I don’t think I’ve ever been this emotionally invested in a show the way I am with Stranger Things. From the moment I first met Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will, I felt like I was part of their world. There's just something about this show that just sticks with you. It’s scary, funny, heartbreaking, and thrilling all at once, and it somehow makes you care about these characters as much as you care about real people in your life.
Now, with Stranger Things 5 part 1, that feeling is stronger than ever. Watching the first four episodes, I found myself on the edge of my seat more than once, gasping, laughing, and even tearing up at moments I didn’t see coming. Hawkins has never felt more alive or more dangerous, and it’s impossible not to get completely swept up in every terrifying, heartwarming, and jaw-dropping moment.
So before we dive back into the Upside Down and face the chaos in Stranger Things 5 part 2, I wanted to take a moment to look back on the first four episodes of the season. From the ones that landed a little softer to the ones that absolutely blew me away, here’s my ranking of all episodes of Stranger Things 5 part 1, from worst to best.
Spoilers are ahead from Stranger Things 5 part 1.
4. Stranger Things 5 episode 1
Look, I want to start off by saying that the first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 are all really great. But for the sake of this ranking, I’m going to break them down from the ones that didn’t hit quite as hard to the ones that absolutely blew me away. In comparison to the rest of the three episodes, the first episode was the weakest link. For this episode to be the first of the season, I was expecting a stronger kick-off.
I was looking for something bigger, bolder, or more emotionally charged to pull us right back into the chaos of Hawkins. Instead, it felt more like a slow warm-up, easing us back into the world rather than delivering the kind of explosive opener we’ve come to expect from the series. There were also scenes throughout the episode where I thought they could be trimmed a bit. It’s not that they were bad, but they did make the episode feel a bit stretched than it needed to be.
Honestly, the highlights of the first episode were the opening flashback to Will’s first encounter with Vecna, the scene where a Demogorgon attacks Hopper and the group of military men in the Upside Down, and the final scene where a Demogorgon bursts through the ceiling of Holly's bedroom. It was cool to watch Will see through the creature's eyes as it attacked Hopper and the military. It almost felt like I was playing a first-person shooter. It was intense, disorienting, and easily one of the most exciting moments of the entire episode.
3. Stranger Things 5 episode 2
What was so thrilling about the second episode was not knowing who would survive the Demogorgon attack at the Wheelers' house. The creature sets its sights on Holly first before it attacks Ted and then Karen. We never get to see Ted again after the Demogorgon throws him into the wall, but Karen is badly wounded the last time we see her. We find out later that Karen had a successful surgery and that Ted is in an induced coma.
This is also the episode that really sets off the chain of events with Holly being taken to the Upside Down. We don't know who the Demogorgon is taking Holly to until the very last scene, when Holly is shown walking up the steps to a house with Henry/Vecna. At this moment, we also come to the realization that Mr. Whatsit is really Vecna. While Dustin and Steve aren't on the best of terms this episode, Will and Robin have grown closer. Then, there's the big squishy wall in the Upside Down. We're left wondering what's behind it and if it leads to the house where Vecna is keeping Holly/
2. Stranger Things 5 episode 3
The story really starts picking up in the third episode, and it's actually one of the funniest episodes of the season so far. We find out that Vecna wants to kidnap more kids and bring them to the Upside Down. One of those kids is a new character, Derek Turnbow, whom the Hawkins gang has a hard time protecting due to his bratty nature. Erica finally returns in this episode as well, which was great since she's easily one of the best characters in Stranger Things. She helps the others kidnap Derek from his home.
The whole dinner sequence at the Turnbow's house was hilarious, followed by the short yet action-packed scene with the Hawkins gang trying to trap a Demogorgon. In this episode, we also learn that Eleven has a kryptonite in the form of a sonic blast weapon that temporarily neutralizes her powers. We hadn't known of her having any kryptonite before this episode. Additionally, we learn that the military is hiding something behind a huge door in their lab in the Upside Down.
But the most exciting part of this episode was when Holly went against Vecna's rules and ventured through the woods. She finds a cave and notices someone hiding in it. As she runs away, she trips and falls. Someone then walks up to her and crouches down to her level. The person is revealed to be Max, and the episode ends there. Viewers were left to wonder how Max could be in the Upside Down when she's currently in a coma in the real world. This episode left you eager to see the next episode to find out.
1. Stranger Things 5 episode 4
Then, there's the fourth and final episode of Stranger Things 5 part 1. This is hands down the best episode in the first batch of the season. Not only is it action-packed, but it's also informative. Several questions that we needed answers to are answered in this episode. For example, we learn that Max is trapped in Vecna's mindspace as well as Holly. They decide to team up to find a way to escape.
Also, we find out what was hiding behind the heavy steel door in the lab in the Upside Down. It turned out to be Kali/Eight, aka Eleven's sister. In addition, we somewhat find out what Vecna's true plan is, which is to take all the "weak" kids of Hawkins and use them as pawns to reshape the world in his own image. But what was really great about the fourth episode was the final scene, when a bunch of Demogorgons burst from the ground through gates and attack the military and the Hawkins gang.
It was so fast-paced and intense that, once again, it almost felt like I was playing a first-person shooter video game, ducking and dodging to survive alongside the characters. Then, there's that big reveal at the very end of the episode. We find out that Will has powers. How? That's something the episode doesn't explain, but it leaves us eager to see the next batch of episodes.
Stranger Things 5 part 2 is scheduled to land on Netflix on Dec. 25.