Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic, and this show has audio description, written by Christina Stevens, narrated by Jamie Lemcheck, and produced by International Digital Center.

I didn’t really align with the Stranger Things phenomenon right off the bat. Some people get to claim they were champions of a show from its inception,and others along the way. Nevertheless, this show has a permanent place in my history of television and cinema. I had been familiar with audio description, but hadn’t listend to it when I was still sighted, because I didn’t need it. But after losing my vision, I was still navigating how to do, well, everything. It’s a little like walking again, or moving to a new country where you know nothing about the language, culture, laws, and customs. Along the way, someone told me how I could turn on audio description, and the first thing I watched was Stranger Things. I believe a new season was about to start, and I wanted to catch up, so I chose the upside down. Stranger Things has always had exceptional audio description.

Even in Season 5, with a new narrator (for reasons unknown), the audio description remains exceptional. Stevens finds all the best moments for a show that constantly blends genres, leaning on nostalgia to support a program that isn’t just a horror, or just coming of age. it can be funny, heartbreaking, or just straight action packed. The show started as the search for a missing boy, young kids going on an adventure beyond the stretch of their imagination to find their friend, and the presence of a strange, quiet girl with no name.

It has evolved into a well financed juggernaut, with a cast punishingly expansive, and writers committed to somehow squeezing everyone in all the time. It does lead to some detriment in the narrative, but it also helped find some truly satisfying moments in the finale. For example, after leaving Max (Sadie Sink)in a coma, fans were left to speculate what, if anything, would become of Max? When it was rumored she was returning, fans grew excited for the possibility of conclusion with her character, and as far as the cast goes, she really did get it.

The plot of the season loosely revolves around Henry (Jamie Campbell Bower) who is looking to recruit children for some grand return of his monster alter-ego. he starts by grooming Holly (Nell Fisher), the youngest of the Wheeler clan. Everyone thinks it is silly she has an imaginary friend named Mister Whatsit, but it becomes more concerning when the plan to take Holly is revealed. Now that Hawkins has open portals to the upside down, and a strong military presence, it is a little surprising to see a demigorgon come after Holly in the real world. but Henry doesn’t stop there, he needs more.

And this is where our giant cast of regulars comes into play, as they realize Henry is up to something, Holly is missing, and they need to save her, and stop Henry for good. In this process, we see Jane/Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is training hard to be able to do runs in the upside down with Hopper (David Harbor). She has to hide from Doctor K (Linda Hamilton), who is with the military, and seeks to find Eleven for reasons.

Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) hasn’t moved on from eddie’s death, and holds the flames of the Hellfire club alive by himself. Lucas (Caleb McLoughlin) is no longer interested in being in with the jocks, and still visits Max to help her run up that hill. Best friends Will (Noah Schnapp) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) are looking for ways to put the upside down behind them, with Joyce (Winona Ryder) paying close attention to her son.

And that doesn’t even account for radio DJ Robin (Maya Hawke), warrior in training Nancy (Natalia Dyer), her mopey boyfriend Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), and his frenemy Steve (Joe Keery). Oh, and they didn’t forget Murray (Brett Gelman) who is a delivery driver of sorts, or even Erika (Briah Ferguson) plays a major part. Basically, the gang is all here.

In season 1, the show had the chutzpah to kill of a quirky supporting character, and the fans never let them forget it. Now, they collect characters like Pokémon, afraid to spark fan backlash, because god forbid anyone actually lose their life while fighting to save the world. there’s a lot of silliness here, but so much of it is really specific, I don’t want to spoil it.

Non specifically, I would say that they needed a certain character to wake up at just the right random moment for something to work. There’s a fake out death where someone slips and begins to fall, but after a quick cut to black, we see that person didn’t fall. Why was there a blackout there? There is no resolution to the military subplot at all, as the show, in an effort for normalcy, just vanishes them during the prologue of “who survived, and what are they doing now?”

the ending is silly. it relies on something getting so close to a radio tower. Now, if this thing really is what they say it is, then it should be big enough that it encroaching on our space would shake the fabric of the world. Like, our planet. This isn’t just a Hawkins thing. but the most baffling choice, because they control the time jumps,b is that for a cast that has aged out of their roles, they made them only juniors in high school. The finale has an “18 months later” which brings them to high school graduation. Wait. You could have written them as seniors, and didn’t? Brown is 21,Wolfhard is 23, Matarazzo is 23, McLouglin is 24, Schnapp is 21, Sink is 23,and even Ferguson, who plays the YOUNGER sister of Lucas, is 19. that’s right. Little Erika is a high school graduate.

There’s also a boss level fight, which somehow, is really tame. But, creatively,I loved what they did with Max, and how she’s brought back, I love the evolution of Will Byers. Not just the cool new trick up his sleeve, but Will has always taken a backseat, like he’s a bubble boy. he is much more in command here. The internet lost their damn mind is a scene where he comes out to his family and friends, and the army that is ready to review bomb Rachel Ziegler, Bella Ramsey, or Brie Larson on a moments notice woke up and started to review bomb the show. My God. it is bad enough Robin is gay, you mean… Will has to be as well?

The only complaint I have is that the coming out is written too modern, and is oddly not reflective of the times. I know this is a sci-fi/horror show, which just has not had the time to explore the historical relevance of actually being gay in the 1980’s, and how coming out during the AIDS crisis, during Reagan’s apathetic messaging toward the community, and a host of other 80’s gay culture things that would shape his coming out then, don’t have space in this show. But still, there’s a level of responsibility to match the time period, especially for a show steeped this heavy in nostalgia. Like, heavy nostalgia. But do i support the act of him coming out? definitely.

As far as everything else, like I said, it is a mix of good and bad, and it will be for fans, depending on what you’re looking for in the final season, or even just the finale. There are some exciting moments, and a few characters really standout. David Harbor has some excellent work, as he struggles to protect eleven, who is far past needing his protection. She has real powers now, and is ready to take on Henry. Harbor gets to have some flashbacks, which are emotionally impactful and round out Hopper. I also enjoyed Ryder’s work, as she spends so much time hovering around Will. It isn’t until she sees first hand that he can take care of himself that she feels more free about letting him take the lead. Sink has some fun work to do, and Bower is creepy as this Venom-esque monster. yes, basically these kids are living out a real Dungeons and Dragons campaign, and don’t worry, the messaging is so heavy. In fact, the Duffer Brothers have a lot of heavy handed messaging, including Mike overexplaining in the final episode.What was a nice sleight of hand becomes your annoying friend screaming “Did you just see that!” In case you had fallen asleep.

The season starts promising, and stumbles along the way. We lose a minor character and seemingly no one cares. I mean, no one. During the attack on Holly’s house, a lot of bad things happen. They could have addressed this later during the graduation sequence, alluding that the missing person was… missing. Nope.

So, I know it isn’t perfect. But, dammit, I do love this show. It is probably the weakest season, definitely weaker than last which was incredible. This one was too eager to please, and too afraid of making the wrong choice, to really make any choice at all. it’s a flashy season, but really conveniently written so a bunch of normies can save the world from an intergalactic being.

Stranger Things’s final crawl is a hodgepodge of ideas, from writers eager to please fans, with no idea what they want. Still, when you throw handfuls of darts, some stick, and many will find the good outweighs the bad, much like good triumphs over evil.

Fresh: Final Grade: 7.9/10