The Hidden Review team has watched the first four episodes of the last season of Stranger Things 5. We have written a review for all 4 episodes. Let’s unpack the first episode.
Episode 1: The Mission
In the previous seasons, several strange things happened in the town of Hawkins. This led to continuous deaths, kidnappings, and general chaos. The town, once full of balance, was equally monotonous.
The new season opened with the four episodes (Volume 1) available on Netflix. These episodes are directed by the Duffer brothers (Matt Duffer & Ross Duffer), Shawn Levy and the talented director Frank Darabont. They bring back the characters while they are preparing to face new challenges. It is the only Netflix series that cost 50-60 million dollars per episode. This information was revealed by industry sources. The overall expense is between 400 and 480 million dollars. It is one of the most expensive TV seasons ever.
the plot
However, that balance turned out to be fake. Something was happening in the walls of that town. Only science could explain it through experiments, as some characters were conducting these experiments.
The last season opens this new chapter from Volume 1 consisting of four episodes recently released on the Netflix platform.
The story goes back to Hawkins with our usual protagonists getting themselves ready for the last season. It all starts with the kidnapping of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), but now we are a few years later where everything seems to be going as planned. Suddenly their balance is questioned again by Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) who is still the ultimate enemy of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), the kids, Hopper (David Harbour), and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder).
Our protagonists are getting themselves ready for the worst. They are trying to study the area. This is similar to the infinite-resourced military. After the end of the 4th season, the military took control of Hawkins. They are trying to protect the town, but unfortunately, it is not like it seems.
Unfortunately, Max is still in a coma when instead Eddie Mudson died, who is the founder of the Hell fire Club—the Dungeons & Dragons gaming group. At the same time, Eleven is getting herself ready for the worst by training and disciplining as much as she can. Therefore, she is preparing for what is going to be with Hopper and Joyce Byers, mother of William.
Time, on the other hand, is starting to run short. The group has to reorganize themselves for a last-minute recon of the military patrolling the area. They created a parallel world called Upside Down where Vecna is presumably hiding. The military are organized to patrol and learn the area better. They do this by passing through a gate that has been opened. Meanwhile, in this rendezvous Hopper secretly joins the journey into the unknown.
Meanwhile, children disappear again. Unfortunately, the first one is Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher). She is the sister of Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) who is also the sister of Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard). The story focuses on finding her, but then, a series of events follows. These lead to the assumption that Vecna has changed his way of acting.
Moreover, the kids carry on with the search. Everything is more difficult because the military, instead of coming to their aid, thinks that Eleven is the real enemy. Meanwhile, she has always been in hiding with Hopper. They believe she is the cause of these kidnappings and all the town’s problems.
Prouction value
Here the directing team dive into a comprehensive story. Their fascinating storytelling gives the audience an interesting point of view. We visit strange things happening in episode 1. By looking at the second episode (Read next article), we can definitely understand what is actually happening. We also have a deeper dive into Hawkins’ Stranger Things.
Stranger Things 5 is now available on Netflix.
Whether you are a filmmaker or just an aspiring one, you can learn filmmaking by simply purchasing this book from either Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
This article contains affiliate links: if you click and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
🎥 Follow The Hidden Review!
Stay ahead with the latest news, reviews, interviews, tips from our Blog, exclusive insights, and behind-the-scenes updates on movies, TV shows, and more!
📌 Don’t miss out—hit that subscribe button and tap the bell for notifications. 🔔
🔍 Stay in the know with The Hidden Review:
✨ Discover what’s hidden, only with The Hidden Review.
©2025 The Hidden Review