On Nov. 26, the thrilling horror series Stranger Things released the first four episodes of its fifth and final season. The new drop came three and a half years after season four was released, which was expected to be the last.
The fifth season will consist of eight episodes, with three parts being released separately. The next three episodes are expected on Christmas, and the season and series finale will come out on New Year’s Eve, with all the episodes available on Netflix. The new season comes with four new characters: Holly Wheeler, Derek Turnbow, Lt. Akers, and Dr. Kay.
The first episode is a fresh start to set up the new season, and number four is a thrilling spectacle of fire, booby traps, and bullets. This season is a fast-paced thriller, with mystery surrounding the plot, along with many horror elements, such as the demogorgon.
“It’s about them wanting to take down Vecna, all the four boys (Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin) and the rest of the characters, wanting to take down Vecna after he killed Eddie and destroyed the city,” freshman Felix Sawers said.
As expected, this new season’s arrival came with some controversy as well. The series is almost 10 years old, with the first season being released in 2016, and the characters are well over the age they are being portrayed as. The ages are all over the place in this season, with the youngest actor being 18 and the oldest, Peggy Miley, being 84. For example, Millie Bobby Brown is 21 playing the character Eleven, who is 16, and Gaten Matarazzo is 23 playing Dustin, who is 17.
The opinions on the matter of the actors’ ages range from the belief that there needs to be a more accurate portrayal of age in the show, to some people not minding as much.
“It’s weird when I think about it during the show, but while I’m watching the show and not paying attention to their ages, it’s okay. It’s not too bad, I can get over it,” freshman Evan Valeri said.
On the other hand, some people are deeply disturbed by the character’s appearance being significantly older than what they are supposed to be in the show. Many others are even refusing to watch the show.
“It’s very weird when you see people in their 20s zipping around on bikes as if they were teenagers. For example, the youngest character, Holly Wheeler, is actually 14, playing somebody who is seven. All of it is very strange and doesn’t add up,” freshman Henry Poole said.
Whatever the audience thinks about this topic, they can all agree that this season is shaping up to be a thrilling and exciting finale that will be remembered for ages.
