Commentary: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Is Different Right From The Start
by Frank Martin
The fourth season of Stranger Things created a huge shift in the series. Up until that point, the main villain had been largely nameless. The characters in the show didn’t necessarily know who or what they were up against. They made assumptions and created their own mythology around their foes, which meant they never quite understood the threat that they faced. After the threat for each particular season faded, they retreated back into a moment of peace because they believed it was all over. However, Season 4 changed their entire perspective on what they were up against, and so the start of the fifth and final season very different.
In the first three seasons of Stranger Things, named villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) took a largely hands-off approach when attacking Hawkins. He either sent demogorgons or the Mind Flayer to do his bidding. In season four, Vecna took it upon himself to open the gates between Hawkins, Indiana and the dark dimension known as the Upside Down, forcing Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), and the others to deal with him directly. They succeeded in confronting him, but only temporarily. The season ended with Vecna still at large. As Season 5 begins, Hopper (David Harbour) periodically heads into the Upside Down to conduct recon missions.
For a large period of time, the heroes believed the Mind Flayer was in charge. So when they dealt with it during those seasons, they thought the threat was over. When the subsequent season began, the characters were relatively laid back and not under threat. It wasn’t until Vecna was revealed to be Henry Creel (also Bower) that they knew he was behind everything. Vecna’s looming threat at the start of Season 5 meant the heroes were still on edge. They were at war, conducting reconnaissance and planning strategies for how to deal with their enemy while living in a town under occupation by the military. It is a very different and more combative situation than the show has experienced before.
Stranger Things is now streaming on Netflix.