New “Stranger Things” Season Is A Dangerously Supernatural Tale For The Ages
Trinity Larsen | Dec. 9, 2025
The Netflix TV show that has everyone in Vecna’s chokehold recently released Volume 1 of its final season. I can’t decide if I miss the feeling of earlier seasons or if TV as a whole is going downhill.
Set in Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980’s, “Stranger Things”, directed by Matt and Ross Duffer, stars friends Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Lucus (Caleb McLaughlin) who stumble upon an alternate world known as the Upside Down when Will is taken by supernatural forces and a strange girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) shows up on their doorstep.
Many fans, including myself, were drawn to the show because it felt nostalgic of the 1980’s. The group of friends are shown playing Dungeons & Dragons–a fantasy roleplaying board game–in Will’s basement and playing at the arcade in Season Two. Elements from the 80s, like the bikes they ride with the charming light on the front, the clothes worn and even the cozy interior design of the homes, cast a lighthearted tone over dangerous adventures the boys went on.
The first season of “Stranger Things” was released back in 2016, and it had a smaller audience at first. I had preconceived notions that the show was going to be too gory for my 12-year-old self. It took a few years, and my dad recommending that I watch it, for me to give the show a try.
The fanbase for “Stranger Things” has grown exponentially due to the amount of media attention its actors have received. The main cast members were preteens when they were cast for the show. Now, they’re in their 20s, and cast members like Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard have developed into full-fledged stars who have been featured in multiple movies since their debut on “Stranger Things”. This media attention and audience response have continued to this day, when videos of the cast’s press tours from season one are now getting reposted on social media, with fans making edits comparing actors to their younger selves.
After watching the first four episodes of Season Five, I would say that the show’s overall tone feels slightly distant from the nostalgic feeling Season One brought fans. “Stranger Things” no longer centers on a group of kids. Instead, the actors are adults, and as a result, have grown out of the childishness that made earlier seasons feel lighthearted.
Aesthetically, the show has also changed. CGI, used for Vecna, Season Five’s main monster, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, and monsters like the demogorgon, has been relied upon heavily this season compared to Season One. This impacts the tone by causing the dangerous situations characters end up in to be more serious. Along with visually stimulating special effects, there's more focus on an entertaining plot rather than including humorous bonding scenes between characters.
Despite it being the show’s final season, I still enjoyed the introduction of a couple of new characters because it means the Duffer Brothers have included them in the finale for an important reason, which viewers got a sneak peek of in Volume 1. I won’t spoil it, but I did find the plot twist with Will to be absurd at first. After reconsidering, I think it’s an exciting character development that extended the show’s lore.
I will be tuning in during winter break for Volume 2! If you haven’t already, watch the first four seasons of “Stranger Things”. It's a dangerously supernatural adventure for the ages.