Photo from Lorelai Atwell

Everyone’s favourite series is finally coming to an end, with the season we’ve all been eagerly waiting for on the verge of release, and most viewers—like myself— absolutely devastated by its ending. Stranger Things is coming to its poetic, and beautiful, I’m sure, conclusion. So buckle up, settle down, and listen to me talk about everything that could’ve possibly crossed your mind while watching the first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5. (Including the colossal tragedy that will inevitably ensue between Mike Wheeler and Will the Wise.)

To start, I’d like to say that, like many of you, I grew up on this show. I started watching when I was eleven years old, and it feels almost bittersweet that it’s coming to an end right about the same time as my childhood. So, Stranger Things, no matter how pathetic it may seem, has been an immense part of my life for years. When the Duffer Brothers first conceived this show, they wanted to put most of the spotlight on the weirdos and abnormalities out there, which is exactly what they did. Many, if not all, Stranger Things fans can see themselves in at least one of the characters the Duffers have so intricately designed. Throughout the seasons, we’ve learned to love them each so deeply— it almost drives us to love ourselves deeper too— and I think that’s what makes it so intriguing. If there’s one thing the Duffers are good at, it’s crafting beautifully written and incredibly three-dimensional characters that anyone can relate to… We have all waited an entire two years for this season, and it is definitely safe to say that it did not disappoint, so without further ado, the review.

With episode one being titled “The Crawl,” we can only assume that it has something to do with crawling, right? Wrong. Episode one centers around the same group of misfits that we’ve grown to know and love. It takes place in Hawkins, Indiana, a whole 18 months following the events of season 4, and the group is still on the hunt for Vecna. The problem? He doesn’t want to be found. The other problem? The military has infiltrated Hawkins and, as Robin so delicately put it, “smacked a huge metal bandaid” over every gate to the upside down within reach. Following through the next three episodes, we’re introduced to new characters and the alterations to existing ones. We’re able to see how the gang handles being the only ones— apart from the military— aware of the current situation in Hawkins, and the newfound brutality of the Demogorgon.

One thing you should know before diving headfirst into this season: It’s gory. Incredibly so. The violence in these mere four episodes surpasses anything we’ve seen so far in the previous ones, and that’s saying something, so definitely be prepared for that. Every single thing about this season has undoubtedly impressed me more than anything I’ve seen before. From the video game-like camera angles, to the script itself, to even the fan theories— everything is phenomenal. Can we talk about Noah Schnapp’s acting? It’s not even just him; it’s everyone! Every actor or actress who’s graced this show with their presence has made it even better than before. I have truly nothing bad to say about Stranger Things, and I’m confident in saying that I never will. This show is “near perfect”, as my good friend and cinephile Dan Haynes once said, and I’m convinced that nothing can change that.

Let’s get into some fan theories, shall we? Well, it’s safe to say that Stranger Things is one of the most popular shows on Netflix worldwide. Everyone who’s seen it has loved it, and everyone who hasn’t is seriously missing out. Whether you ship Mileven or Byler, whether you love Steve or you hate him, the one thing that ties us all together is this show. As Uncle Ben once said, “With great power comes great responsibility”, and that holds true with Stranger Things. With great popularity comes great fan theories. One of the most popular, which was unfortunately shot down by the Duffer Brothers, was (SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4 AHEAD) the previously deceased Eddie Munson coming back as a figure of the Upside Down to help defeat Vecna. While the Duffers appreciate this theory and believe it’s incredibly well thought out, they’ve confirmed that Eddie will not be returning in season 5. 

Another theory that the Duffer Brothers, unfortunately, debunked was the speculation that everything that had happened was nothing but false. There are theories out there that the entire show has just been one big D&D game, or, my personal favorite, that Will actually is dead. There’s a theory that Will Byers died when he went missing on November 6th 1983, and Mike Wheeler, to cope with the loss of his best friend, wrote a book about it. This theory is that Stranger Things as a whole is nothing more than a book Mike wrote, and everything terrible that’s happened— apart from Will— is entirely a work of fiction. I personally love this theory. I think that it’s incredibly thought out and had the Duffers not denied it, entirely plausible.

The final fan theory I’ll bring up is my personal favorite, and the fun thing? The Duffers haven’t actually debunked this one. As anyone who watches the series knows, Will Byers is queer. This last season, especially, has been exploring that part of himself a lot more than, say, seasons 1 or 2. A lot of people think that Mike is, too. One of the most commonly known and praised ships in Stranger Things is known as Byler. (That is Will BY-ers and Mike Whee-LER.) Now, some people hate this particular ship, and that’s perfectly fine— to each their own— but personally? I think that there’s so much evidence to prove that it is quite the possibility. Let’s examine some. 

For one thing, it’s already confirmed that Will is in love with Mike— so really, it all depends on how Mike feels this final season. Can we talk about how he and Eleven seem to be having trouble in the paradise they created way back in season one? And how, during season 4, Will was single-handedly holding up their entire relationship? If that’s not proof of the possibility, I don’t know what is. The Byler Archives says on the topic of Mike Wheeler’s potential coming out, “This is a very obvious one, and I feel like Karen is suspecting Mike liking Will even before he knows, which is kind of funny. She says, “All this that’s been going on with Will, I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you. I just … I want you to feel like you can talk to me. I never want you to feel like you have to HIDE anything from me. I’m here for you, okay?” Mike seems a little confused and nods his head slightly before going back upstairs to El, who is in his CLOSET.” To some, this piece of evidence may have been hiding, and to others it was as obvious as Will himself— while this isn’t precisely a confirmation, it shows the audience that both, yes, both, of Mike’s parents think that he’s queer. This becomes quite apparent in another commonly pointed out scene where Ted states, “Our son? With a girl?” when he’s being questioned by Hawkins Lab about Eleven. 

Not to dive any further into the Byler rabbit hole or anything, but can I just bring up that Mike has an entirely different voice toward Will? He treats him differently than any of his other friends, including Eleven. It’s like Will and Mike are in an emotional relationship while he and Eleven have a purely physical one. Mike was the most upset about Will when they found his “body” in season one— or at least he was the only one the Duffer Brothers chose to show, and I’m choosing to take that as a sign. 

Okay, okay, you’ve had enough, Byler. I hear you. But one more thing. The Byler Evidence website also says, in accordance with a particular scene in season 4, “When Will says; “What about us?” Mike replies; “We’re friends! We’re friends,” almost like he’s trying to convince himself. Will KNOWS you’re friends, why emphasise this? Also, this parallels other scenes where romantic pairings refer to each other as ‘friends’. Hopper says to Joyce, “It’s just two friends getting together for a nice dinner.” They get together the next season. Nancy says, “No, no, I mean, we’re just friends.” Jonathan agrees, “Friends.” They kiss, then get together that night. Now Mike is calling him and Will friends, which is a direct comparison.” And the song that played right after Mike told Will; “we’re friends” was called “Being different.” Seriously, the entire show is basically one big piece of Byler propaganda at this point. 

Overall, Stranger Things is a phenomenal series, and this final season is only adding to that. Whether you relate to Will or to Mike, whether you prefer the Upside Down or the Rightside Up, Stranger Things is the perfect show for anyone who wants to belong. It gives us a place to feel and to love ourselves the way that others do. It allows us a space to see ourselves in different ways and analyse how that truly affects us. Whether Byler becomes endgame or not, whether Mike was writing a book about Will or not— Stranger Things is a near-perfect show, and it always will be.