add+++ author = “Daniel Olshansky” title = “Stranger Things: Season 5” date = “2026-02-23T20:06:02-0800” description = "" tags = [ “TV”, “Netflix”, “Sci-Fi”, “Horror”, “Series Finale”, “Nostalgia”, ] rating = “⭐⭐⭐⭐” rotten_tomatoes_url = “https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/stranger_things/s05" +++

It took me a while to both start and finish season 5.

I liked it. I didn’t love it. I mostly just wanted to finish the series, even though it didn’t captivate me the way it once did.

The plot was good. I wasn’t mind-blown, but I liked it. I appreciated it. It made sense. All the storylines aligned. I felt the same about the fight sequences, character arcs, and everything else.

The one thing they absolutely nailed was the ending. It’s not easy to land a series like this, but the writers managed to find a strong compromise.

What was phenomenal, obviously, was the chemistry between the actors. It’s Harry Potter all over again. The one thing no amount of money can replace is a cast growing up together.

Is Stranger Things going to stand the test of time? Probably not. But it had a really good run, and it made it past the finish line.