{"id":210201,"date":"2025-12-29T20:57:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T20:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/210201\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T20:57:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T20:57:09","slug":"15-things-we-liked-and-5-we-didnt-about-stranger-things-season-5-volume-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/210201\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Things We Liked, and 5 We Didn’t, About ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5, Volume 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stranger Things<\/a> is nearly over<\/a>. The finale<\/a> arrives December 31 on Netflix, and we\u2019re in that weird limbo of being excited to see what happens\u2014and also dreading being without any more to come, not to mention what choices the show might make as it reaches its end. But before we worry too much about the future, here\u2019s what we liked, and didn\u2019t like, about season five\u2019s second volume.<\/p>\n

\"Io9<\/p>\n

\"Strangerthings\u00a9 Netflix Liked: All things Will <\/p>\n

Noah Schnapp as Will was, clearly, the MVP of volume two. After he became a sorcerer at the end of volume one, we got to see him explore those powers more, which was incredibly exciting. Plus, he finally had a beautiful, emotional, long-overdue coming-out scene, which was one of the best Stranger Things moments yet. The performance was perfect throughout, and we can\u2019t wait to see where things end up for him.<\/p>\n

Liked: Dustin and Steve <\/p>\n

Things have been tense with Dustin and Steve, and it came to a head with a bit of a brawl in the Upside Down. But, eventually, the pair cleared the air, reconnected, and solidified something we\u2019ve all known and loved. They\u2019re best friends to the end.<\/p>\n

Liked: The return of Max <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a moment we\u2019ve been waiting years for. Finally, Max found her way out of Vecna\u2019s mind and back to the real world. Lucas was waiting, and the reunion was lovely, hilarious, and perfect. And that it began with so many cool moments mentoring Holly about escape beforehand just elevated it.<\/p>\n

Didn\u2019t like: The emphasis on Stranger Things: The First Shadow <\/p>\n

Stranger Things is surely going to reveal all of what happened to little Henry Creel in the cave, including the contents of that mysterious briefcase. And it\u2019s admittedly impressive that a Netflix show got a spin-off stage play that\u2019s having a popular run on Broadway. But for everyone who hasn\u2019t gotten to watch the play, it\u2019s kind of annoying\u2014you can\u2019t fight the urge to look up the play\u2019s plot to find out what you\u2019re missing, and then you discover a big ol\u2019 spoiler once you do. It\u2019ll be a moot point in a week, but still.<\/p>\n

\"Strangerthings\u00a9 Netflix Liked: The Vecna of it all <\/p>\n

As we head to the end, we got a whole lot of good Vecna in volume two. Jamie Campbell Bower got to explore all facets of the character with some wonderful, divergent performance moments. Plus, the design of his actual lair in the Abyss, with all the huge teeth and stuff, left us wide-eyed.<\/p>\n

Liked: The Jurassic Park moment <\/p>\n

When three Demogorgons entered the basement of the hospital, jumping on countertops and stalking our heroes, it was pure Jurassic Park. But Stranger Things then took that Spielberg inspiration to another level, giving Mrs. Wheeler her hero moment, blowing up the creatures with the tank in the laundry dryer. A perfect cherry on top.<\/p>\n

Didn\u2019t like: All the spinning wheels <\/p>\n

If you look at season five, volume two as the last stepping stone before the finale, it made sense that so much had to happen across multiple stories: arguments that went on too long, multiple instances of characters needing to be reassured (sometimes the same character more than once!) or getting a pep talk, and scene after scene of people formulating plans. We get it. It\u2019s plot mechanics. But it got a little tiresome sitting through it all.<\/p>\n

\"Strangerthings\u00a9 Netflix Liked: Holly\u2019s arc <\/p>\n

Characters on Stranger Things can sometimes feel a bit\u2026 stagnant, despite aging several years with each new season. That has not been the case with Holly. A former background presence who\u2019s now the age of the original Stranger Things kids in season one, she\u2019s taken on huge importance as the endgame approaches. She\u2019s still very young, but we see her learn, grow, and realize she\u2019s braver than she ever realized, all while facing a truly terrifying situation.<\/p>\n

Liked: Outsider characters finally learning the truth <\/p>\n

We understand why the main Stranger Things characters have been keeping secrets\u2014but it was a great and necessary relief when some of their biggest supporters, including Mr. Clarke, Mrs. Wheeler, and the long-suffering Vickie, finally, finally learned the truth about the Upside Down.<\/p>\n

Liked: Getting the big reveals out in the open <\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t actually like either of the big reveals themselves\u2014more on why below, but they\u2019re the ones detailing Dr. Kay\u2019s plan and the true purpose\/function of the Upside Down. But we did like that Stranger Things stopped holding them back; deciding to explain them (sometimes more than once, just so we understood) and getting these secrets out in the open was important to helping the show move full-speed into the finale.<\/p>\n

