Final seasons of TV shows have been notorious for failing to bring the story to a satisfying close. The fifth and final season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” toes that line closely, but still manages to come together in a way that does the rest of the series justice.
Season 5 follows Eleven, Will Byers, Jim Hopper and the rest of the group as they attempt to find and kill Vecna after he wreaked havoc on the town of Hawkins 18 months earlier.
The first problem with Season 5 is the 18-month time jump from the end of Season 4. With how climactic the cliffhanger ending of that season was, it would seem logical to capitalize on that and hit the ground running in the next one.
Unfortunately, while Season 5 still manages to establish its own momentum, there is a clear difference between the stakes set up for the season and what was actually delivered. Nevertheless, the show rises above the issue, as the first few episodes are truly phenomenal.
“Stranger Things” is at its absolute best when the pacing is tight and the story allows for the characters to interact in an entertaining way, two things that truly define the first four episodes of season five. Every member of the cast is firing on all cylinders, but it’s the filmmaking from the show’s creators and directors, Matt and Ross Duffer, that steals the show.
Episode 4, titled “Sorcerer,” is truly a feat in action choreography and cinematography. Every frame is permeated with creativity and intentionality, which paired with monsters fighting against the military, makes for a supremely entertaining viewing experience.
It’s a shame, then, that the momentum of the season comes to a halt with the next few episodes. The problem is not that the action or stakes change, but rather that the pacing of the story does. Instead of plot threads weaving between each other before coming together in a satisfying way, everything begins to feel clunky, with certain storylines being far more entertaining and interesting than others.
“Stranger Things” is a show that has always managed to balance its plot threads in order to make all of them feel equally important and engrossing, but the latter half of Season 5 changes that. In particular, Episode 7, titled “The Bridge,” fails to capture that synchrony. The performances are still magnificent and the fundamentals of the show don’t change, but the story clearly starts to lose focus and become sloppy for the first time in the show’s decade-long run. Thus, instead of charging into the finale with head held high, the series stumbles and sputters into it.
None of that seems to matter, however, as the prior lack of focus is eliminated immediately with the finale. Not only does every character get a moment to shine, but the story reaches an epic climax that climbs to a scale not seen in the show before.
All of it comes together to create a series finale that does the show justice. While not every loose thread is tied up, nor is every character given the most satisfying ending, the core of the show is laid to rest in a beautiful way.
Whether it’s the characters that audiences have grown to love or their relationships with each other, all of them are brought to an emotional and nostalgic conclusion. Therefore, even though it isn’t perfect and there is an abundance of flaws, “Stranger Things 5” is a worthy sendoff to a phenomenal series.
