The Final Countdown: Reviewing Stranger Things Season 5 (Volume 2)

 

Date: December 26, 2025 Author: The Upside Down Observer Spoiler Alert: This review contains major spoilers for Episodes 5, 6, and 7. Proceed with caution if you haven’t binged your Christmas gift from Netflix yet.

If Volume 1 was the appetizer that reacquainted us with the flavor of Hawkins, Volume 2 is the main course that we didn’t know we were starving for. Netflix dropped the second batch of the final season on Christmas Day, and let's be honest—nobody was watching A Christmas Prince yesterday. We were all stuck in the Upside Down.

With only three episodes ("Shock Jock," "Escape from Camazotz," and "The Bridge"), this volume acts as the frantic, high-stakes bridge to the impending series finale on New Year's Eve. And wow, does it burn the candle at both ends.

The Tone: Darker, Scarier, and Unrelenting

The Duffer Brothers promised us horror, and they delivered. Volume 1 felt like an 80s action blockbuster; Volume 2 feels like a survival horror nightmare. The production value has somehow leveled up again. The practical effects blended with CGI in the "Camazotz" sequences are some of the most visually arresting things the show has ever produced.

Episode 5: "Shock Jock"

The volume opens with a bang. "Shock Jock" does a fantastic job of tightening the noose. The standout here is the radio station dynamic. seeing Steve, Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan frantically coding messages while trying to keep the morale of a quarantined Hawkins alive is classic Stranger Things tension. But the real meat of this episode is the shift in Will Byers. Noah Schnapp is finally getting the material he deserves. Will is no longer just the victim; he is a weapon, and seeing him step into that power is terrifyingly satisfying.

Episode 6: "Escape from Camazotz" (The MVP)

This is the episode everyone will be talking about. Clocking in at 1 hour and 15 minutes, it is an emotional gauntlet.

We finally get the deep-dive into Max’s purgatory. The reveal that "Camazotz" is essentially a twisted museum of Henry Creel’s memories was a stroke of genius. It gave us the lore dump we needed without feeling like a lecture. Watching Max (Sadie Sink) and Holly traverse this landscape was heartbreaking. The performances here are gut-wrenching—specifically the realization that Max has been fighting this whole time, not just sleeping.

Episode 7: "The Bridge"

If Episode 6 was the emotional peak, Episode 7 is the tactical setup. It’s the deep breath before the plunge. The military subplot with Dr. Kay has finally intersected meaningfully with the main group, and the stakes couldn't be clearer. The reveal of the "Abyss" vs. the Upside Down recontextualizes the physics of the show just in time for the end. It leaves us on a cliffhanger that makes the wait for December 31st feel agonizingly long.

What Worked

Will Byers: He is the MVP of this season. The connection to Vecna is finally being used as a strategic advantage rather than just a "spidey sense" for danger.

The Horror Elements: The "Camazotz" creature designs and the psychological horror of Henry’s memories are genuinely unsettling.

The Pacing: Unlike Season 4, which sometimes felt bloated, these three episodes move at breakneck speed. There is zero filler.

What Didn't Work

Split Momentum: While the 3-episode drop was exciting, ending right before the finale creates a weird rhythm. You want to keep going, but you hit a wall.

Character Juggling: With the cast being so massive, some characters (like Mike and Lucas) felt slightly sidelined in this volume to make room for the Will/Eleven/Max heavy lifting. Hopefully, they get their moments in the finale.

The Verdict: 9/10

Volume 2 succeeds in raising the stakes to impossible heights. It’s emotional, visually stunning, and terrifying. It successfully transitions the story from "fighting monsters" to "fighting for existence."

We are now in the actual final countdown. We have less than a week until "The Rightside Up" drops on New Year's Eve. If Volume 2 is any indication, we are absolutely not ready for how this ends.

Next Stop: December 31st. Bring tissues.

What did you think of the "Camazotz" reveal? Let me know in the comments below!