Stranger Things Quick Review - Chapter Four: Sorcerer

Oh. my. God.

Well, guys. I have finished volume one of Stranger Things 5. We are officially halfway through the final season of this show. And I just cannot believe it. I'm not really giving an intro here, because I just want to talk about this mid-season finale so badly.

Also, stay tuned for a full review of volume one tomorrow. I am still doing that despite reviewing each episode individually.

The Sweet

Well. That was insane.

For four seasons of this show, they have not known what to do with Will Byers. Although he is the central character in the first season, he's barely in it because he's missing the whole time. He definitely gets some time to shine in season two, but his mind is flayed for half of it. And then he was basically an afterthought in seasons three and four. Sure, they made his sexuality be a significant part of his character, but besides that, he hasn't really done anything.

And, in the words of Vecna, at long last. Will motherf**king Byers has powers. This honestly felt like the TV show equivalent of Captain America lifting Thor's hammer. It does not get more badass than this. We have waited for Will to do something. They had done a great job making him proactive throughout the first three episodes. They set this up beautifully by having a Demogorgon retreat from Joyce just because she swings an axe while you see Will being in the Demogorgon's mind. And, when all of his friends are in peril, Will swoops in with whited-out eyes and terrifyingly awesome looks to destroy these Demogorgons Vecna-style. He twists their bodies up and falls to the ground before looking up and wiping his now bloody nose. And volume one ends there.

Are you freakin' kidding me???? I just don't have words for it. Nothing in this show is beating the Running Up That Hill sequence in terms of emotion and excitement...but this got pretty dang close. The entire twist was beautifully executed. Leading up to that moment with flashbacks of Will's childhood in the style of the home video that Robin described while her speech plays in the background is just perfect. It feels like the true culmination of Will's character. He's been the victim for so long. It's time for him to become the titular sorcerer that he was destined to be.

Also, I totally called it. I have the receipts right here. The reveal was still awesome and way better than I imagined it in that post, but I said this would be the episode were Will unveiled his powers.

So, now that I've gushed about that, let's talk about the other stuff in this episode, because there's a lot. I also called the return of 008. I said it in my review of The Turnbow Trap. I even said you guys who are reading this aren't going to believe me if I predicted that correctly, but I don't care if you believe me, because I did. Kali Prasad has returned to Stranger Things, and I am curious. I don't know how to feel about it, to be honest. I love that the Duffers have the confidence to bring her back, but I just hope that they are able to make her a truly great character and improve the reputation of The Lost Sister.

As much as Will is the definite MVP of this episode, there are two others that are close behind. Robin Buckley has been one of the best characters in the first volume, and she honestly has some of her best moments here. Her speech to Will about accepting herself for who she is is just so real. Like, how do they do this? They have this incredible story and characters and they manage to blend this epic fantasy about alternate dimensions and monsters with a humanity that is so touching and relatable. Maya Hawke delivers this speech with so much raw emotion and grace that it hits even harder. I love that this was the launching point for Will to unlock his powers, and I really hope their dynamic continues throughout the season. They are just incredible together.

And, shockingly, the other great addition here was Max. I was being sarcastic when I said shockingly. She's one of the show's best characters. Sadie Sink might be the best actor on the show. And her return is more than welcome. She's not in a ton of this episode, but we finally see what happened after Vecna killed her. And it is frickin' heartbreaking. Watching Max desperately search for a way out of this mind prison that Vecna has created is just devastating. She gets so close, I mean so close, to getting out of there and reaching Lucas. Sadie Sink's gorgeous delivery makes Max's entire storyline such a tearjerker. I hope to God that she ends up okay. Because I won't be okay if she's not okay.

Also, I absolutely called what Camazotz was also. Sorry that I'm flexing my predictions, but this is why I made them. Check that out here.

You cannot talk about this episode without talking about the action. The Duffers have truly put their all into this season, because this final battle sequence of the military versus the Demogorgons was just breathtaking. They really do a great job of making it feel chaotic while also allowing you to see the carnage and fighting taking place. There is an incredible long take as we follow Mike navigate the chaos with the kids he's protecting, and it just lets you feel the scope and size of this season.

And, of course, the action is capped off with the return of Vecna. Henry Creel finally returns with his new, terrifying redesign, and it is scary. The way he just destroys the military is really, really intimidating. There's a specific kill he has where he just spikes a guy in the face with his nasty Upside Down tendrils that had me and my friends wincing. He is on another level in this season. I expect we will see a lot more of him in volume two, and I cannot wait for it.

The Sour

I do think this episode has a few problems, but they are so outweighed by the great moments that it doesn't really matter to me.

The main thing that bothered me slightly was Vecna's return, actually. The sequence was awesome. He was as scary as ever. I loved all of that. I'm just not really sure why he showed up. It felt very abrupt. Like, I get that the Demogorgons were on fire and he maybe needed to swoop in to annihilate the military and let the kids get kidnapped, but it just feels like he didn't really need to come in. He's supposedly been in hiding for a year and a half, so he just randomly pulls up now? I don't know. I also would've liked to see more of him. If you're going to have him return, have him return and stay. He just massacres the military, taunts Will, and then leaves while the Demogorgons take the kids and try to kill the party. This can easily be remedied by having him just appear a lot more in volume two and the finale, which I expect, but it was just a minor frustration.

I am also definitely a little bit nervous about all of these questions that need answering. There's plenty of time left in the season, but I don't want volume two getting bogged down by lore dumps and plot twists. We have to wrap up this incredible story and these incredible characters. I get that we want to tie it back to season one, but I just don't want all the reveals and mythology overshadowing the main conflict and the character arcs.

Final Thoughts and Score

The first volume of Stranger Things 5 comes to a close with an absolute slam as Will Byers finally gets his time to shine. Waiting for volume two is going to be the longest month of my life.

I am going Moldy here. Just kidding. I am obviously going Sweet. Age range is 16+.

SWEET N' SOUR SCALE

Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad) Moldy (Terrible)

"Sorcerer"

"Stranger Things 5"

Fun Factor: 9.5/10

Acting: 10/10

Story: 9.5/10

Characters: 10/10

Quality: 10/10

Directed by Matt and Ross Duffer

Rated TV-MA for strong bloody violence, frightening themes and images, language, thematic elements

Premiered on November 26, 2025

1 hour and 23 minutes

Millie Bobby Brown as Jane Hopper / Eleven

Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler

Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair

Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson

Noah Schnapp as Will Byers

Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler

Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers

Joe Keery as Steve Harrington

Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley

Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers

David Harbour as Jim Hopper

Jamie Campbell Bower as Henry Creel / Vecna

Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler

Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow

Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair

Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman

Sherman Augustus as Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan

Alex Breaux as Lt. Akers

Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield

Linnea Berthelsen as Kali Prasad / Eight

Eden Stephens as Debbie Miller