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Dream big. Marty Supreme is a 2025 sports comedy-drama film directed by Josh Safdie, written by Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, produced by Central Pictures, and distributed by A24. It is loosely inspired by the life of Marty Reisman. The film stars Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Chalamet), Best Original Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, and Best Costume Design. "Everything in my life is falling apart but I'm going to figure it out." - Marty Mauser Plot Marty Mauser is an extremely charismatic, fast-talking ping pong player...and he is not used to losing. So, when he loses to Japan's best player, Marty embarks on a long journey to reclaim his glory and prove himself as the best ping pong player in the world. The Sweet Marty Supreme is another strong Best Picture contender, but for reasons entirely different than Sinners . I actually saw this film like a week after it came out, but in the midst of me coming back from vacation, my end of the year rankings, and the end of Stranger Things , I just did not have any time to review it. But now I get to make up for that by reviewing it for the Best Picture Binge. There are two things that make Marty Supreme one of 2025's best movies. The first is the screenplay. I haven't actually seen any films that have been co-written by Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein, but I know this is very much their style. I haven't seen Uncut Gems , but I've heard it shares a surprising amount of similiarities to Marty Supreme despite the two of them being very different films. This screenplay does something that I think a lot of screenplays really fail to do - it's smarter than it's audience. Wherever you think this movie is going, you're wrong. Whenever you think you have the plot figured out, you don't. And, despite that, every single crazy turn and plot development that happens makes sense . It doesn't feel like things are happening just out of the blue. The script isn't random . It's a perfect example of how to escalate a story through unpredictability and embracing insanity. This movie goes for some absolutely crazy things, but all of them feel plausible because they set up that Marty is this fast-talking guy who tries to weasel his way out of every situation that could get him in trouble. When you have that character as your main protagonist, it feels like anything can happen. And it does kind of feel like everything happens in this movie. The other thing that makes this movie is, unsurprisingly, Timothée Chalamet. Arguably the face of the new generation of Hollywood, Chalamet continues to just take his career in new and interesting directions, and it seems like he's on pace for his first Oscar win. You can write a character like Marty perfectly and it will not matter if the performance doesn't work. You need someone who can be convincing as this complete slimeball who is also incredibly charming. Nearly everything Marty does in this movie is morally wrong. He is such a sleazey human being who manipulates and lies and holds empty promises...but Chalamet carries such a charm and convinces you of his passion for ping pong so well that he's a really likable character. That's how you know a performance works. A character that should be so unlikable and horrible is just captivating any time he's on screen. I also feel like this movie has some really deep, resonant themes that don't fully come to fruition until the end. At first glance, the ending of this movie can seem underwhelming, but I think it actually picks the smarter route to go. It could've had some big, loud third act twist that shocked the audience because that's what it had been doing all along. But instead, it opts to have a quieter, character-based resolution that still delivers satisfying moments but really leans into the thematc importance of chasing your dreams. The more I think about the end of Marty Supreme , the more I love it. The supporting cast here does not, of course, measure up to Timothée Chalamet, but I was impressed at how well they held their own. Odessa A'zion is a relatively unknown actress, but she absolutely knocks it out of the park by being a foil to Marty. She is quieter and more reserved, but she can also manipulate her way out of things in a much calmer way than Marty, and A'zion plays that really well. She's able to hold her own against Chalamet. That's automatically impressive. The other two that really worked for me are not actors. Tyler the Creator and Kevin O'Leary are a rapper and a businessman...and yet they are fantastic . Tyler has some of the funniest moments in the movie. You buy his friendship with Marty and his hesitance to ever help him out with anything. Kevin O'Leary basicaly plays the version of Mr. Wonderful