\"Strangerthings\u00a9 Netflix Liked: The melting lab <\/p>\n

Stranger Things has always been good at giving us gross. But volume two took things to a new level with a kind of Matthew Barney, Salvador Dali-inspired section of the Upside Down Hawkins lab. The walls and floor were melted. Humans were frozen in the goop. And as Jonathan and Nancy try to escape, it just gets grosser and more terrifying. We loved it.<\/p>\n

Liked: The gang is all here <\/p>\n

One problem with the middle episodes of Stranger Things 5 is that everyone was off on their own journeys. But, finally, by episode seven, \u201cThe Bridge,\u201d almost everyone has been reunited (they\u2019re coming, Holly!), and even if it\u2019s way, way too many people for single scenes, we still thought it was fantastic. We love these characters, and seeing them interact, especially all at once, is always rewarding.<\/p>\n

Liked: Robin being Robin <\/p>\n

Robin has always been a standout character, but she\u2019s been particularly valuable in season five. In the second batch of episodes, not only does she continue her way of figuring out important details (using records to illustrate how Holly, Max, and Will could all be physically separate but their minds could all be in the same place) and cracking jokes to break the tension\u2014she also gives Will that much-needed confidence for his big scene at the end of episode seven.<\/p>\n

\"Strangerthings\u00a9 Netflix Liked: Kali as a counterpoint <\/p>\n

Hopper\u2019s here to protect Eleven. Mike\u2019s here to fill her mind with thoughts of a happy ending\u2014the possibility of that true fresh start she so desperately wants. But Kali is here to remind her, and everyone else, that Eleven can never be \u201cnormal\u201d as long as the military-industrial complex is around, wanting to use her blood to create supersoldiers. Kali\u2019s attempt to secure a \u201cwin, then die\u201d pact out of her sister may be unpleasant, but her point of view is valid and brings a fascinating complexity to the final battle. (Will the show dare to go there, though?)<\/p>\n

Didn\u2019t like: WTF is up with Eleven? <\/p>\n

For a character that has long been the center of Stranger Things, we haven\u2019t loved Eleven\u2019s arc this season. In volume two especially, she\u2019s just projecting in water, not doing much, gets out of the Upside Down a little too easily, and is forced to wear the Body Glove wetsuit for hours. Thanks to the fact that we know she might have to sacrifice herself, we\u2019re sure redemption is coming in the finale, but volume two oddly pushed Eleven to the background.<\/p>\n

Liked: Pop culture explosion <\/p>\n

The Butthole Surfers debate, the little kid\u2019s \u201cE.T. Phone Home\u201d shirt, and the fact that director Frank Darabont, who co-wrote A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, put that movie in Holly\u2019s memory. Just a few examples of how volume two was filled with lovely Easter eggs and pop culture references that made us smile.<\/p>\n

\"Strangerthings\u00a9 Netflix Didn\u2019t like: Dr. Kay shouldn\u2019t be this lame <\/p>\n

Linda Hamilton is an icon, so to see her play this one-note character who is barely a blip in this season has been a letdown. Yes, she\u2019ll have more to do in the finale thanks to the also not-that-exciting reveal of ANOTHER \u201cnumbers\u201d program, but we were just really hoping for more.<\/p>\n

Liked: The length <\/p>\n

While each episode of season five, volume two, was over an hour, at least there were just three of them. You could watch, enjoy, and take a breath at the end within a reasonable time frame\u2014and feel confident you could get to the end before spoilers started raining down from the sky.<\/p>\n

Liked: Nancy and Jonathan\u2019s heart-to-heart <\/p>\n

Though Steve does have superior hair, it wasn\u2019t really a love triangle causing tension between Nancy and Jonathan; it was the weight of everything they\u2019d gone through together and feeling obligated to remain a couple because of it. Forced to share their deepest truths, Nancy and Jonathan agreed they\u2019d break up\u2014they love each other, they\u2019re just not in love, and they certainly don\u2019t want to get married\u2014and move forward at last.<\/p>\n

Didn\u2019t like: IT WAS A WORMHOLE THIS WHOLE TIME? <\/p>\n

The Duffer Brothers say they\u2019ve had the true nature of the Upside Down in mind since the show started<\/a>. We\u2019re not sure if we entirely believe them, but that might be simply because it sounds like a giant retcon no matter how you spin it.<\/p>\n

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel<\/a>, Star Wars<\/a>, and Star Trek<\/a> releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV<\/a>, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Stranger Things is nearly over. The finale arrives December 31 on Netflix, and we\u2019re in that weird limbo…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":210202,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[146,85,46,400,52092,411],"class_list":{"0":"post-210201","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-israel","11":"tag-netflix","12":"tag-stranger-things","13":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/210202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=210201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=210201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}