The end is near for the Hawkins crew, and Netflix is invested in giving its biggest show ever, Stranger Things, a proper farewell with three event-like releases. The first volume of Stranger Things Season 5 had a promising start before falling into some of the show’s recurring traps, spreading the party too thin, and struggling to juggle a massive main cast. Volume 2 still has to deal with the series’ ambitions and shortcomings, repeating some of the first Volume’s mistakes. In addition, the main series’ insistence on making spinoffs essential could alienate some viewers. Nevertheless, Hawkins’ quirky characters are still adorable, holding together an uneven Stranger Things installment.
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Volume 2 of Stranger Things picks up where the first volume left us, with all the different Hawkins groups split apart and dealing with their own emergencies. Over the course of three lengthy episodes that run over the one-hour mark, Volume 2 will reunite, split, and regroup all these different characters again to ensure all the pieces are properly placed on the board. Despite the extended runtime, it’s easy to see the Duffer Brothers are racing towards the finish line, frantically tying loose ends while setting the stage for the theatrical finale. While that leads to some puzzling creative decisions, there’s also a lot to love in Stranger Things 5, Volume 2.
Rating: 3/5
| PROS | CONS |
| Consistent charm of the main characters despite narrative flaws. | Redundant and useless characters due to a bloated main cast. |
| Strategic resolution of side plots to prepare for the series finale. | Disrupted narrative flow caused by erratic editing and excessive exposition. |
| Inconsistent pacing that makes episodes feel both rushed and repetitive. |
Stranger Things‘ Highs and Lows Remain the Same
Over the course of four seasons, the cast of Stranger Things grew surprisingly big due to the Duffer Brothers’ refusal to let anyone die. The series has the pesky habit of introducing new faces to serve as sacrifices while sparing the main characters. As a result, there are just too many characters around in Season 5 of Stranger Things, with some being redundant for the story and others being utterly useless. For instance, in Volume 2, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) is finally given something to do, before quickly fading away to the background. Also, despite the series’s worthy attempts to make Mike (Finn Wolfhard) lovable again, he’s yet to make any meaningful contribution to the Season 5 plot. When it comes to the supporting cast, things are worse, with the series completely sidelining Joe Chrest’s Ted Wheeler.
The fact that there isn’t enough time to deal with all the characters means some actors necessarily get more opportunity to shine. Robin (Maya Hawke) and Vickie (Amybeth McNulty) keep stealing the show as Hawkins’ best couple, while Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve (Joe Keery) are once again at the top of their game after Volume 1’s bickering overstayed its welcome. After getting a power upgrade in Volume 1, Will (Noah Schnapp) also gets some breathing space in Volume 2, and his personal journey of self-acceptance is this installment’s emotional peak. Unfortunately, even the best scenes of Volume 2 lose some of their charm due to erratic editing and excessive exposition, two consequences of a bloated storyline.
Exposition and Choppy Editing Drag Down Stranger Things 5, Volume 2
With so many characters to juggle in different points of Hawkins and the Upside Down, the editing of Stranger Things 5’s second volume gets even more choppy than in the first volume. Instead of giving core subplots time to develop and end, the series constantly jumps between different settings, as if it were afraid fans would forget some characters are even in the series. There are just too many cuts, which of course come with pacing issues.
That problem is compounded by Netflix’s second-screen philosophy, as characters insist on the bad habit of narrating their own actions and repeatedly explaining the same lore to make sure everyone is following the plot, regardless of how long they spent on their phones. Given that Volume 2 of Stranger Things introduces some new wacky fantasy concepts disguised as sci-fi, it leads to an overload of exposition. As if telling instead of showing wasn’t already awkward, Volume 2 makes the baffling decision to keep key events off-screen, only to be retold by someone later. For instance, Will’s most powerful moment in the entire series is severely damaged because it builds up from some things we never see happening, only hear him talking about.
It’s clear the Duffer Brothers wrote themselves into a corner, and now they must power through the ending while ensuring every question is answered, and all the members of the cast play a role in the final battle. Still, it’s bothersome, to say the least, that the episodes of Stranger Things feel simultaneously too short and too lengthy. There’s just not enough time to give due attention to everything and everyone. At the same time, the story is incredibly redundant, hammering down the same plot points to exhaustion. The cast manages to hold the series together, but some of the magic is definitely lost in Stranger Things 5. Fortunately, the latest volume ends with all side plots resolved, allowing the finale to deliver a more consistent experience.
The first two volumes of Stranger Things are available on Netflix. The final episode will premiere on New Year’s Eve.
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