that this movie needs...and it works really, really well. I was shocked at how good he was. He shares the screen with Gwyneth Paltrow and Timothée Chalamet...and goes toe-to-toe with them in his first ever film role. That's impressive. And, as much as I credit Tyler and O'Leary, I also owe a lot of credit to Josh Safdie. This is a movie where you can tell the director worked hard with the actors to make sure they were all in sync and the performances and tone of the scene lined up with the intended feeling. Marty Supreme moves at a breakneck speed, so you need a director who is ready to embrace that challenge. It never lets it's foot off the pedal, and i think if you had had a weaker talent behind the camera, this movie may not have received a Best Picture nod because it just would have been crushed under all the insanity of this story and these characters. The Sour I don't really have much here. The few things I have are pretty nitpick-y, so just keep that in mind. None of these really bother me all that much. I think this movie could be five or ten minutes shorter. As it stands, Marty Supreme is two and a half hours, and I think there could've been some excess cut from this movie. Not to say that it's a slow movie - it's not. As I've said many times, it moves at a breakneck speed. But I think some of the insanity and craziness of this story probably did not need to be in the final cut. I think it would've made the movie feel even tighter and more compact. I also found Gwyneth Paltrow's character to be a little bit strange. She serves her purpose well in the story, but her purpose really serves Marty rather than being her own character. I loved all of the supporting cast except for her, which is strange, because she's definitely the most talented name in this movie that isn't Timothée Chalamet. Part of it may be that this movie is so zany and off-the-wall and Paltrow plays a relatively subdued character in the midst of all of this, so the character just didn't work as well for me. And, finally, Marty Supreme is an acquired taste. If you prefer introspective, thoughtful movies that are quieter character studies...this will not be for you. Marty Supreme is absolutely introspective and thoughtful, but not in the way you'd expect. It's a loud, intense, insane movie. If you that sounds like your cup of tea, you'll have a good time with this movie. If it doesn't...I'd probably skip this one. It just won't be for you. Does It Deserve Its Best Picture Nomination? Absolutely. Marty Supreme is an excellently crafted comedy-drama that has some incredibly assured direction, an extremely clever screenplay, and some of the year's best performances. It feels unique but also familiar in the right way, which is exactly what I want from a Best Picture nominee. Final Thoughts and Score Marty Supreme is an absolutely insane romp with a great starring performance and a snappy screenplay that made for one of the most surprising and entertaining movies I saw in 2025. I am going Sweet here. Age range is 14+. SWEET N' SOUR SCALE Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad) Moldy (Terrible) "Marty Supreme" Fun Factor: 8.5/10 Acting: 9.5/10 Story: 9/10 Characters: 8/10 Quality: 9/10 Directed by Josh Safdie Rated R for moderate violence and action, language, disturbing themes and images, thematic elements Released on December 25, 2025 2 hours and 29 minutes Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser Gwyneth Paltrow as Kay Stone Kevin O'Leary as Milton Rockwell Odessa A'zion as Rachel Mizler Tyler Okonma as Wally Abel Ferrara as Ezra Mishkin Fran Drescher as Rebecca Mauser Luke Manley as Dion Galanis Emory Cohen as Ira Mizler Larry Sloman as Murray Norkin Koto Kawaguchi as Koto Endo Géza Röhrig as Bela Kletzki Ralph Colucci as Lloyd

Dance with the devil. Sinners is a 2025 period supernatural horror film directed by Ryan Coogler, written by Ryan Coogler, produced by Proximity Media, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film stars Michael B. Jordan and Miles Caton. It was nominated for a record-breaking sixteen Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor (Jordan), Best Actress (Mosaku), Best Supporting Actor (Lindo), Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Original Song (I Lied to You) , Best Production Design, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects. "I've been all over this world. I've seen men die in ways I ain't even know was possible." - Elijah "Smoke" Moore Plot After seven years away from their home in Mississippi, twin gangsters Smoke and Stack Moore return and look to start a juke joint with the help of their cousin, Sammie. As rumors of the twins' joint start to swirl their small community, a sinister evil lurks in the shadows. The Sweet We're back, baby. In 2023, I attempted the monumental task of watching