Stranger Things Series Review (Season 5: Vol I, II and Finale)

Released: 26th November 2025 to 1st January 2026

Number of Episodes: 8

Certificate: 15

Where To Watch: Netflix

Created by: The Duffer Brothers

Starring: Millie Bobbie Brown, David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke and Jamie Campbell-Bower

For nine years, Stranger Things has dominated the streaming charts with its lovable characters, visceral sci-fi horror and affectionate tributes to the eighties. Many an audience has been captivated by the show; it’s a shame then that the end of this long-running saga falls short in several places.

Some nineteen months after season 4, the town of Hawkins has come under military occupation. Hidden away from view, Vecna (Jamie-Campbell Bower) is on the verge of completing his nefarious scheme; bringing the upside down into our own world. With a group of local children kidnapped, it’s up to Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown), Will (Noah Schnap) and the rest of the Hawkins crew to put an end to the threat once and for all. Stranger Things has always thrived on its blend of eighties nostalgia and creepy inter-dimensional creatures, but this time the balance and depth have tipped over the edge. The first casualty is the earnest drama which is often overcome by the action. While the characters still have their moments for a heart-to-heart, many of them feel less effective than previous chapters, often put aside for the big set-pieces to take over. Efforts to bring back old ideas and incorporate new ones also come up empty. One thread is plucked from the end of season 2 and woven into the first volume, but it leaves a hollow feeling with an elusive character being the weakest part of that older chapter. Finally, there’s the military, headed by a very basic performance from Linda Hamilton. The last few seasons did a much better job of incorporating the government machinations; here, things feel incredibly rushed and the hostile troops are hand-waved away by the end. In terms of pacing, the second volume is rather slow and uneventful, a drawn-out setup for the finale. These crippling flaws get in the way of what the season does do well; giving each of the characters a fitting conclusion.

The large roster really does give it their all for the final bow. We’ve watched the child actors grow up throughout the episodes and the series has always taken great steps to embed this into the narrative. The clash between teamwork and aggressive arguments hangs over this set of episodes; a fast-moving plot may skim over some of the tender points, but there’s no doubt that the cast delivers great work. Without giving anything away, Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Will, Steve (Joe Keery) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) have some deeply emotional scenes and every performance will move the audience. The dramatic seeds planted in previous seasons all pay off in very heartfelt ways, especially in the last episode where every character gets their moment in the spotlight. Smaller characters like Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) are elevated to more active roles, but the performance that stood out the most to me was Jamie-Campbell Bower; he gets plenty of material both in and out of the Vecna prosthetics and delivers the most sinister tone of the entire series.

The Upside Down takes centre stage for the last outing and that brings the most extravagant set pieces; tons of flashy effects, a great sense of scale and a pulse-pounding soundtrack will pull you into the battle. The creature attacks and vast landscapes have never been bigger and with a gargantuan budget, at least three-quarters of the season takes place in altered dimensions. All of them are presented well, though it does come at the cost of the grounded sequences in Hawkins. The bigger problem is the diminished danger; raising the stakes is important for any finale and Stranger Things 5 will surely stand as the most toothless in recent memory. It really takes the wind of the sails as the characters dodge death again and again; with this being the last run, the issue is only magnified as the season refuses to take bolder storytelling directions.

The last chapter of Stranger Things isn’t a disaster, but it is a major let-down that fails to live up previous seasons. The performances remain strong, the technical details immaculate and the emotional moments on top form. While it is conclusive enough in the final scenes, the slow crawl of the second volume, severe lack of dramatic tension and some lacklustre plot threads drag it down from greatness.

Rating: 3/5 Stars (Fair)