Netflix’s release of Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1 began on Nov. 26, a little over three years after its previous season. Many students had patiently awaited the return of one of their favorite shows for its final season and were very anxious to find out what would happen next.
Despite falling within the genres of horror, thriller and mystery, Stranger Things has found a way to become a comfort show for millions.
“I’ve been a huge Stranger Things fan ever since it first came out, so I was super excited to figure out what the plot line was going to be like after the exciting fourth season,” junior Matilda Carr said.
Each of this season’s release dates was set to be on a holiday, with Volume 1 being released on Thanksgiving, Volume 2 being set to come out on Christmas and the finale on New Years. While the holidays might seem to give individuals more free time to watch TV, not everyone believes that these release dates are convenient. Students often spend the holidays with family and friends, so they might not have enough time to watch their favorite show as soon as they would have liked to.
“I honestly wish they did it on another day besides the holidays,” Carr said. “On the holidays, you want to be spending time with your family, but I need to watch Stranger Things. Now I’m feeling torn between whether I should watch Stranger Things or hang out with my family.”
One of the reasons why so many people have become extremely invested in the show is its character development. Each character has their own nuances and personalities that help the audience feel connected to them. The fact that those beloved characters will inevitably be put into danger makes viewers feel scared for them.
“I hope for Dustin and Lucas not to die,” senior Ethan Gitelson said.
While there are characters that audiences have grown to love, there are others that fans don’t care as much about. Due to the violence that the show is known to have, fans often have predictions and preferences for who they don’t want to survive the finale.
“Mike and El are still holding hands at the end of the show,” sophomore Fidel Debesai said. “You can’t go through that much and not have one of them die.”
Once again, the creators of the show, the Duffer Brothers, crafted storylines that had viewers on the edge of their seats and feeling shocked at different plot twists. From Max making an appearance in Vecna’s mind after being stuck in a coma for multiple episodes, to Will getting powers and defeating a group of demogorgons to save his friends, Stranger Things is always finding new ways to surprise fans. These plot twists helped to spark new hopes that audiences have for the rest of the season.
“I hope Will, Kali and El team up and go inside the Upside Down and fight Vecna,” Debesai said.
Following the exciting ending of Episode 4, most fans found themselves wishing that Netflix would release more episodes of the show. For some, it was difficult to be left with nothing after watching four amazing, high-stakes and action-packed episodes.
“I was kind of bummed out that it didn’t all come out at once because I wanted to watch it all,” Gitelson said.
For Stranger Things fans, Dec. 25 can’t come soon enough.
