“Stranger Things” first joined Netflix airing catalog on Jul. 15, 2016. The show stars Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Noah Schnapp (Will), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Millie Bonnie Bongiovi (Eleven), David Harbour (Hopper), and Winona Ryder (Joyce). In the past nine years, the series has become a global phenomenon, generating over $1 billion in streaming revenue and contributing to a large portion of the current pop-culture zeitgeist. 

Season two dropped in Oct. of 2017, season three in Jul. 2019,and  season four in May. and Jul. 2022. The first volume of season five, the final season, dropped on Nov. 26. The first volume consisted of four episodes, each with run-times of about an hour. Fans have been awaiting the final season for three years, as it was delayed due to writer strikes, and are elated to finally have the first part of the final installment. 

Chapter one is titled “The Crawl” and it opens with Robin Buckley’s expository narrative about the current state of Hawkins, IN. The city has been placed under Marshall Law due to the happenings at the end of season four but the core ensemble cast are continuing their covert fighting against Vecna, the Mind Flayer, and the Upside Down. 

One initial grievance viewers had is the actors’ look and are way too old to play their characters. The oldest of the court five was 14 when the show started, playing a seventh grader, and is now 24 years old, playing a junior in high school. Fans have also criticized the script writing, stating that some of the dialogue is “cringey” or “corny”. They may have forgotten that the characters are all 80s outcasts in a conservative mid-western town. 

Chapter two, entitled “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler”, is all about Holly Wheeler and “Mr. Whatsit”; aka Vecna, aka One, aka Henry. Holly is taken to the Upside Down and El and Hopper are stranded there as well. Will’s connection to the hive mind continues to intensify the longer Vecna is active. Fans have also harkened on the age of Nell Fisher, who plays Holly. Holly is supposed to be seven years old, but a 14 year old was casted in her place. 

Chapter three is titled “The Turnbow Trap”, and in this episode, we finally get to meet the infamous Tina Turnbow, Erica Sinclair’s (Lucas’ sister) best friend who was mentioned back in season three. The younger brother, Derek Turnbow, is one of Holly Wheeler’s bullies, but the gang wants to use him as a trap to get into the high-security military zone–the MAC-Z. At the start, you’re supposed to hate him but by the end, he is “Delightful Derek”. 

Chapter four, the final episode of Vol. 1, is titled “Sorcerer”, and this is by far the most action-packed episode of the entire volume. The gang helps large numbers of elementary school children escape the MAC-Z, thanks to the help of “Delightful Derek” but before they make it out, the Demogorgons claw their way out of the Upside Down and a full-scale battle begins. This was a one-shot scene and it highlights the talent of each actor, crew member, and the VFX artists.

By the end of the season, we find out that Will  is in love with Mike, which many already knew, Steve is still in love with Nancy, Robin and Vicky are hooking-up at the hospital, Dustin is being bullied, Joyce is overprotective of Will and forgot Jonathan is also her son, Hopper is overprotective of El and doesn’t let her use her powers for good, Holly was taken to the Upside Down but is trapped inside of Vecna’s mind, Max is still in a coma (how she was left in season four) but she’s alive in Vecna’s mind, and Will has powers. Mind you, that’s only four episodes; there are still four episodes left. 

For now, we’re all tuned into WSQK: The Squawk, and our favorite social media, formulating  our own fan theories for where our beloved heroes will go. 

“Stranger Things” first joined Netflix airing catalog on Jul. 15, 2016. The show stars Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Noah Schnapp (Will), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Millie Bonnie Bongiovi (Eleven), David Harbour (Hopper), and Winona Ryder (Joyce). In the past nine years, the series has become a global phenomenon, generating over $1 billion in streaming revenue and contributing to a large portion of the current pop-culture zeitgeist. 

Season two dropped in Oct. of 2017, season three in Jul. 2019,and  season four in May. and Jul. 2022. The first volume of season five, the final season, dropped on Nov. 26. The first volume consisted of four episodes, each with run-times of about an hour. Fans have been awaiting the final season for three years, as it was delayed due to writer strikes, and are elated to finally have the first part of the final installment. 

Chapter one is titled “The Crawl” and it opens with Robin Buckley’s expository narrative about the current state of Hawkins, IN. The city has been placed under Marshall Law due to the happenings at the end of season four but the core ensemble cast are continuing their covert fighting against Vecna, the Mind Flayer, and the Upside Down. 

One initial grievance viewers had is the actors’ look and are way too old to play their characters. The oldest of the court five was 14 when the show started, playing a seventh grader, and is now 24 years old, playing a junior in high school. Fans have also criticized the script writing, stating that some of the dialogue is “cringey” or “corny”. They may have forgotten that the characters are all 80s outcasts in a conservative mid-western town. 

Chapter two, entitled “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler”, is all about Holly Wheeler and “Mr. Whatsit”; aka Vecna, aka One, aka Henry. Holly is taken to the Upside Down and El and Hopper are stranded there as well. Will’s connection to the hive mind continues to intensify the longer Vecna is active. Fans have also harkened on the age of Nell Fisher, who plays Holly. Holly is supposed to be seven years old, but a 14 year old was casted in her place. 

Chapter three is titled “The Turnbow Trap”, and in this episode, we finally get to meet the infamous Tina Turnbow, Erica Sinclair’s (Lucas’ sister) best friend who was mentioned back in season three. The younger brother, Derek Turnbow, is one of Holly Wheeler’s bullies, but the gang wants to use him as a trap to get into the high-security military zone–the MAC-Z. At the start, you’re supposed to hate him but by the end, he is “Delightful Derek”. 

Chapter four, the final episode of Vol. 1, is titled “Sorcerer”, and this is by far the most action-packed episode of the entire volume. The gang helps large numbers of elementary school children escape the MAC-Z, thanks to the help of “Delightful Derek” but before they make it out, the Demogorgons claw their way out of the Upside Down and a full-scale battle begins. This was a one-shot scene and it highlights the talent of each actor, crew member, and the VFX artists.

By the end of the season, we find out that Will  is in love with Mike, which many already knew, Steve is still in love with Nancy, Robin and Vicky are hooking-up at the hospital, Dustin is being bullied, Joyce is overprotective of Will and forgot Jonathan is also her son, Hopper is overprotective of El and doesn’t let her use her powers for good, Holly was taken to the Upside Down but is trapped inside of Vecna’s mind, Max is still in a coma (how she was left in season four) but she’s alive in Vecna’s mind, and Will has powers. Mind you, that’s only four episodes; there are still four episodes left. 

For now, we’re all tuned into WSQK: The Squawk, and our favorite social media, formulating  our own fan theories for where our beloved heroes will go.