Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 recap: Eleven, Will, and the Hawkins gang confront Vecna in a high-stakes showdown

Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1 follows the Hawkins crew as they face Vecna, leading into the next episodes

Volume 1 opens a year and a half after the events of Season 4, with Hawkins under military control following the “earthquake” caused by Vecna.

The villain hasn’t been seen since his fall from the window at the end of Season 4, but the core group, Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Robin, has been preparing for his next move.

Hopper and Joyce help Eleven train, while the others coordinate strategies to locate Vecna. Max remains in a coma, serving as a reminder of the stakes.

The four episodes of Volume 1 quickly establish the current state of Hawkins.

The town is largely quarantined and under military supervision, and Vecna’s presence looms, although he hasn’t been directly active.

The characters split into smaller groups to complete different tasks, a structure that allows each character to have focused moments but also reflects the increasingly complex narrative and expanded world-building.

Eleven demonstrates growing confidence and skill, while Mike shows maturity in his interactions with younger characters, especially Holly Wheeler, who gains prominence in Volume 1.

Several storylines revisit familiar dynamics. The love triangle between Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve continues, while the group explores the Upside Down and experiments with unconventional ways, such as using radio waves, to communicate and understand its phenomena.

The season balances nostalgia for the earlier seasons with the grown-up cast, showing how the characters’ emotional lives have developed alongside the escalating threats.

Volume 1 ends on a dramatic cliffhanger. Vecna’s Demogorgons attack the military base holding Hawkins’ citizens, and Will Byers unexpectedly taps into the hive mind, using newfound psychic abilities to levitate and destroy the Demogorgons in the same violent manner Vecna has employed.

This marks a turning point: Will, previously a victim of the Upside Down, becomes a powerful defender, hinting at a major role in the final confrontation.

The season closes with chaos and uncertainty, setting the stage for Volume 2 and the series finale.

Volume 1 of Stranger Things Season 5 is available on Netflix, with Volume 2 releasing on December 25 and the series finale scheduled for December 31.