Few shows have
reached the zeitgeisty level that Stranger Things did
in its heyday. Ten years ago the Christmas lights/alphabet combo
was everywhere and Eggo's were surging in
popularity. A few years after that and Kate Bush's 1985
hit “Running Up That Hill” was suddenly charting again,
much to the surprise of Bush herself. Sure, hype for the series
has ebbed and flowed over the years-- it’s kind
of inevitable when you spread five seasons across ten
years—but overall the Duffer Brothers' throwback horror series has
become iconic. But all good things must end, and season 5 resolves everything satisfactorily, if not
perfectly.
Stranger Things has always had
to juggle a lot of characters, and nowhere is this balancing act
more apparent and strained as it is in the final season. Jonathan
(Charlie Heaton) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) are the biggest casualties of
writer neglect this time around, but Mike at least gets a lot of focus in
the second half of the very last episode while Jonathan’s only
interesting scene involves a relationship that I haven’t cared about for a good
long while. Everyone else has a nice moment or two that serve
to remind viewers of why they love these characters even when things
get crazy, although once again the most engaging relationship is
the one between Dustin and Steve (Gaten Matarazzo and Joe
Keery), although the maturing romance between Max and
Lucas (Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin) is definitely a contender,
though Will (Noah Schnapp) has the most interesting journey
overall.
With all these well-developed
characters, the Duffer Brothers really lucked out when it came to casting
the inaugural season. Who would have guessed that these kids would grow up to
be acting powerhouses that could handle the challenging material
written for them a decade later? This eye for talent has clearly not faded, if
the performance of newcomer Nell Fisher as Holly (a background character
up until now) is anything to go by, not to mention the absolutely chilling work
by Jamie Campbell Bower (who was also in the last season) as one of
the big bads.
Despite the strong performances and
writing, Stranger Things season 5 isn’t quite as
good as its previous seasons because somewhere along the line it lost
the spooky small-town charm that made the series so memorable in the first
place. This evolution into a more action-oriented “let’s team up
and save the world” kind of a plot might have been inevitable as
characters become more competent and more aware of what’s going on, and
naturally the battle with the denizens of the Upside-Down had to come to an
explosive head eventually. But often I wished that the show would dial it
down a bit, particularly in the ludicrous final battle that feels
more like a superhero movie than anything else. And speaking of
the final battle, what a disappointment the main bad guy turned out
to be after years and years of build up. Not only is it
laughably easy to defeat, but if you want the full backstory of Vecna and the
Mind Flayer you have to apparently see Stranger
Things: The First Shadow... a play on Broadway.
And while we’re talking about
finales, there is no doubt that season 5 plays it super safe as if the Duffers
are trying to upset the fewest people possible rather than writing
something truly inspired. As Max says, “Comfort and happiness? Can
you be more trite?” However, happily-ever-afters and/or
noble sacrifices are always appreciated.
As big and unwieldy as this show has become it
is frankly a miracle that the Duffer Brothers and everyone involved
were able to land the plane as successfully as they did. Not
everyone will be happy with how things turn out... how could that possibly
happen when people are so attached to this show and its characters?
All I can say is that for me it was a good end to a great journey.
Stranger Things season 5 is now
streaming on Netflix.
