Netflix is releasing season 5 of Stranger Things in 3 parts: Volumes one, two and three, and North Hollywood High School students share their thoughts on the first 4 episodes released in Volume one.
After a long three-year break, eager fans are returning to the show, with volume one releasing on November 26, volume two releasing on December 25, and the final episode releasing on December 31. The popular show has certainly evolved over the span of five seasons and has led fans to appreciate just how far the series has come.
STEM Senior, Maryam Parvez, explains that, “Everything’s like coming back full circle.” She began watching Stranger Things in the summer of her eighth-grade year. Given that she began watching in 2022, she has since completed seasons one through four and, more recently, volume one of season five.
Some of her favorite elements of Stranger Things include the ‘80s setting and “the whole mystery behind [the show],” which follows the disappearance of Will Byers, a teenage boy in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. As a group of his friends begin to search for him, they end up unraveling the underlying supernatural mysteries of the town.
Over the course of five seasons, what began as a mere missing child’s case turns into a battle against a powerful supernatural foe named Vecna. The three-year break between seasons four and five certainly impacted production of the show, with some fans pointing out a key difference from earlier seasons. “A lot of people would say that they didn’t like how the actors just don’t look their age,” explains Matthew Figueroa, an SAS Senior.
Parvez supports this opinion, explaining that, “It did throw me off a bit when I looked at the trailer…they do not look like freshmen anymore.” This sentiment was shared on online forums during the 3-year wait, with people wondering how the teenage characters being played by adults would affect the way that the show’s story flows.
The reality is that Stranger Things Season Five had been delayed by several factors, including the 2023 Hollywood strikes, where writers and actors were demanding better pay and protections from AI, the pandemic, and the meticulous directing by the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers. As a result, the once teenage cast have become adults.
One such example is Millie Bobby Brown, who married Jake Bongiovi in 2024 and adopted a baby daughter in the summer of 2025. Brown is currently 21 years old, yet she plays the 16-17 year old character named “Eleven.” Eleven is a crucial character leading the fight against Vecna, so to some viewers, her looking older than she was in previous seasons breaks continuity.
Despite the criticism, fans still remain mindful of the effects the break had on the production. Figueroa states, “I think that the three years [were] really needed because of all the special effects that need that time to look as good as possible.” Judging from the reactions of students around campus, the hard work was worth it.
“The story, from season one to season five now [is] perfect, [a] masterpiece,” Second Year Video Production Student and Junior, Joel Sandoval, explains. He reflects on how he hesitated to start the show due to its overwhelming popularity, but eventually decided to investigate what the excitement was about. Sandoval states, “I’m so glad I watched it, it’s such a great show.”
Isaac Velasco, a Senior in STEM, is also happy with volume one of season five so far, stating, “I love the way [Stranger Things] has developed, I think it’s great.” As he waits for the next two volumes, he mentions, “I don’t really have any expectations or anything that I really want to see, I just would love to see it.” On the topic of expectations, several have been posted online.
Releasing in volumes has given fans the time to craft up theories, with many theorizing a major death in the series. Velasco states, “I’m not ready for any deaths, I don’t want anyone to die.” On the flip side, Figueroa believes that a major death would be an impactful plot point. He explains, “I feel like characters can’t have plot armor all the time; at some point, you just need to let someone go.”
Major death or not, the story that has grown up alongside so many students on campus will come to a close with the winter season. Parvez states, “I feel like it was worth the wait, since they clearly put a lot of time and effort into wrapping up the show.” Until the finale is released, these students, along with many others, have a sci-fi horror-filled winter break ahead of them.
