First Part of 'Stranger Things' Final Season Released — Fans Are Delighted, Critics Talk About Epic Movie Scale

The premiere of the first four episodes of the fifth season of Stranger Things took place on Netflix. This is the beginning of the finale of a nine-year story, in which Hawkins finally turns into a battlefield between our world and the Upside Down.

Events unfold a year and a half after the fourth season finale. The town has transformed from a cozy '80s suburb into a quarantine zone — surrounded by military and the remnants of residents who didn't leave their homes. The heroes secretly continue hunting for Vecna, who disappeared after the events with Max, and under the WSQK radio tower they create their own resistance headquarters.

According to critics, the first episodes focus on the characters' personal stories and lay the groundwork for the main confrontation. They note that by mid-season, the series returns to its roots — a horror in the spirit of Poltergeist and Fright Night. Gaten Matarazzo's (Dustin) performance is especially praised, whose storyline about grief after Eddie's death became "the most human in the entire series."

Among the directors of the first part are the Duffer Brothers themselves and Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist), and a new antagonist appears in the plot — Dr. Kay, played by Linda Hamilton.

The final four episodes will be released in two parts: December 26 and New Year's Night.

Earlier, we reported that the Duffer Brothers advised rewatching four key episodes before the premiere, which, according to the creators, reveal the essence of the final season.