The new season begins 18 months after the events of Season 4. The town of Hawkins is under strict military control, and Vecna (played by Jamie Campbell Bower) appears to have vanished. However, when Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) is abducted by a Demogorgon, it signals that Vecna is preparing to return and unleash his power.
At the end of season four, the team suffered their first real defeat against the forces of the Upside Down. While they managed to hurt Vecna – Eleven battled him mentally, Hopper, Joyce, and Murray destroyed demogorgons and Mind Flayer particles in Russia, and Nancy, Steve, and Robin physically attacked him – Vecna still succeeded in his plan. He told Eleven they had already lost, and unfortunately, he was right. Although they temporarily stopped him, his scheme to open four gates and destroy Hawkins came to fruition when Max died. Even though Eleven briefly revived Max, she remained in a coma, and the fourth gate opened, causing the Upside Down to bleed into Hawkins. The season ended with the town covered in eerie snow and a dark cloud, signaling a truly bleak outcome.
Holly Wheeler is played by Nell Fisher in Stranger Things Season 5.
Throughout its five seasons, Stranger Things has consistently shown that anyone in Hawkins can rise to the occasion and be a hero. This time, it’s Karen Wheeler who steps up. In the second episode, “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” Karen bravely fights a Demogorgon, repeatedly stabbing it with a broken wine bottle to protect her daughter, Holly. Though Holly is ultimately taken to the Upside Down and Karen is seriously injured, the information Karen shares with Nancy and Mike proves crucial in helping them and their friends get closer to defeating Vecna, their ongoing enemy.
It’s been over three years since viewers last saw Hawkins, and fans are eager to learn what happened after the battle with Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) damaged the connection between our world and the Upside Down.
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The season starts with Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) getting into trouble at school because she keeps talking to an imaginary friend named Mr. Whatsit, often appearing to talk to no one at all.
Season 5 of Stranger Things has received positive reviews. Jen Chaney of TV Guide praised its broad appeal, noting it’s “great at connecting with viewers of all ages,” and gave it a score of 9 out of 10.
The episode received negative reactions from both critics and viewers because it felt out of place in the season. Though important for developing Eleven’s character, it paused the main story at a bad time – right after a major cliffhanger where demogorgons invaded Hawkins Lab, trapping several key characters. This episode focused heavily on Eleven meeting Kali, slowing down the pace significantly. Kali didn’t reappear until much later, in Season 5, Episode 4, titled “Sorcerer.”