Stranger Things 5 Vol 1 Review: A Decent Start

There’s so much to like about Stranger Things 5 Vol 1 – including a superb, chilling story and fabulous performances – but this batch isn’t perfect.

While this first batch of episodes offers a lot of great things and serves as a promising start to the final season, there are flaws. 

We pick things up a year after the battle with Vecna/Henry Creel/One (Jamie Campbell Bower) and no one is positive of his demise, especially since rifts appeared in Hawkins not long after the big bad’s supposed defeat. They’ve been searching for him ever since even as the military has placed their town under quarantine. Our heroes are also facing their own personal challenges in the wake of this chaos, which doesn’t make things any easier. These episodes expand on several plots from last season, which is a huge plus, as not only does it feel like natural storytelling from the writer’s room, but this also means we as viewers don’t get to brush things off in favor of some shiny new toy. 

Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) is grieving Eddie’s (Joseph Quinn) death and it’s interesting to see what kind of toll this has taken on him. Not only is he beginning to embody Eddie even more, but he’s not really pulling everyone back into focus on the task at hand and that leads to clashes with Steve (Joe Keery). A lot of shows would handwave a character’s death away after a time jump, but I appreciate that these writers didn’t. It’s good for Dustin as a character and gives him an overall arc within the main story. 

Also not gone, rather unfortunately in this case, is the love triangle between Steve, Nancy (Natalia Dyer), and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton). The two men are still pushing for Nancy’s affection in spite of Steve’s claim to Robin (Maya Hawke) that he was over her two seasons ago. It’s so frustrating because this trio could actually be undergoing some sort of character development as opposed to being stuck in this clichéd plot. We may get chuckles out of their back and forth, but once those are gone, we’re left wondering why on earth the writers would keep mining a well that has run dry. 

Nancy and Steve thankfully have side plots with other characters which could give them depth as we move along, but Jonathan is left in the cold with nothing to drive him forward. Nancy has been his main focus over the last two seasons and as a result, he’s no different. After I finished my second watch, I was left saying the same thing that many have said for a while now: This show has too many characters and everyone involved is worse off for it. The writers are utilizing pairings to move the story forward, which works, but it doesn’t leave much room for individual arcs. While I understand that you don’t want to kill beloved figures off, you’re not doing characters like Jonathan any favors by having them go through the same motions or worse, just twiddling their thumbs waiting for something to happen. 

Some of the pairings in Stranger Things 5 Vol 1 provide the quality character moments we’ve seen before. In particular, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has some very strong scenes with her adoptive father Jim Hopper (David Harbour) as their arcs are well intertwined. These two have always had great chemistry and it shows here when the show needs it most. Then there’s Will (Noah Schnapp) who has some of his most memorable scenes ever with Maya Hawke as Robin. Not only are they a fun pair, but their interactions also do so much for Will’s character development. It’s the most I’ve connected with his character in a long time and it wasn’t really because of anything Schnapp did, but rather due to the writers finally not treating his character like a black sheep. 

Even though plenty of characters could’ve used additional work, these writers are still able to come up with a compelling, unnerving story that’s worth your time. They are masters at creating tension and making you come back for more. Just when you begin to think the series can’t deliver, the creative team and cast will give you an episode like Chapter 4: Sorcerer, filled with moments that will make your jaw drop as you’re also clenching your seat.

It also helps when you have actors like Natalia Dyer, Maya Hawke, and Sadie Sink giving it their all throughout Stranger Things 5 Vol 1. This trio is given incredibly emotional scenes that they knock out of the park and Hawke once again brings humor to these proceedings when we need it most as Robin. Dyer stands head and shoulders above the rest of our returning cast members because she shifts between emotions so easily. Nancy really comes into her own from a leadership perspective and for as much as her arc gets tied into the love triangle, she at least is given stronger material to work with than Steve and Jonathan. While I won’t get into the specifics of Max’s (Sadie Sink) journey, it’s just amazing to watch Sink work here, and her moments in this collection of episodes give the actress a chance to show just how much she’s grown as a performer over the years. 

To my surprise, though, the biggest standout of Stranger Things 5 Vol 1 wasn’t anyone I already knew. Nell Fisher gives a breakout performance as Nancy and Mike’s little sister Holly Wheeler. Even if the math behind Holly’s age is a bit weird, Fisher sells every aspect of her character. She captures that youthful innocence so well that you’ll just want to protect her with everything you have. Her acting is absolutely incredible and convincing. This is the best performance I’ve seen from a young performer in 2025 simply because I felt every moment of fear, uncertainty, and joy that Holly did. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this character, and for Fisher as an actress. 

As long as the writers are able to expand on this foundation, this series should end in a satisfying fashion but as things stand, we’ve got plenty of steps to take before we get there. Stranger Things 5 Vol 1 is clearly just the beginning for this final season, but this batch of episodes tells a great story that’ll send chills up your spine. The returning cast do an excellent job for the most part, but newcomer Nell Fisher steals the show. You’ll be begging for more as soon as Episode 4 ends, and have another reason to look forward to Christmas. 

Stranger Things 5 Vol. 1 (episodes 1-4) is now available to stream globally on Netflix. Vol. 2 (episodes 5-7) will be released on December 25, with the series finale airing on December 31.