A decade of mystery, plot twists, horrible cliffhangers, and heart attacks as beloved characters neared death causing both anxiety and sky-high viewership comes to an end after the final season of the hit TV show Stranger Things aired on Thanksgiving, much to the excitement and sadness of fans across the country.
Although Season 5 started off slowly in order to catch viewers up with the characters’ whereabouts after the end of Season 4, the plot quickly amped up. As per, the directors of the show, the Duffer brothers, usual style, multiple complicated storylines developed within the first episode. Contrary to criticism in the past, these simultaneous plots did not confuse each other or seem unrelated. They instead formed a complex, captivating story where viewers can’t help but watch with rapture as the events unfold. Make sure you prepare for plot twist after plot twist!
One outstanding improvement of this season is the exploration of new, deeper themes. Certain characters have moments to grow their self-confidence, personal identity, and morals, which is a shift from previous seasons, where the show usually remains very focused on the mystery, Demogorgons, or Hawkins Lab, and doesn’t allow the characters to mature outside of the supernatural plot. Apart from being a fresh story, the new themes highlight the characters as people existing in society and not just kids who got caught up in a ridiculously complicated situation. The self-discovery also emphasizes the fact that in disasters and chaos, the world keeps turning, making the show relatable for the audience who can’t always connect with telekinesis and other horror dimensions. The show’s shift into more complex commentary on society also adds a deeper layer of importance to Stranger Things, apart from being a fun watch.
Although the show is still fun and has not lost its moments of comedy with characters such as Erica, Murray, and Steve, the overall tone of the show became much darker and violent than before. While Netflix upped the rating of this season, from TV-14 to TV-MA, the gore was still surprising. Many viewers still went into Season 5 expecting relatively the same antics and scares. However, the violence, both involving the supernatural and more realistic, disturbingly amped up. For younger viewers, Season 5 may need to be taken slowly and with a good understanding of the horror to come, and I recommend getting advice from older viewers who have already watched the season.
Despite a darker turn, Season 5 (Part 1) proved enjoyable and fascinating with its ever growing depth and incredible characters. It is definitely a season that you will binge until 3:45 am and then hyperfixate on until Part 2 comes out in 13 days, just in time for you to mentally recover after midterms!
