Volume 1 of Stranger Things 5 finally premiered on Netflix November 26, 2025. There’s a lot to go through as the first four episodes of the season drops you straight into chaos. It’s been 18 months since Season 4, and Vecna is setting the final stages of his plan in motion
Vecna Starts Targeting Children
Vecna isn’t hunting traumatized teenagers anymore. He’s going for children now, since he views them as being easier to manipulate.
He plans to reshape the world, using children as the “perfect vessel”. One of his victims is Holly Wheeler, Mike and Nancy’s little sister. He passes himself off as her “imaginary friend” Mr. Whatsit. Later on in the season, he sends a Demogorgon to kidnap Holly and drag her into his mindscape.
Hawkins Is On Government Locked Down
While Hawkins is under military quarantine, the people in charge are… doing exactly what you’d expect from shady military officials. They’re running experiments on creatures from the Upside Down, inside a military base tucked inside the dimension itself.
Dr. Kay leads that operation while leading the search for Eleven. Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Sullivan returns with the Wolfpack. He also has a sonic weapon strong enough to neutralize Eleven in Episode 3 before Hopper puts an end to it.
This whole military subplot reminds you that the government never understood what they’re dealing with. Worse, they still think Eleven is the one who destroyed Hawkins.
Eleven and Hopper Are On a Mission
Eleven tries to find Holly in the Upside Down when she runs into Hopper. When they learn about a secret project locked behind a steel door in Dr. Kay’s greenhouse, Eleven assumes it’s Vecna.
Instead, she finds her “sister” Kali.
The reappearance of Eight is one of the season’s biggest surprises. Kali hasn’t been seen since Season 2. The two became estranged after Kali decided to kill the people who worked with Dr. Brenner to give them superpowers.
The real question is how did they capture Kali? What does the government have in store for her? More importantly, how are they going to use Kali’s illusion powers to their advantage?
Holly Wheeler Is Trapped Inside Vecna’s Mindscape
Still passing himself off as Mr. Whatsit, Vecna takes Holly to an idealized version of the Creel House. She names the cozy, wooded area Camazotz after the planet in A Wrinkle in Time.
He comforts her by claiming he’s protecting her from the monsters that attacked her family.
After someone sends her a mysterious map, Holly wanders a forest she’s forbidden to enter. Instead of finding Vecna, she’s greeted by Max.
Max Is Still Alive, Stuck Inside Vecna’s Mind
Max’s mind is trapped inside of Vecna’s mind after he killed her in season 4.
She’s been living in a cave tied to a memory so upsetting, Vecna refuses to go near it. When she meets Holly, Max reveals she’s got a plan but she needs more time. She encourages Holly to return to Vecna and pretend to be oblivious to his evil nature.
Will Turns The Tables on Vecna
Once the Party realizes that Vecna is targeting children, they try their best to protect them. Of course, that involves kidnapping them because that’s just the way it goes.
Unfortunately, Hawkins is attacked by an army of Demogorgons. The Party, the children and even the military barely hold their own.
Then Vecna arrives and slaughters every soldier he encounters.
Vecna mocks Will by revealing that he was the first vessel and that his mind doesn’t belong in the real world.
This backfires on Vecna when Will taps into the hive mind that connects him to the Upside Down.
By grounding himself in memories of Castle Byers and Mike, Will channels Vecna’s own power and takes down the monsters.
It’s one of the most satisfying scenes the series has ever done.
The first four episodes of the season were filled with action, plot twists and answers to questions that plagued fans for years. All while adding a new set of questions on top.Volume 2 of Stranger Things 5, which will have three episodes, will premiere on Netflix Christmas Day (December 25). The series finale will drop on New Year’s Eve (December 31).