every Best Picture nominee after they were announced. It was a really difficult process (especially since 2023 did not have a ton of strong films), but it was one of the most fun things I've ever done on the blog. I couldn't do it last year because I could not access all of the films at the time, but, when this year's nominees were announced, I had already seen four of them. So, naturally, I had to do another Best Picture Binge. And we're starting off with the best one. At the time I'm writing this review, I have now seen six Best Picture nominees. So there are four left. And I can tell you right now that none of them are going to best Sinners as my favorite Best Picture nominee this year. I haven't seen One Battle After Another yet. And I am still highly confident it's not going to beat out Sinners on my personal ranking. That is because this is, simply put, one of the best movies I have ever seen. I thought it was amazing when I first saw it (you can check out my original thoughts here ). I ended up seeing it two more times in the theater and then re-watched it just last week. So I have seen this movie four times, and it has just gotten better every single time. I think what makes Sinners so special is just how beautifully it blends together so many genres. This movie could be classified as a period horror action drama musical...and all of those genres fit the bill. It knocks it out of the park on every single level. It's a great period piece, immersing you in this 1930s Mississippi with fantastic production design, costuming, and a Jim Crow-era story that casts segregation and racism as a shadow over the whole story. It's got some fantastic horror sequence and delivers a really cool vampire antagonist. The action is electrifying and thrilling. The characters are rich with personality and charisma, and their interplay and relationships fuel the drama of the story beautifully. And, finally, the music in this movie is just phenomenal. It blends blues gorgeously with a modern hip hop edge that just makes for some incredibly unique and potent sounds. You know, when a movie gets nominated for sixteen Oscars, it's really hard to pick out what the best things about it are. But, for me, the performances here are all just fantastic. Let's start with the two best performances of the movie: Michael B. Jordan. The star of all of Ryan Coogler's films gives his best performance of all time in this movie as the Smokestack twins. What's so impressive about this performance (and why I'd consider giving the Oscar to him instead of Chalamet) is how distinct he makes both Smoke and Stack. A dual role is a really difficult performance to pull off, because you have to make sure that your characters feel like different characters. And Jordan really executes both the similiarities and differences with Smoke and Stack to the point where you see them as different personalities that also feel like loving twin brothers. He can bring emotion and heaviness to the role(s) while also being, like, the coolest person on the planet. Watching Smoke mow down a bunch of KKK jerks is going to be satisfying no matter what, but Jordan brings an aura to the character that just elevates sequences like that a tiny bit more. The ensemble cast is also just perfect. Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku were obviously both nominated as well, and they are fantastic. Lindo feels like this man with a history of blues and pain, and he brings all of that heaviness into a performance that is mostly comedic, but really effective when he needs to be dramatic. I actually don't like Mosaku in Loki , but she brings a raw power and screen presence to Sinners that showed her versatility and true acting talent. Of the performances not nominated, Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld, and Jack O'Connell fill out the supporting cast graciously. It is still baffling to me that this is Caton's first ever acting role. That dude is going places. And Hailee really brings a seductive charm that has made her one of the world's most magnetic movie stars in the past year. And O'Connell takes what could be a generically evil vampire and makes him sympathetic and terrifying at the same time. You believe every word he says, and that power only comes from performance. I can't believe we've gotten this far into the review without discussing Ryan Coogler. The man who brought us Creed and Black Panther has now given us an entirely new film, not based on anything prior, and he just unleashes all of his storytelling ability to absolutely astonishing effect. Simple things like shooting Sinners on film just goes to show how much control and intention Coogler has behind his every move. The I Lied to You sequence is one of the most mind-blowing scenes I have seen in a film in recent memory. The reason this movie is