We’ve reached a point with Stranger Things where, at least for current viewers, you’re either in or you’re out. Nothing this review says—or doesn’t say—will convince you to watch or skip these episodes, so why bother writing it?
Because when one of the biggest pop-culture juggernauts of the past decade prepares to land the plane, it’s worth paying attention to how steady that landing is. Endings matter. And while Stranger Things delivered one of the strongest openings of any genre series of the 2010s, how it wraps up will define how the show is remembered.
And yet, this still isn’t the end. After releasing “Volume 1” of its fifth and final season earlier this month, Netflix dropped “Volume 2” on Christmas Eve, positioning it as the runway to a New Year’s Eve series finale. The volume consists of three episodes, each running over an hour, all building toward a final battle of epic proportions. Thankfully, those proportions are clear from the outset—an important consideration given how uneven and padded this trio feels on the way there. The magic remains for invested viewers, but like one of its episode titles, these episodes are best described as “The Bridge.” They’re less self-contained stories than connective tissue, for better and for worse.
Volume 1 of Stranger Things 5 ended on a high note with the revelation that Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has become what his friends call a “sorcerer,” possessing abilities similar to both Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). The timing couldn’t be better, as the Hawkins crew realizes just how dire their situation has become and immediately puts Will’s new powers to use. If he can tap into Vecna’s hivemind, the thinking goes, he may be able to locate Max (Sadie Sink), trapped in Vecna’s dream dimension—separate from the Upside Down—along with Holly (Nell Fisher), and potentially dismantle Vecna’s plan before it fully takes shape. The new volume opens strong with “Shock Jock,” directed by Frank Darabont, which injects genuine suspense as the group presses its advantage.
That momentum doesn’t last. The series quickly pivots to addressing its many unresolved threads. Some—like Will’s journey as a closeted queer teenager—feel essential and overdue. Others, particularly the show’s insistence on providing a concrete explanation for the Upside Down, send the narrative into awkward territory that does little to deepen the characters or their relationships. More than Volume 1, Stranger Things 5 begins to feel like an obligation rather than an escalation.
Creators Matt and Ross Duffer deserve credit for sustaining Stranger Things at this scale for so long. The show has consistently raised its stakes, expanded its ensemble, and preserved the horror-sci-fi-comedy blend that made Season 1 such a hit. It remains a highly entertaining piece of streaming television. But in these episodes, the bill comes due. Time that should be spent racing toward Vecna is instead devoted to resolving subplot after subplot, including several viewers never asked for. Do we want to know if Nancy (Natalie Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) survive? If Max wakes up? If Will ever comes out to his friends? Absolutely. Do we need further explanations of the Upside Down or the U.S. government’s attempts to exploit it? Probably not. Those detours weigh the story down, slowing momentum and complicating an already crowded narrative.
The result is a volume that frequently stalls. Characters peel off into pairs to discuss emotional beats rather than letting those moments emerge organically from the action. Aside from the volume’s closing scene—and one surprisingly effective emotional moment that unfolds mid-battle—many of these exchanges feel forced, padded, and occasionally dull. The episodes begin to resemble a checklist rather than a cohesive story, a problem compounded by dialogue that often feels stiffer and more unnatural than anything the series has attempted before. Watching kids talk like tabletop RPG heroes once had its charm. Hearing near-adults do the same does not.
Still, the cast remains committed. Whether it’s Dyer channeling Ellen Ripley or Gaten Matarazzo portraying Dustin’s escalating survivor’s guilt, the performances consistently rise above the material. Despite years passing onscreen and off, most of these actors still inhabit their roles with ease. Their investment is the main reason this volume works at all, transforming what could have been a slog into something that mostly holds together.
By the end, many lingering questions are answered and long-simmering concerns addressed. All that remains is the fight—the final confrontation that some of these characters may not survive. The road here has been long and, at times, exhausting, but for all its flaws, this stretch of Stranger Things 5 successfully sets the table. Now the hope is that the main course delivers.
The Stranger Things 5 finale premieres New Year’s Eve on Netflix.
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