WARNING: Minor Spoilers for “Stranger Things Season 5: Volume One”

After over three years since the release of season four, Netflix launched volume one of “Stranger Things” season five on Nov. 26, consisting of four episodes, each lasting around an hour. Despite all the hype surrounding the release, I didn’t exactly go into this season with the highest of hopes.

 One main concern of mine was the aging cast. The fact that the main cast, who were around eleven to thirteen when the show was originally filmed, are now in their early twenties felt a little worrying. Obviously there isn’t really much the show’s directors and writers could’ve done to solve this problem, so it’s best not to dwell on it too much, but it still irked me. 

Another thing that dampened my expectations was that I didn’t really enjoy season four very much. It was definitely my least favorite by far. But because of my strong nostalgia for the show and curiosity for where the story would lead, I still sat down and watched the first episode of season five, and despite my concerns, I felt pleasantly surprised. 

Episode one mainly focused on setting up the plot. Even though I was a little foggy on the details seeing as it had been nearly four years since I’d watched the previous season, I was able to pick up on what was happening fairly easily. I personally really liked seeing Lucas, Dustin, Mike and Will attending the same school again because it revamped the original themes of friendship and loyalty that drew me to the show in the first place. 

Overall, I enjoyed the first episode, but I would probably rank it as my least favorite of the season. Despite this, I found myself watching episode two just a few hours later.

The second and third episodes were where everything started to ramp up, and I felt myself being much more entertained. A lot more things were happening, and the build up from the first two episodes was paying off. However, this was also when I started to notice some things with the character writing. I’m not an expert in writing tv shows, but I felt that some of the characters seemed a little oversaturated. When you spend a long time writing a character, their traits become exaggerated, which is exactly what I felt when watching Hopper, Joyce, and Robin among a few others. Joyce’s once neurotic charm now felt annoying and overdone, and Robin seemed like a completely different character from when she was introduced in season three. 

Speaking of Robin, the writers of “Stranger Things” seem to love her, especially this season, and even though I did find her newfound friendship with Will to be endearing, I simply cannot stand her character. She’s just a little too erratic and cartoony to seem like a real person. An example of this is when she jumped up from the couch and enthusiastically exclaimed, “Great Scott!” The joke didn’t really land, and it felt cringey and extra. 

Another character that caught my interest in a more positive way was Derek: a newer and younger addition to the show. I didn’t like him at first, but as the story progressed, I found my initial opinion of him shifting. He balances being annoying and funny while still maintaining some charm, which is pretty difficult to pull off. I loved his rightfully terrified reaction to being kidnapped and how quickly he learned to trust the main group after he witnessed the demogorgon in action. This drastic shift was unexpected and funny. 

Episode four was my favorite without a doubt. It was fast-paced and entertaining but still managed to incorporate some emotional scenes like when Eleven was forced to face the possibility that Hopper might die. The ending was especially good, and it was satisfying to see Will gain some confidence and really grow into his own. He always felt like a bit of a wallflower in the previous seasons, so it felt nice that things tied back to him. The show started with Will, so it makes sense that it would end with him too. 

Speaking of Will, I couldn’t possibly write a “Stranger Things” review without addressing the elephant in the room, which is the very popular fan shipping of Mike Wheeler and Will Byers, also known as “Byler”. Will, while never explicitly confirmed to be, is without a doubt, queer and has feelings for Mike. If you disagree with me on this, you clearly haven’t been watching the same show that I have. I personally love how Will’s sexuality is shown rather than told, because it represents how he sees it, as an unspoken but still significant part of himself. It’s something that’s implied from the very beginning of the show where Will is bullied and called homophobic names. Season four basically confirms it in an emotionally vulnerable scene where Jonathan tells Will that he will always accept him and nothing could ever change that. As I stated earlier, Will’s confidence skyrocketed this season, and that includes his feelings for Mike. The heartfelt scene where he subtly flirts with Mike by affectionately shoving him after being complimented felt bittersweet because on one hand Will would’ve never had the confidence to do something like this earlier in his life, which shows positive character development, but unrequited love is a pretty sad thing to watch.  

I don’t personally ship Byler, but I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised or unhappy if it happened, so long as it doesn’t overshadow the rest of the plot. What I mean by this is that the point of the show shouldn’t be romance. The show is about monsters, paranormal experiments, and most importantly, the value of friendship. What was always incorporated as a side plot, should remain a side plot. 

As far as other theories go, most fans seem certain that there will be at least one major character death, which I agree with. Personally, I’m leaning towards Jonathan, who’s planning to propose to Nancy, which feels like a death set up, as well as Robin, who, as a side character is getting a suspicious amount of screen time to have a happy ending, and Eleven, who I suspect will sacrifice herself to save the town of Hawkins. But who knows, maybe I’m completely off the mark. 

Overall, “Stranger Things Season 5: Volume One”  left me excited for more as the rest of the show wraps up coming out on Dec. 25.