so great is because of Ryan Coogler. There's plenty of other reasons, but he is the first and most important. One thing I've noticed upon rewatches is how powerful the themes of this film are. Sinners is a rip-roaring look at a group of black people in the south during the Jim Crow era simply trying to be free for a night, be free from racism and oppression as well as free from their moral codes. The title itself, Sinners , is a hint at what this film's themes are. It examines freedom and the true morals and sins of these characters. There's so much to unpack and think about in the way the characters and story are presented to the audience. Honestly, I've thought about this movie for almost a year now, and I don't think I've even begun to scratch the surface of all the meanings and themes buried deep within this film's soul. I could go on about every great thing about Sinners , but then this post would be ridiculously long and take me days to write. This is, in my opinion, the best film of the 2020s. And I really hope it does win Best Picture. The Sour Honestly? I have nothing. No negatives. I'm not going to sit here and act like this is a perfect movie, because it's not, but it's pretty darn close. There's occasional lines that don't land as well as they should. There's a few small story choices that don't make a ton of sense. But those are the most nit-picky of nitpicks that I could make. And I just don't want to. Does This Movie Deserve It's Best Picture Nomination? Do I even have to answer this question? Final Thoughts and Score After multiple rewatches and nearly a year to sit on it, I still firmly believe that Sinners is the best movie of the 2020s. And I hope it is able to come away with the Best Picture win next month. I am going Sweet here. Age range is 15+. SWEET N' SOUR SCALE Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad) Moldy (Terrible) "Sinners" Fun Factor: 10/10 Acting: 9.5/10 Story: 9.5/10 Characters: 9.5/10 Quality: 10/10 Directed by Ryan Coogler Rated R for strong bloody violence, frightening themes and images, suggestive material, language, thematic elements Released on April 18, 2025 2 hours and 18 minutes Michael B. Jordan as Elijah "Smoke" Moore and Elias "Stack" Moore Miles Caton as Sammie "Preacherboy" Moore Hailee Steinfeld as Mary Jack O'Connell as Remmick Wunmi Mosaku as Annie Delroy Lindo as Delta Slim Jayme Lawson as Pearline Omar Benson Miller as Cornbread Li Jun Li as Grace Chow Yao as Bo Chow Peter Dreimanis as Bert Lola Kirke as Joan Saul Williams as Jedidiah Moore David Maldonado as Hogwood

You'll float, too. I know, I know. I should've published this right after Welcome to Derry . But I am currently in a Stephen King phase (which happens once or twice every single year) and I decided to buckle up and watch the 1990 IT miniseries for the first time. So I have now watched all of the adaptations of Stephen King's epic horror tale, and I want to rank them. Maybe it's because I'm in my Stephen King phase or maybe it's just because I love It . I actually considered including the book on this list, but it's such a different medium and it'd so obviously be number one that I can't put it on here. But if it were to be on here, it'd be number one. Anyways, here's my ranking of all four adaptations of It . 4. Stephen King's IT Tim Curry is great, but this miniseries just does not hold up Depending on the edition, the It novel is about 1,150 pages long. It typically takes a reader 40 hours to finish. So, naturally, this is what happens when you condense a story this massive into a three-hour miniseries. Now, nobody wants a forty-hour adaptation, but you simply cannot capture everything the book has to offer in three hours. On top of that, the budget ABC was given to produce this thing just did not do it any favors. This feels like a watered-down, PG-ized version of It , and for that, it's just tough to really call this a good adaptation. Where it does succeed is in Tim Curry's Pennywise, who is a really different portrayal from Skarsgård. In the book, Pennywise lands somewhere between the two movie versions: he's more human than Skarsgård and more alien than Curry, so it's nice that we have these two portrayals. Curry just commands the screen with this friendly charm that can so quickly turn to absolutely terrifying menace. He's so good at changing his face to scare you, and that really makes the character unsettling. I also do think the first half of this miniseries is good . It's not great, but the kids do a good job of feeling like the Losers' Club and you get that sense of camaraderie and friendship that the book captures so well. I think it loses some power just becuase you don't really get this grand-feeling scale, but it's still solid. The second half? Different story. Some of the adult actors (looking at you, Richie and Bill) are rough and the whole thing just feels paced awfully. Like, all the Losers come back and Pennywise threatens them. Then they have the dinner. Then they basically just sit around and talk for an hour before fighting that absolutely atrocious stop-motion spider in the end. I think ths would be remembered more positively if the second half wasn't terrible, but as it stands, this is a very subpar adaptation of It . 