After years of waiting, Stranger Things Season 5 has finally arrived – but how does it hold up to the previous seasons? Volume 1, which consists of the first four episodes, has dropped on Netflix, delivering the most hyped TV event of the year. Given it’s been over three years since Season 4, and this is the streamer’s flagship series, then there’s a lot of pressure and expectation. That’s before you add in the theories, rumors, and, of course, the fact that this is the beginning of the end, with Season 5’s three volumes marking the culmination of the show.
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So, does Stranger Things Season 5 live up to the hype? Not quite, but it would be almost impossible for any TV show to do so. The reviews are actually still very good, just less so than in previous seasons. On Rotten Tomatoes, the new episodes hold a critics score of 86% at the time of writing, the lowest so far. However, it is faring better with audiences: at the time of writing, it holds an impressive 92%, which is the best since the very first season.
| Season | RT Critics Score | RT Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 97% | 96% |
| 2 | 94% | 90% |
| 3 | 89% | 86% |
| 4 | 89% | 89% |
| 5 | 86% | 92% |
| Overall | 91% | 91% |
Why Stranger Things Season 5’s Reviews Are Less Positive Than Previous Seasons
Some of the problems highlighted with Stranger Things Season 5 have been mounting for some time but, with the show approaching its endgame, they’re coming to more of a head that makes them worse. A big issue is the sheer scope of the series, with so many characters, once again divided into smaller sub-groups, that stretches it all too thin. As Marco Vito Oddo wrote in ComicBook‘s own review of Stranger Things 5: “the series keeps falling into the same traps that have been repetadly criticized in previous installments, often splitting the party too thin, refraining from putting the main characters in any real danger, and refusing to edit lengthy episodes that run a little too long.”
This is echoed elsewhere, as ScreenRant notes that “these split narratives make the show feel too convoluted.” Other reviews highlight the lack of character growth: Variety writes that the show “has not reflected its stars’ obvious maturation with an accompanying complexity,” while Slate calls it a “show now sealed in an airless, impenetrable bubble of stagnant characters and snarled lore.” Several reviews highlight that these problems increase as the season progresses, becoming bigger and bigger, but not necessarily better, which is somewhat true of the show itself (where Season 1 remains the very best).
Still, it’s absolutely not all bad, and it’s worth remembering that the reviews are mostly positive, just not as positive as fans might’ve hoped. There’s a clear sense of fun in the first episode, and when it does focus on the emotional aspects of these characters we’ve watched for almost a decade, it tends to get it right (and to its credit, the show has always nailed these beats when it counts), while there are also some strong performances. Decider‘s review notes that it works “because of the humanity still underpinning its increasingly absurd story.” There’s still strong worldbuilding and mythology here too, per our own review, and some of the spectacle remains dazzling.
As for audiences, while there’s still some inevitable disappointment, it is drawing even more praise. Without getting into spoiler territory, there’s a lot of love for what it does with Will Byers, particularly later in the season, as well as smaller characters like Karen Wheeler. Fans have come to love these characters, and emotions are high watching them knowing the end of the show is nigh, while the series also delivers some truly epic moments.
It is also important to note, of course, that this is just half the season. A lot of the story and character decisions and plot twists have not yet been fully explained, and when there are more answers and we understand more about those choices, they should (hopefully) carry a lot more weight and work better as a whole. It’ll be interesting to see how Stranger Things Season 5’s reviews and Rotten Tomatoes score shifts as it goes along, and whether or not it can stick the landing.
Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 1 is now streaming on Netflix. Vol. 2 releases on Christmas Day, and Vol. 3 on New Year’s Eve.
What do you think of Stranger Things Season 5 so far? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Read more of ComicBook‘s essential Stranger Things Season 5 coverage:
- Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 1 Ending Explained: Will & Vecna, All Twists & What’s Next?
- Stranger Things Season 5: All the Confirmed New & Returning Cast & Characters
- Max’s Fate in Stranger Things Season 5 Explained: How She’s Alive & What It Means
- Stranger Things Season 5’s Surprising Returning Character After 8 Years Away, Explained
- Stranger Things Season 5 Timeline: How Much Time Has Passed Since Season 4
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