive into the collapse of the Upside Down.

Yet after the intense climax, everything ended very naturally, leaving viewers looking for something that would signify the continuation of the saga. But that just wasn’t realistic. The show was done and the rest was up for interpretation. 

My opinion very much developed throughout the season. At first, the large time jump and fast paced plot threw me off a little. Everything felt very in-your-face. But as I continued watching, I kind of came to a point of acceptance in the fact that the kids were grown up, the original magic (emphasis on original) was gone, and that things had to get kind of crazy in order for the ending to make sense. 

Once I changed my perspective on the season’s differences, I was able to enjoy it for what it was. And I really did enjoy it. The complex ideas, which took more of a science-y turn, were unique and intriguing. I loved seeing the characters, including Vecna, grow throughout the journey, and gaining greater insight into their past and present struggles.

Stranger Things season 5 felt like a whole different show, but that didn’t draw away from the series’ greatness, with its other-worldly ideas and incredible graphics. The negative response from viewers was fueled by resistance to change—change that was necessary for the conclusion of the twisted tale.