The conclusion to Netflix and the Duffer Brothers’ pop culture phenomenon Stranger Things begins with an epic first volume that’s now streaming for your binging pleasure.
Action and horror propel the return to Hawkins in volume one as our heroes race to find Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), hoping to vanquish him once and for all. In the time since the Upside Down ripped open in season four, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has been training with Hopper (David Harbour) to strengthen her powers. Seeing Eleven’s growth into a strong as hell young woman from her early days throwing bullies off her friends is such a joy. Clearly, that’s thanks to Eggo waffles.
Meanwhile, the non-superpowered, led by Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Joyce (Winona Ryder), unite in pursuit of Vecna. This time around their HQ moves out of the Wheeler basement and into the town radio station operated by Robin (Maya Hawke) and Steve (Joe Keery), who use their show, “The Squawk,” to relay secret messages through the station’s needle drops and otherwise government-sanctioned yapping.
It’s a delight to see Hawkins’ heroes use the resources available to them to not just prepare for battle against the Upside Down but also to evade the martial law stronghold on their town. Everyone in the cast shines with their skills we’ve seen develop over the past few seasons, and everyone gets a standout moment as the anti-Vecna campaign builds.
Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) uses radio signals to hack into the lines being used by the government base in the Upside Down, guiding Hopper’s clandestine search for Vecna with the help of Steve’s van, which has been transformed into a mobile radio station. Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Erica (Priah Ferguson), and Will (Noah Schapp) also support using the web of tools from the station; it’s almost as if the town has become a real D&D table to play on, which is a really clever payoff to how it all began with the kids in the basement. All of this moves the action at a breakneck pace and is matched by the horrors of the Upside Down that are intent on preying on Hawkins.
The Demogorgons are back, and Vecna’s foot soldiers begin to collect children for his mysterious new plan by ripping through anything and anyone that stands in their way. The threat gets too real when Holly Wheeler (now played by Nell Fisher) is lured by Vecna, appearing with his normal Henry face to warn her the monsters are coming, and it’s so creepy to see Bower play up his charms, which are very Mister Rogers meets Freddy Krueger. It’s an awesome concept that really digs into that Amblin kid adventure feel but also dips into an ’80s horror tone, harkening back to early Wes Craven and John Carpenter.
The frights feel real, and the situations are horrific with no holds barred. When the Demogorgons come to collect Holly at the Wheeler house, it’s a bloodbath and a declaration of war against Nancy and the gang’s efforts to catch Vecna.
And that’s just the Upside Down threat; the government is also there to make things difficult for everyone. It’s still after Eleven, who’s being painted as the fall guy for the horrors. She can’t show her face in Hawkins; officials are combing the town for her to take her to the base now run by Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton). The iconic ’80s action heroine is a stone-cold baddie, and frankly we’d be okay with her taking us captive any day.
Kidding—sort of—but her presence here is very welcome. The Duffer Brothers enlisting Hamilton as their final season antagonist is so inspired, and while she’s not in volume one as much as we’d hoped, Dr. Kay really gets established as the main obstacle to finding Vecna first. The government seems to be picking up where Dr. Brenner left off, and the motivations behind the search for Eleven suddenly become clearer. It’s such a powerful message that really speaks to the overarching themes of how we only have our communities to count on for our protection, because, well, those in power might just be seeking more dangerous ways to try and further their control.
The Duffers and producer Shawn Levy have enlisted some great filmmakers for this season to really capture the cinematic scope of Stranger Things for its final outing. Frank Darabont’s work on the show this season is primed to be some all-time great television, and the Duffers’ feature-length closer to the first drop of episodes really raises the stakes.
But it’s really the relationships that solidify Stranger Things as a true pop culture beast. The younger cast has grown up before our eyes, and the power of their love for one another has helped make the show one of the most compelling sagas of this generation. We want to see everyone Eleven cares about be okay, but we also know things can’t be wrapped up neatly if Vecna has his way. Imagining the horrors that could potentially befall Steve’s pretty head (not to mention his co-pilot, Dustin) feels just as stressful as ever. But the core friendship between Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin is what really ties Stranger Things together, and we can’t wait to see how their campaign against the Upside Down ends.
Stranger Things 5 Volume One is now streaming on Netflix. The remaining episodes arrive December 25 and 31.
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