Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 Review: Hawkins' Final Battle Begins with High Stakes and Heart-Pounding Thrills (SPOILERS)

After a three-year wait, Netflix's most iconic sci-fi horror series has returned for its swan song, and the first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 prove the Duffer Brothers are pulling out all the stops for this final chapter. Volume 1 dropped on November 27 at 5:00 AM GST in the UAE, immediately crashing Netflix servers worldwide due to overwhelming demand—a testament to the show's enduring cultural impact.​

For UAE audiences who've followed the Hawkins gang since 2016, this opening salvo delivers exactly what fans crave: nostalgia-drenched storytelling, intensified horror, and character moments that hit harder than ever before. And with the immersive Stranger Things: The Experience now running on Yas Island through February 2026, Dubai and Abu Dhabi residents are experiencing the series' final season like never before.​

A Return to Form with Higher Stakes

Volume 1 wastes no time plunging viewers back into the nightmare. Set in fall 1987, Hawkins remains under military quarantine following the devastating rifts that tore through the town at the end of Season 4. Eleven is in hiding from relentless government pursuit, Vecna has mysteriously vanished, and the Upside Down continues bleeding into reality. The four-episode opening—titled "The Crawl," "The Vanishing of...," "The Turnbow Trap," and "Sorcerer"—establishes a darker, more mature tone while maintaining the show's signature blend of horror and heart.​

Critics have awarded Volume 1 an 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences rating it even higher at 92%. The consensus? This is Stranger Things at its most ambitious and cinematic. The production design and visual effects reach blockbuster scale, particularly in Episode 4's jaw-dropping 81-minute finale that culminates in an epic battle featuring grenades, flame throwers, and CGI mayhem.​

"Episodes 1-4 are a good return to form. Great character dynamics, visuals and the story is extremely interesting and engaging. 8.5/10," one viewer commented on social media. Another praised the structure: "#StrangerThings5 (Vol. 1) nails the final-season tone—it's more mature, more intense, but still keeps that classic humor alive. The character work this time is insane, and every episode ends on a straight-up high note".​

Will Byers Takes Center Stage

The most electrifying revelation in Volume 1? Will Byers has powers. After four seasons of trauma stemming from his Season 1 abduction, Will finally gets his moment to shine in a twist that fans have theorized about for years. In Episode 4's climactic sequence, Will taps into the hive mind connecting him to the Upside Down creatures and turns the tables on Vecna's Demogorgons, saving Mike, Lucas, and Robin from certain death.​

"Will becoming friends with Robin, military ass kicked, and the Wheeler family parents on the brink of death. Stranger things 5 volume one is batshit crazy," one fan tweeted. Another declared: "His character development is unreal and Noah [Schnapp] plays it with so much conviction, it's honestly the best part of the season".​

The Duffer Brothers confirmed this was always the plan: "It felt very natural to re-center the story on Will. He was the kid who was taken in Season 1, so it felt right for the story to come full circle". This shift gives the final season emotional resonance as Will transforms from victim to hero—a journey UAE audiences who've rooted for the character since the beginning will find deeply satisfying.​

Max's Fate and Holly's Abduction

Volume 1 also addresses Season 4's devastating cliffhanger: Max Mayfield's fate. Trapped in Vecna's mindscape after her near-death experience, Max appears alongside Holly Wheeler—Nancy and Mike's younger sister—who gets abducted by a Demogorgon in a harrowing home invasion that leaves their parents critically injured. "WELCOME BACK MAX MAYFIELD," fans celebrated on social media.​

Holly's storyline introduces a twisted mental prison she names "Camazotz" (a nod to A Wrinkle in Time), where Vecna manipulates the captured children. This subplot not only raises the stakes for the Wheeler family but also showcases impressive performances from the younger cast members, demonstrating how Stranger Things has grown alongside its actors.​

Social Media Erupts with Reactions

The response across X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Reddit has been electric. When Volume 1 dropped, fans flooded timelines with reactions ranging from ecstatic to emotionally overwhelmed. "These first episodes of 'Stranger Things 5' are soooo gooood," one user posted. Another reacted to Episode 4's final act: "My goodness, the last 30 minutes of 'Stranger Things 5' episode 4. WOW".​

The show's ability to balance spectacle with intimate character moments earned widespread praise. "Steve and Jonathan is the comedic duo I didn't know I needed this season. And it's not even really on purpose. It's just their chaos I love," wrote one viewer. UAE-based fans on Reddit's r/UAE community even organized group viewings, asking if anyone in Abu Dhabi wanted to watch together—proof that the show continues fostering real-world connections.​

The Netflix crash itself became a viral moment, with hashtags like #NetflixUpsideDown trending globally. "Insane that a multi billion dollar company, that limits people to household viewing, can't figure their s**t out," one frustrated (yet excited) fan quipped.​

Not Without Criticism

While most reactions skew positive, some viewers expressed reservations. A common critique involves the show's sprawling ensemble cast, which has grown significantly since Season 1. "The show really struggles with its large cast, and most get only a few truly meaningful things to do. The plot feels like it barely advances, and there's a weird lack of momentum," one mixed review noted.​

Screen Rant's review echoed this concern: "When the Vecna plan starts to go awry, the show silos off the characters, creating smaller groups. While these situations have created some of the show's best team-ups, it has also had a history of creating pitfalls surrounding the story". Others felt the "grown ass kids" and dialogue occasionally veered into corny territory.​

However, these criticisms pale compared to the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response. Even skeptics acknowledged the show maintains its signature blend of '80s adventure, humor, and supernatural terror.​

The Perfect Pre-Holiday Binge

For UAE audiences, the timing couldn't be better. Volume 1's November 27 release gives fans the perfect Thanksgiving weekend binge opportunity, while Volume 2 (Episodes 5-7) arrives December 26—Boxing Day for those celebrating. The feature-length series finale drops January 1, 2026, capping off the holiday season with what promises to be an emotional farewell.​

The London Standard awarded Volume 1 four stars, calling it "classic '80s adventure fare, in the best way: kids outsmarting adults, lashings of humour and a surprising amount of heart. I gulped it down—more please". BBC.com praised Episode 4 as "Stranger Things at its best; 81, presumably very expensively produced, minutes culminating in an epic battle between the demons, the military and the people of Hawkins".​

Final Verdict: A Thrilling Beginning to the End

Volume 1 succeeds in its primary mission: reigniting the spark that made Stranger Things a global phenomenon while setting up a climactic finale worthy of the show's legacy. The Duffer Brothers deliver ambitious storytelling, genuine emotional beats, and set pieces that justify the three-year wait between seasons.​

Will's transformation, Max's return, and Holly's abduction provide compelling hooks for Volume 2, while the military quarantine storyline adds fresh tension to the familiar Hawkins setting. The show's willingness to take big swings with character reveals—even if some feel predictable to die-hard theorists—demonstrates respect for the audience's investment in this decade-long journey.​

For UAE viewers deciding whether to wake up at 5:00 AM or binge later, the consensus is clear: this is event television that demands to be experienced as close to real-time as possible. With spoilers spreading rapidly across social media and the next chapter arriving Christmas, there's no time to waste in returning to Hawkins for one final adventure.​

Episodes 1-4 are now streaming on Netflix. Volume 2 arrives December 26, 2025, with the series finale dropping January 1, 2026.