I’m sure us Stranger Things fans can all agree that we have all been waiting on this final season for a long time now. Last season left off with a cliffhanger back in the summer of 2022 and I have been dying to know what happens next.

Stranger Things is one of the most streamed series of all time, and for a very good reason too. The show started in the summer of 2016 as a coming of age sci-fi show, and has since evolved into a critically acclaimed franchise with new storylines, threats, and  ideas every season. The first half of the final season was released  to Netflix on November 26.

If you’re someone who hasn’t gotten into Stranger Things yet, here’s 6 reasons why you should be watching it.

1. The show continues to evolve without becoming boring

When Stranger Things first started out, it was focused on unraveling the mystery of Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) disappearance in the small, fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. The main protagonists involved in trying to solve this mystery end up meeting a girl with psychic powers named Eleven (Millie Bonnie Bongiovi).  Together, they uncover a supernatural world, along with threats from it, which all ties into, “The Disappearance of Will Byers.”

Since then, the show has evolved from this small-town horror aspect mystery into a larger scale of complex supernatural activity beyond our understanding, government conspiracies, and global threats. The show continues to show darker themes and dive deep into character arcs, as the show is also widely coming-of-age oriented.’

Overall, I think Stranger Things does a good job with keeping the story interesting and getting people invested.

2. Outstanding Storytelling

Diving a little deeper into what makes it stand out and not become boring is the suspense and pacing. The show does a great job of introducing mysteries and showing the characters piece it all together without rushing or dragging it out. We then see how they carefully plan everything out to achieve their goal. Another great thing about Stranger Things is that there’s never just one plot happening. There’s always multiple sub-plots centered around a different group of protagonists that all still connect to the main plot in the end. This goes to show how everything is so well thought out and kept interesting.

3. They continue to keep the vibe of the 80s

Now I’m no expert on how the 80s were, as I was born way after. But every type of media I’ve seen from the 80s aligns very well with what Stranger Things portrays as being popular in music, fashion, technology, etc. If you pay enough attention throughout the show, you start to see how trends evolve in the 80s, even subtly. In my opinion, I think the best example of this is the costume designs. Stranger Things does a perfect job at capturing the 80s aesthetic.

4. Amazing Character Relations

There are many examples of characters in the show who have amazing chemistry. Some that come to the top of my head are Steve (Joe Keery) and Robin (Maya Hawke), Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Hopper (David Harbour), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Max (Sadie Sink), etc. It’s one of my favorite things about the show. Just seeing how well the characters interact with each other, both one on one and as a team, makes me feel a huge sense of joy and emotional connection to them, even though I’m not there. The emotions they convey just feel so sincere. In those moments, I feel as if I’m transported right into the Stranger Things world, connecting with everyone through every moment. No other show has made me feel this attached to the characters.

5. Eye-Catching Production

Straight from the start I thought Stranger Things had great visuals. I didn’t think it could get better, but it did. This can especially be noticed whenever the Upside Down is shown. With each new season, you could tell the production cost keeps increasing. The imagery is always on point, the set is very detailed, and the action scenes are full of astonishing practical and special effects. 

6. No Coincidences

I firmly believe that there are no coincidences in all of Stranger Things. There are numerous times where something seemingly insignificant earlier on gets reflected as something much wider and more important to the story later on. With the last season especially, I think there is a lot of stuff hinted/noticed from the past that will play a very significant role that will act as a huge turning point in the story. I’m talking about things that will change your whole perspective on the show right from the beginning. The Duffer Brothers also said this is going to be the darkest season yet so I think things are about to get really twisted. I absolutely cannot wait to watch these last few episodes when they release and if you haven’t started watching yet, this is your sign to hop on the Stranger Things train.

Now, for fans who are already caught up with the series, here’s some key takeaways I had when watching the new episodes. Which is to say:

SPOILERS BELOW!

7. They skipped how last season ended off with the Upside Down ripping through Hawkins

Last season left off with the main protagonists standing atop a hill after all the unfortunate events that happened. They stared out to Hawkins and saw a big crack emitting red light and black smoke from it. This led me to believe that Season 5 was going to be total warfare with Demogorgons and Demobats unleashing terror on all of Hawkins. But instead, we just just get a simple explanation of the rip being patched up with metal. While it’s not what I was expecting, I’m still excited to see how everything unfolds.

8. The Will & Robin Dynamic Duo

Will and Robin never really interacted in any other seasons so it was really refreshing to see them bonding and being a dynamic duo. Both characters share some key things in common with one another. The main one being that they are both struggling with their sexual identity in the 80s, a time where being openly homosexual was looked down upon and not accepted by society. We see Robin acting as kind of a mentor to Will in finding himself. With their connection that this new season has introduced, we kind of get a sense of how it feels through their eyes to have to hide away and why it’s important to find yourself and be who you truly are.

9. Nobody else cares about Eddie’s death but Dustin

Last season, Eddie (Joseph Quinn) died to the Demobats after he distracted them by playing Master of Puppets by Metallica in the Upside Down to lure them away from Vecna’s house so the others could get in. This took a huge toll on Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) because they were really close friends who met through the Hellfire Club at Hawkins High. In the new season, we see that Dustin is still depressed and in mourning for Eddie, while everyone else doesn’t mention anything about him or seem to care. The people who are supposed to be his best friends just disregard his feelings and basically, “get over it.” Even though they have bigger issues and weren’t that close to Eddie, the least they can do is be more understanding towards Dustin.

10. Kali returns and Will has powers!?

When Eleven opened the door in the lab, I was half-expecting it to be her because I didn’t think it could be anyone else. When Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) first appeared back in season 2, I thought her introduction to the show was pointless and didn’t lead anywhere. But now we see that she is actually gonna be put to use.

Will gaining powers was something I did not expect at all. Sadly, I did get it spoiled for me just hours before watching but other than that, I didn’t see this one coming. In the first few episodes, we did see that he started experiencing new connections to the hive mind. He was able to see what demogorgons and Vecna’s victims were seeing, something we’ve never seen before. I didn’t know what this meant. I thought it was just as they said, Vecna is closer and stronger than before. I had no idea this was building up to Will gaining powers and instantly becoming one of the strongest characters.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 will be released on December 25 on Netflix.