July 15, 2016, the first season of the third top-favorite Netflix series of all time grabbed the attention of viewers. Instantly, a passion for the series grew into a fandom. The show’s 80s setting created a sense of nostalgia in older viewers, while younger watchers appreciated seeing protagonists with similar ages to their own. Throughout Seasons 2, 3 and 4, the love for “Stranger Things” continued to expand. Popularity sprouted in Season 3, after its July 4, 2019, release date and warm setting encouraged a “Stranger Things Summer” within the community. Later on, the impact of “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush in the fourth season led to the song reaching number one on the Billboard Global 200 — its highest placement ever. Now, after 42 episodes, nine years, countless memes and a colossal cast and crew, the “Stranger Things” finale, its last volume, will release December 31, 2025, a mere six days after Volume 2’s Christmas release.
Directors, creators, writers and executive producers of “Stranger Things,” the Duffer Brothers, opted to release Season Five as three volumes due to the production time and its relevance as the last season. Volume 1 came out November 26, 2025, and along with it, theories and questions from fans sprouted. The volume included four episodes with 283 minutes of total footage.
Staying true to the series’s creepy-crawly feeling, the opening scene of Volume 1 begins with a flashback to young Will Byers, portrayed by Noah Schnapp, in the Upside Down after his kidnapping, then cuts to a classic, chaotic morning at the Wheeler home. Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) moved in with the Wheelers after their temporary relocation to California in Season Four. The episode flashes forward to a morning at “The Squawk,” a funky radio show hosted by Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) with Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) as her broadcast assistant. Through the radio show’s morning broadcast, Robin references a quarantine barricade surrounding Hawkins, revealing the state of the city to the viewers. Two military bases, one in the Upside Down and one aboveground, also join Hawkins.
“I love how Season Five answered pressing questions while creating stronger and intense questions. This makes me super excited for the next four episodes, and I am excited to see how it all works out. I especially love Will’s plot, and I am really happy with his character development,” magnet junior Matthew Mayette said.
Fans feel saddened to learn that while Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), and Will Byers remain friends in Season Five, a divide develops between Henderson and the other characters. Eddie Munson’s, portrayed by Joseph Quinn in Season Four, tragic death affected Dustin in a harsher manner than the other characters. Fans especially felt saddened after watching the Steve and Dustin friendship develop over the seasons. This disagreement also causes strain between Dustin and Steve, as Steve feels Dustin continues to pull himself from the group. On the other hand, fans jumped with joy when they discovered their favorite relationships held intact. Despite Max Mayfield’s, Sadie Sink’s character, coma after the antagonistic figure Vecna, portrayed by Jamie Lee Campbell, nearly killed her, Lucas still visits Max and plays the song which saved her from Vecna the first time, “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush, in an attempt to pull her out of the coma. Jim Hopper, portrayed by David Harbour, and Joyce also receive a smidge of a romantic scene, which elated “Jopper” fans.
While all main characters returned, enthusiasts of certain side characters faced disappointment when niche favorites failed to appear. Argyle, portrayed by Eduardo Franco, became a close friend of Jonathan’s when the Byers moved to California. Fans hoped his fun, relaxed character would emerge, but alas, Argyle presumably still resides in the Golden State, far away from Hawkins.
During the excruciating gap when fans anxiously awaited Season 5, different theories surrounding numerous aspects of the show emerged. While an abundance of these conjectures turned out completely wrong, an impressive quantity came close to the truth. For example, fans predicted a time jump to 1989, yet Season Five only skipped to 1987 — a year after the events of Season Four.
“I loved the suspense and how they revealed certain concepts. The show was so much more enjoyable to watch and kept me wanting more. I am so unbelievably excited for Volumes 2 and 3, yet sad that the show is ending. I felt so many different emotions, which was a little stressful, but in a good way,” junior Nelo Giwa-Amu said.
The end of Volume 1 not only answered questions but opened new ones. Throughout the next several weeks, fans anxiously await Volume 2. Season 5’s release rekindled the “Stranger Things” community and brought back mainstream memes and discussion surrounding the show. Longtime fans feel bittersweet about this revival because December 31, 2025, the final volume will release and nearly 10 years of “Stranger Things” will end.
The Chant’s grade: A+