3. It: Chapter Two The second half of the story is still fun, but ultimately falls short in the execution The fact of the matter is that the second half of It is just not as good as the first half. Or, rather, the adult story is not as good as the kid story (in the book, they take place simultaneously, which I think works best). The kids have this wondrous innocence to them that makes the whole story so much more powerful. The adults...ehhhh, not as much. And, of course, the ending of the novel is so wacky and absolutely inadaptable to the big screen, so the various movies have struggled to land the ship perfectly. Where It: Chapter Two does work is in the performances. It is uncanny how well they cast these actors to portray the adult versions of these kids. James Ransone (rest in peace) looks disturbingly like an older Jack Dylan Grazer. And they are so good at feeling like the grownup versions of these kids, too. The movie is too long. It plays out very episodically. And the final battle with Pennywise is a different kid of bad than the miniseries. This movie probably could've been great: shorten the runtime, fix the awkward comedic beats, and give it a satisfying finale, and you've got a sequel that lives up to the hype...but as it stands, It: Chapter Two is a fun, if underwhelming, adpatation of the adult story. 2. It The modern-day adaptation mixes the book's heart and horror beautifully I think It is one of the best horror movies of the past ten or even twenty years. What this story does so beautifully is blend the coming-of-age aspect of something like Stand by Me with this existential, cosmic horror that is Pennywise. The Losers' Club is absolutely perfect in this film. Sure, Stan and Mike get the short end of the stick, but the other five feel like they are ripped right out of the pages of King's novel and on to the screen. The movie focuses on being a coming-of-age story first, and I think that benefits it in both the storytelling and the scares. But what makes this film iconic and great is, of course, Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise the Dancing Clown. I have not been alive for the birth of many horror icons, but I remember when this movie came out and how terrified everyone was of this version of Pennywise. He is so unnatural in everything that he does and manipulates, and it just makes him one of the best (and scariest) villains of all time. If It is a great coming-of-age story because of the young cast, it's also a great horror movie because of it's titular evil clown. I wish there was less CGI in the scares and I think we could've honestly used more runtime to establish a few of the Losers better (*cough* Stan and Mike *cough), but otherwise, this is a great film. 1. It: Welcome to Derry The perfect encapsulation of the themes of It ...with the scariest Pennywise we've ever seen It is one of my favorite books of all time, and nothing has captured the essence of the novel quite like Welcome to Derry . Sure, the movies do a great job of giving us the epic battle between the Losers' Club and Pennywise, but Welcome to Derry explores the deep-seeded themes that make the book so iconic. Derry itself is this decaying town that is basically controlled by Pennywise. He influences so much of the horrors that happen there...but he also feasts on all of the human horror around him, and Welcome to Derry is so good at making sure the audience knows that. On top of that, this is the scariest and most unhinged we've ever seen Pennywise. Skarsgård gives it his absolute all and delivers one of the most unsettling performances I've ever seen in this show. Even more unsettling than either movie. I also love that this series did not shy away from being different. We spend almost five full episodes without seeing Pennywise, so there had to be creative scares, creative characters, creative ways to build tension. Now, of course, the show gets significantly better when Pennywise shows up, but it really did a great job of building out lovable characters and a believable conflict that gets even more horrifying when It takes the form of the clown. The entire Black Spot sequence was one of the best things I've seen on TV since Running Up That Hill . Like, it was just the perfect encapsulation of It and Stephen King in general. I cannot wait to see where they go with this show in the future. As it stands, it's my personal favorite of the It adaptations.

