STRANGER THINGS – SEASONS 1 TO 5

CONTAINS SPOILERS! Being a newbie to the ‘Stranger Things’ franchise, I binged the entire show over the holiday break. Season 1? A beast. Hooked from the start. Season 2? A worthy successor. Season 3? About as coordinated as Rockin’ Robin’s running (Maya Hawke). Season 4? Long winded with monologues rivaling ‘Gladiator’, leaving me “mostly – halfway happy”. Season 5 though … nails it by seamlessly blending all dimensions with an appreciated dappling of memory laced throwback scenes. The finale drops in three volumes with chapters of varying lengths. Unlike some mouth breathers, the episode runtimes didn’t dampen my hype for the ultimate wrap up and the long overdue dusting off of the Upside Down. The storytelling pulled me in with a blend of ‘E.T.’ vibes and those book to life adventures like ‘The Never Ending Story’, all while the Dungeons & Dragons campaign edged toward its last move, backed with beats and vocals of mid 80’s bangers. The final boss fight is epic, though I craved more of that signature ‘Stranger Things’ nosebleed, superhero flair – air hangs and invisible force throws to match the powerful inter-dimensional arc of both Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Mind Flayer. The team effort to temper the bad chaos with minimally planned misfires kept the episodes rolling with pace. Winona Ryder’s portrayal of leather-jacket Joyce swinging her axe of kindness for Vecna’s finish was peak ‘Stranger Things’ energy. Easter eggs honoring fallen characters was a thoughtful touch and Dustin’s (Gaten Matarazzo) graduation nod to Eddie (Joseph Quinn) was class. What I loved most? The ultimate lesson in friendship, being unapologetically yourself, and never being a by-stander, even when life throws its biggest mind flayers your way. Do I think this is the end of El (Millie Bobby Brown) and the ‘Stranger Things’ story? Heck no.