Disclaimer:Please pardon any mistakes, misunderstood theories, verbose ramblings, and convoluted paragraphs. I wrote this while I was traveling – right after watching the first episode, so I don’t miss any details.This review may contain spoilers. If you haven’t watched the episode yet, kindly stay away.

So… after a million years of waiting, Stranger Things Season 5 finally lands. I swear I watched that loading bar like it owed me money. I even woke up early Friday morning, all dramatic, thinking, “Today is the day—I am finally getting a full season.”

Only to realize… THEY RELEASED FOUR EPISODES.
 Split…
Into THREE parts.
I felt like my world was Upside Down. 

But anyway—let’s move into the episode review because I have few things to say. Big ones. Emotional ones. Maybe even unnecessary ones. But you need them before or after you watch them.

Episode 1 — What Even Happened Here?

Picture this: I was traveling, in a train with the world’s worst Wi-Fi, squinting at my tablet like a Victorian child reading candlelight letters. But I watched it anyway because priorities.

Hawkins Has Changed — And Not For the Better

Episode 1 throws us right back into the chaos. Hawkins is no longer the warm, retro, small town we met in Season 1. It’s a military-controlled zone now — fences, soldiers, checkpoints, fear everywhere. The aesthetic shift is intentional: this isn’t the Hawkins of Eggo waffles and Christmas lights anymore. This is a war zone. And the kids are not kids anymore.

A new officer is on the scene, cutting open what looks like a demogorgon heart in the opening minutes. Gross? Yes. Effective? Also yes. He’s clearly investigating something big, and Eleven is the center of it.

Let’s break down the review into parts!

DUSTIN — The grief arc nobody asked for, but everyone needed

This is the section I need everyone to read carefully because fans are divided.

Some people hate how serious and cold Dustin feels in this episode.
But honestly? He’s grieving. And the show finally lets him act like it.

He’s older. He’s traumatized. He lost Eddie. The city is falling apart. And he knows Vecna can strike again at any moment. Of course he isn’t smiling or cracking jokes this time.

The 80s setting plays a big part too — teenagers were rarely encouraged to talk about emotions back then. So this version of Dustin feels painfully accurate to the time period.


So, the best part about season 5 may be this realistic, painful description of how grief hits and honestly, one of the best choices they made.

And yet… it hurts to see.

THE STEVE–DUSTIN BREAKUP (Or Are they on a break?!)

This part genuinely shocked me.

Dustin and Steve — the iconic duo, the meme kings, the emotional support golden retriever + chaotic nerd pairing — barely share a warm moment. Instead, they’re snappy, distant, borderline rude. Something is clearly broken between them.

What hurts most is Dustin not being honest with Steve. If anyone could understand his emotional mess, it’s Steve Harrington — king of unexpected emotional intelligence.

Compare this to Dustin and Jonathan, who oddly get along better in this episode. Even though Jonathan is spiraling in his own way (and acting insanely possessive toward Nancy), he still manages to connect with Dustin more than Steve does.

And yes — that tower-climbing scene with Jonathan and Steve both trying to impress Nancy? Comedy gold. Their petty rivalry is stupid, childish, and absolutely hilarious.

It’s one of the few moments that genuinely made me laugh.

Nancy, Jonathan & the “Not Going to Happen” FactorNancy’s attention is laser-focused on Jonathan, and Steve’s vibe toward her is nowhere near romantic anymore. He feels… friendly. Respectful. Done.And I stand by this: Nancy might not end up with Jonathan, but she’s definitely not going back to Steve either. At this point, everyone in that triangle is just too exhausted.

Joyce Byers: The Paranoid Mother in a New Household

Joyce and her family staying with the Millers is peak “joint family chaos.” As someone from India, this dynamic felt hilariously familiar: crowded breakfast table, overlapping conversations, people stepping over each other’s routines… chef’s kiss realism.

But for the Millers?
It’s giving: “We are NPCs in our own home.”

Joyce is as paranoid and protective as ever, especially with Will. There’s no romantic progress with Hopper yet, but her scene with Robbie was surprisingly warm.

Robin Buckley & the Weird FM Radio Setup

Robin runs a secret radio broadcast now — cool in theory, but the execution felt… off. Her opening narration, the bully subplot, and the unnecessary monologue about that “naturally formed slide” all dragged the pacing.

Robin is one of my favorites, but her personality feels written by someone who only saw her TikTok compilations and not the real character.

The Wheeler Daughter: The Horror Movie Child

This girl is straight-up giving The Conjuring vibes.
Ignored, lonely, reading creepy books, talking to imaginary friends — we all know this trope. I can already tell she’s in danger. The foreshadowing is loud, and the episode title hints at it too.

What Worked Really Well

✔ Tons of new 80s references — snacks, posters, random gadgets
✔ Gorgeous CGI and stellar editing
✔ The slow pacing still creates tension and dread
✔ Great emotional layering, especially with Dustin

What Didn’t Work

✘ The humor fell flat almost every time
✘ Lazy writing in parts; too many repeated emotional beats from older seasons
✘ Very little originality in Eleven’s arc
✘ Certain scenes felt filler-y or oddly placed
✘ And again: WHY BROUGHT BACK THE BULLY PLOT??

Episode 1 of season 5 had this déjà vu flavor… like warming up leftovers from Season 2, 3, and 4.

Final thoughts

Was Episode 1 satisfying after waiting years?
Yes — but only barely.

It sets the stage. It reconnects characters. It reminds us what’s at stake. But it also leans too heavily on nostalgia and familiar emotional patterns instead of giving us bold new territory.

Still, the performances? Incredible. The vibes? Strong. The stakes? Higher than ever.

And even if the writing stumbled, the heart of Stranger Things — these kids, this found family, this weird town — still shines through.

If the next episodes push harder, get braver, and take real risks, Season 5 has the potential to end the series with the emotional punch it deserves.