Elsa Angel Rose
The final season of the show, which Gen Z grew up watching, released volume 1 of its final season and has announced that volumes 2 & 3 will be released on Christmas and New Year occasions, and the excitement for its long-standing fans is at an all-time high. The critically acclaimed science fiction horror drama premiered its f irst season in 2016, and now, over a decade later, it is releasing its final season in three volumes. Fan reaction to volume 1 raises hopes for the upcoming volumes. Rajeshwari K Nair, a research associate at BITS BioCyTiH Foundation, shared, “My overall rating for ‘Stranger Things’ is 10 on 10. The first volume is an Absolute Banger. The pacing is excellent, building momentum from the reintroduction in Episode 1 to the explosive Episode 4. Every main character gets meaningful development, especially Will, who is finally getting his moment to shine. The show balances nostalgia with fresh storytelling, maintaining the heart of early seasons while raising the stakes. The horror is genuinely scary, the emotional beats land perfectly, and the visual effects are movie-quality. It ranks among the best content the series has produced.” Out of the 4 episodes of volume 1, the research associate’s personal favourite was Episode 4. Rajeshwari said, “After five seasons of being the victim, Will finally became the hero. What made this moment even more powerful was Robin’s earlier conversation with him, where she motivated Will by saying that being different isn’t a weakness but his greatest strength. Her words directly empowered him to embrace his abilities, and when he f inally stood between his friends and the Demogorgons in Episode 4, channelling that connection to protect instead of being controlled, it was genuinely triumphant.” She was keen on praising actor Noah Schnapp’s performance and the visual effects of Will’s eyes glowing with Upside Down energy. Seeing Vecna again, the episode ending with a question mark, and many other exciting aspects build on fans’ anticipation for the finale. For most fans, the fourth episode of the season definitely struck a chord. Shane Frank Remedios, a student from Cumbharjua, said, “The 4th episode of Volume One is my favourite for two main reasons. The first is that we finally see Vecna again after last season, and are left curious about his plan. The second is that the episode ends on multiple cliffhangers: Eleven meeting her sister and Will finally learning to take control of the hive mind.” Regarding personal rating for Volume 1, Shane shared, “I would rate the first three episodes a solid 8–8.5, as they give us more depth into the characters and how they deal with life after the Season 4 ending. For Episode 4, I would give a rating of 9, as it makes us want to watch more.” Another lover of ‘Stranger Things’, Geetika De Sa, an MBBS student of GMC from Merces, shared, “Volume 1 had strong memorable moments like Karen fighting the demodogs, Will’s iconic scene and Vecna’s cameo. Except for Eleven’s costume, I have no negative reviews.” Geetika also expressed her excitement for the upcoming volumes of the final season. She said, “I’m excited about how Will is going to realise his full potential, Kali’s story unfolding, as well as the newly developing friendship between Robin and Will. I am Definitely Anticipating a tragic ending.” Shane shared, “I’m most excited about how the new developments play out, and as the Duffer Brothers promised, I’m looking forward to knowing what exactly is the Upside Down and what is Vecna’s true plan.”
