Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 Review: As The Finale Looms, The Netflix Series Grows Both Exciting And Frustrating

We're in the "Stranger Things" homestretch, and one thing is clear: the Netflix megahit is spinning its wheels. To be fair, there are a lot of exciting moments to be had as the show inches closer to its big, grand finale. There are also a handful of emotional scenes that genuinely land, especially if you've grown fond of the large ensemble of characters who inhabit the cursed town of Hawkins. But it seems painfully obvious that the higher ups at Netflix begged "Stranger Things" masterminds the Duffer Brothers to drag things out as much as they possibly could, and the Duffers obliged.

Watching the three overstuffed episodes that make up volume 2 of season 5, one gets the sense that the showrunners probably could've condensed all of this down into one big blow-out movie that wraps everything up in a nice, neat package. Instead, we get repetitive moments that ultimately go nowhere and become mighty frustrating. Example: at one point, two characters (I'm not saying who, to avoid spoilers) leave one place to set out on a journey. After walking for a little bit, they decide they have to turn around and go back to the place they started from, having accomplished nothing.

Later, another character begins a story that leads to a flashback, but the narrative then cuts away from the flashback to show us things that are happening in the current timeline, only to then cut back into the flashback. This is awkward, clumsy stuff and does not make for very compelling TV. I found the first half of season 5 to be fairly exciting. The second half is a bit of a drag, and we still have a lengthy final episode to watch.

But "Stranger Things" continues to get by with a little help from its very likable cast of characters, although some of them have less to do than others. Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven may have been the face of this franchise for so long, but her character feels frequently adrift in these three episodes — although there's a set-up for her to have a lot more to do in the finale, which was not screened for critics. 

Sadie Sink's fan-favorite character Max gets a big moment to shine somewhere within these three episodes, but it takes an interminable long time to get there. And Nell Fisher, who has taken on the role of the suddenly important Holly, continues to be a fine addition to the cast — this kid is going places. Noah Schnapp's Will Byers also has much more focus than ever before, which ends up being a bit of a mixed bag, as Schnapp seems to struggle with the heavy emotional beats Will is suddenly saddled with.

Volume 2 of season 5 also keeps showing us big, elaborate set-pieces, which leads to scenes where characters like Gaten Matarazzo's loveable Dustin and Maya Hawke's fast-talking Robin are forced to deliver extremely long-winded bits of exposition. There's been a not-so-secret rumor that folks who write Netflix shows are frequently asked to have characters over-explain every action so audiences not really watching the show, but rather letting it play in the background as they look at their phones, can keep up with the narrative. If you had any doubts those rumors were true, these episodes serve as pretty concrete confirmation. By the time the series was on what felt like its tenth explanatory monologue, I was ready to throw up my hands.

When we last left our heroes at the end of volume 1, big bad Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) had abducted the 12 kids he wanted to use for his dark and evil plans, and Will unleashed his full potential by revealing he has powers similar to Eleven. You'd assume that volume 2 would move things further along, but in truth, by the time the third episode of volume 2 cut to the end credits it felt like we, and the characters, were more or less in the same place they started at. Either the final episode is going to be overflowing with big, dramatic changes, or "Stranger Things" is about to wrap things up in a somewhat underwhelming way.

And yet, the show still has its charms. Most of the characters remain lovable, and as I mentioned above, there are some dramatic, emotional scenes that really do land well. When Dustin and Steve (Joe Keery) finally make-up after spending half this final season bickering, it feels genuine and sweet. And while I think Schnapp's performance is a bit lacking, a big dramatic moment he shares with almost the entire cast really tugs at your heartstrings and might make you shed a tear or two. There's also plenty of action, explosions, and car chases to keep things moving along, even as the show keeps doubling-back on itself.

I suppose the ultimate takeaway is that if you've come this far with "Stranger Things," you're going to stick around to see how it all ends. I have a few theories on how the Duffers and company are planning to wrap things up, but I'm content to go into the final episode blind and hope for the best. I've been a fan of this show since it began, but at this point, I don't think it's unfair to say it's stuck around long past its expiration date. Still, I'm rooting for these crazy kids. I hope they pull this one off one last time.

/Film Rating: 6 out of 10

"Stranger Things" season 5 volume 2 is now streaming on Netflix. The final episode will drop on December 31, 2025.