The highly anticipated Stranger Things Season 5 has finally begun, with Netflix releasing its first four episodes on a Thanksgiving Thursday at 6:30 AM IST. For fans in India and across the globe, this early drop was a delightful surprise, pulling them back into the troubled town of Hawkins, Indiana.
Hawkins in Chaos: Quarantine and Vecna's Reign
The narrative picks up with Hawkins under a strict military quarantine. The army has sealed off the entry point to the Upside Down, a dimension that glows an ominous red and is populated by funky tentacles. While the heroes grapple with this containment, a secret admiration for the villain, Vecna, emerges. He evolves from a figure seeking revenge to a power wanting world domination, all while expressing a desire to “do beautiful things together,” a line that somehow manages to be chilling and oddly endearing.
Amidst the chaos, the show delivers its signature dose of 80s nostalgia. Seeing Betamax Applause tapes at the local radio station is a treat for anyone familiar with the era. The dynamic between the boys vying for Robin's attention, played by the brilliant Maya Hawke, provides a relatable and humorous subplot. Meanwhile, Robin herself is busy relaying codes over the radio, with Diana Ross's song making hearts turn ‘Upside Down’ in more ways than one.
New Faces and Familiar Fears
The season introduces a formidable new character, played by Linda Hamilton, who steps in as the head of the military base inside the Upside Down. Her presence is felt strongly, though some viewers might find themselves missing the gruff charm of a drunk Hopper. The special effects, or SFX, are top-notch, creating a visually stunning and believable world. However, after the extended and sometimes draggy Season 4, fans are holding this season to a higher standard, expecting a tighter and more compelling narrative.
The terror is amplified with the return of the Demogorgon, now scarier than ever. A particularly tense scene at Holly's home, where the gates close just slowly enough to give El a fighting chance, is executed with brilliant tension. For fans of classic cinema, a clever reference to the flux capacitor from Back to the Future is a guaranteed laugh-out-loud moment.
The Exhaustion of Doomscrolling and Saving Hawkins
The review touches on a very modern phenomenon: the impact of doomscrolling on our capacity for fear. The constant consumption of short, shocking content on social media reels has arguably desensitized us, making traditional jump scares less effective. This sentiment is perfectly captured in a piece of dialogue that deserves to be a mantra: “I’m nuts. I’m not that nuts.”
As the plot progresses, the mission to save a character like “Dipshit Derek” begins to feel exhausting, questioning the narrative's momentum. The story finds its stride again with the simple, brutal goal of wanting to see “Vecna’s heart on a platter.” Yet, the show maintains its self-awareness, with hilarious subtitles like ‘Fleshy mass gurgling’ pulling viewers back to reality with a chuckle.
Returning to Hawkins is a bittersweet experience. You hope things have changed, that adults offer more than platitudes and kids become wiser. For Indian superfans, a fun note reveals you can call 7653032020 to connect with the Hawkins PD, who are still searching for information on Jane Hopper. As the season builds towards its culmination in Volume Two, the adventure in Hawkins proves it can still captivate, annoy with characters like Holly, and make us all a little nostalgic for a time before doomscrolling.
