With its attention-grabbing storylines, outstanding acting and engrossing scenes, Netflix’s 2016 TV show “Stranger Things” has built a legacy as one of the most profound visual effects shows of all time. Its newest season culminates in a finale episode that aired on Dec. 31, marking the end of this iconic series.
Watching the finale invoked the same pleasant, nostalgic ‘80s atmosphere that first drew me to the series. Combined with the action-packed storyline, old reminiscing moments of watching the show with my dad were rekindled.
While characters’ objectives remain the same, this season they are introduced to a new challenge: rifts. Season 4 leaves viewers in suspense with the reveal of these gateways between the Upside Down and the real world, making for an exciting start to Season 5 as the characters tackle the slew of challenges that come their way.
The season begins with a flashback of Will’s struggle through the Upside Down, before forwarding to present-day Hawkins. However, the introduction skips over most of the rift crisis, instead showing all the rifts patched together with metal planks. This lack of explanation and immediate resolution diminishes the conflict within Season 5, making for an underwhelming start.
Additionally, the introduction of multiple characters makes it hard to know what to focus on during the season, resulting in a disorienting watch experience. New characters such as Holly Wheeler and Derek Turnbow had their stories and individual development cut short, making the plot feel half-baked.
Needless to say, the excessive amount of trivial characters and the limited development left the season feeling anticlimactic. And despite buildup throughout the show, the poorly executed finale fight left me feeling underwhelmed.
Even with the heavily anticipated conflicts between Vecna and the party, the scene lacks detail and is rushed, making defining moments of the series fall flat. The absence of emotion, suspense and action, which was so perfectly achieved by previous finales, makes this season feel like an outcast amongst the other major fight scenes.
While “Stranger Things” always has a special place in my heart, it’s hard to say the same for Season 5. Preceded by unforgettable character arcs, jaw-clenching action scenes and riveting storylines that made the previous seasons so special, the newest release is utterly disappointing.
