16-year-old Antek reviews seven episodes leading up to the long-awaited finale
Noah Schnapp (left) as Will and Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things 5.
10 January 2026
An underwhelming end to the decade’s most compelling series. Stranger Things 5 ep. 1-7 review
The fifth season of Stranger Things delivers polished performances and confident direction, but struggles to fully justify its position as the final stretch before the series finale. While the episodes are well made and at times gripping, they ultimately feel more like extended setup than a defining chapter.
Acting is this season’s greatest strength – after five seasons, the cast operates with complete confidence, and their experience is evident throughout. Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) continues to ground the series emotionally, while Noah Shnapp (Will Byers) and Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield) provide some of the most consistent and compelling performances of the volume. The chemistry between the core cast is a highlight, allowing quieter character moments to feel earned rather than indulgent.
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From a technical standpoint, the pacing within individual episodes is generally effective. Scenes are given time to breathe, tension is built carefully, and emotional beats are rarely rushed.
This approach works particularly well in Episode 6 (Escape from Camazotz), which stands out as the strongest entry in the fifth season – the episode combines high-stakes storytelling with inventive visuals and a focused narrative drive, resulting in one of the season’s most engaging hours. It demonstrates how Stranger Things can still balance spectacle with character-driven storytelling at a high level.
Despite these strengths, the fifth season’s seven episodes suffer from a broader pacing issue when viewed as a complete unit − it feels like the narrative is deliberately held back.
Instead of escalating toward a major turning point, the story often feels restrained, with plotlines advancing slowly, and key developments being postponed rather than confronted. This measured approach may be intentional, but it comes at a cost – episodes lack urgency and momentum typically associated with penultimate chapters.
In previous seasons, slower pacing served to build anticipation over longer arcs. Here, with the end in sight, the same strategy feels less effective. The result is a collection of episodes that are competently constructed but emotionally muted in their overall impact. The writing seems sloppy and overly edited.
Visually and tonally, Volume 2 remains consistent with the established Stranger Things aesthetic. The production design, score, and cinematography maintain the show’s signature atmosphere, reinforcing its identity even as it moves toward its conclusion. Still, consistency alone is not enough to elevate these episodes into something truly memorable.
Ultimately, the first seven episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 are a solid installment that showcases the series’ technical strengths and acting talent, but fall short of feeling essential.
While Episode 6 is the series highlight, as a whole the season feels underwhelming for such a critical point in the story – it sets the stage for the finale effectively, but as a standalone two volumes, they leave an impression of being driven by the needs of the show’s producers rather than the storytellers.
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