I’ll make the argument that 1987 musically might have been the best year of that decade, delivering classic after classic. You had Prince’s Sign O’ The Times, Michael Jackson’s Bad, Guns ‘n Roses’ Appetite For Destruction, Bryan Ferry’s Bete Noire, LL Cool J’s Bigger and Deffer, Fleetwood Mac’s Tango In The Night, I could go on and on if I wanted. Sadly, new local DJ Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) can’t play any of it.
In the fifth and final season of Netflix’s fantasy/horror tentpole Stranger Things, her main priority on air is keeping the citizens of Hawkins comforted as they deal with a military occupation, while she and her friends make plans for a final battle with the forces of the Upside Down, and beyond. The vengeful dark lord Vecna’s latest plan involves his new persona, a seemingly friendly chap named Mr. Whatzit, played by Jamie Campbell Bower as a manipulative Pied Piper/Mr. Rogers hybrid.
While the Stranger Gang is searching for an entrance into Vecna’s hideout, as Whatzit he’s hatching a scheme to brainwash the children of Hawkins as his batteries to gain even more power- including Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) kid sister Holly (Nell Fisher) and local dweeb Derek (Jake Connolly, in a breakout comedic performance), trapped inside Whatzit’s mind-prison.
And to make matters even more stressful, the government hasn’t given up their hope of using the demogorgons and other Upside Down monstrosities as weapons in the ongoing Cold War. Linda Hamilton as the ruthless and evil army Doctor Kay is incredibly chilling and convincing, not having lost any of her presence from playing the far more sympathetic Sarah Connor so many years ago.
The personal conflicts of our heroes weigh just as heavily on their peace of mind as the slimy creeps they’re battling. Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) is still mourning the loss of his friend Eddie, which is also affecting his relationship with Steve (Joe Keery). Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) is still focused getting Max (Sadie Sink) out of her coma in the real world, but she’s busy herself guiding Max through Vecna’s psychic lair. Winona Ryder and David Harbour are both still super charming as Joyce and Hopper’s relationship continues developing, and of course Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is as determined and heartfelt as she’s ever been. All I’ll say is that you won’t hear “Purple Rain” ever the same again.
Will Byers (Noah Schapp) is experiencing more unsettling visions than usual, tying both into abilities he wasn’t aware of possessing, and his own identity. (And without giving it away, I’ll just say this: you already knew it. They hinted at it in season two with Will feeling distraught over possibly becoming more distant from Mike. The actor already confirmed this about Will’s character before this season aired, so if you’re bothered by it for whatever weird reason, you can’t say the showrunners didn’t give you a heads up.)
Each season of Stranger Things has had its own a theme to it. Season two revolved around the Halloween party and the curse, season three was about the Star Court mall and Hopper’s more parental relationship with Eleven, and in season four you have the Russians and the Hellfire Club, but season five is more like everyone in Hawkins is just tired of this Vecna shit, and they just wanna get it done and over with.
Well okay, that’s what it’s like at first- but gradually as it progresses, it becomes more about the Stranger Things kids letting go of their childhood and moving on to the next chapter of their lives. It feels like they went with the ending they did because they wanted to leave events open ended enough to where they can produce a revival series down the road.
Personally, I’m fine with the Duffers leaving the series at this point, because I feel it’s a nice bow on what’s basically a really good series of young-adult adventure novels, only in the form of a television series. The kids are at a stage where they’re looking forward to their adult days and interests past the Upside Down, but also where things can still be done with the characters if they so chose.
It’s another season of intense acting, spooky stuff and nostalgia retro appeal, and Murray (Brett Gelman) and Erica (Priah Ferguson) being their usual hilarious selves, so I don’t have too much to complain about personally as a fan since 2016. Here’s looking forward to the upcoming animated Stranger Things adaptation set in 1985.
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