Happy New Year! I know, I’m a bit late with this list. With Stranger Things wrapping up and the new year kicking off, things got a little hectic. But wow, 2026 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for movies! Seriously, every major director (okay, maybe not all) is dropping something new. We’ve got a fresh Avengers flick, a new Star Wars adventure, and even a new Toy Story installment. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just fifteen movies, but I did it! Here’s what I’m most excited about. 15. The Rip Ben Affleck and Matt Damon reunite for a cop thriller in about a week I only caught wind of The Rip about a week ago, but it’s already made my must-see list. This action thriller, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as cops, hits theaters in just six days! The director, who previously brought us Boss Level , knows how to deliver a fun ride. I loved that Groundhog Day -esque action flick. So, pairing him with Damon and Affleck? That’s a recipe for success! 14. Resident Evil Zach Cregger's next film will take on the popular video game franchise Honestly, I could care less about Resident Evil . But here’s the kicker: it’s directed by Zach Cregger, the genius behind Barbarian and Weapons . Weapons was one of my favorites last year. While I wasn’t a huge fan of Barbarian , it was still unique and had some fun twists. So, naturally, I’m intrigued by whatever this guy does next. I’ve never seen a Resident Evil movie, but if Cregger’s on board, I’m excited! 13. Digger Iñárritu teams up with Tom Cruise for a likely awards darling 2026 is the year of major directors, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu is back with a black comedy starring Tom Cruise. I’m pumped! For nearly fifteen years, Cruise has been all about those blockbuster action flicks. It’ll be refreshing to see him in a smaller project with a visionary director. I have no clue if this movie will be a hit, but I bet it’ll be in the awards conversation! 12. Dune: Part Three Villeneuve's adaptation of Dune Messiah will be part of the next "Barbenheimer" phenomenon Denis Villeneuve is back with Dune: Part Three . December 18th is already being dubbed "Avengers: Dunesday," and I can’t wait! I’m not familiar with Dune Messiah , but Villeneuve has a knack for immersing us in this universe. I’ve heard it gets weirder, which could be good or bad. Either way, I’m all in! 11. Clayface A Mike Flanagan-penned DC movie will make this list every single year After a year dominated by James Gunn’s projects, it’s exciting to see the DC Universe expand in 2026. Of the two DC movies this year, Clayface has me more intrigued. I’m still looking forward to Supergirl , but the trailer hasn’t sold me yet. An R-rated body horror film featuring a B-list Batman villain? Count me in! Mike Flanagan, my current favorite horror writer, is behind it, so I’m all in. 10. The Adventures of Cliff Booth A script from Quentin Tarantino is being directed by David Fincher...enough said I just discovered this movie exists, and I had to include it! The Adventures of Cliff Booth is a spin-off of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by David Fincher. Are you kidding me? Two of my top five directors teaming up? I don’t care what it’s about or who’s in it. I’m excited! I haven’t seen Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , but I’m definitely checking it out before this movie drops. 9. Evil Dead Burn The next installment in the Evil Dead franchise is likely one of this year's biggest horror films Another trend this year is the return of iconic horror franchises. One of those is Evil Dead . I’m not the biggest fan, but each entry brings something unique and fun. Plus, they’re scary as hell! Evil Dead Rise was possibly the scariest yet. It might not be the biggest release of the year, but I’m definitely looking forward to it. 8. The Social Reckoning Aaron Sorkin returns to write and direct a sequel to The Social Network The Social Network is one of my all-time favorites, so I was thrilled when they announced a sequel. There’s so much material to explore, and Aaron Sorkin is back to write and direct. With Mikey Madison, Jeremy Strong, and Jeremy Allen White starring, I’m even more excited. This could be a serious contender for Best Picture, and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds! 7. Scream 7 Sidney Prescott returns in a very intriguing entry in horror's best franchise Another horror franchise making a comeback is, of course, Scream 7 . Neve Campbell is back as Sidney Prescott, and she’s not alone. David Arquette is returning as Dewey Riley, and we’ll see Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley, despite their characters' previous demises. I’m super curious about the plot and how the next Ghostface will use Sidney’s family against her. Scream is my favorite horror franchise, and I expect this entry to be a blast! 6. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Haymitch's tragic story is getting the big screen treatment Last year, Suzanne Collins dropped the fifth Hunger Games book, and a movie adaptation was announced right away. Sunrise on the Reaping follows the 50th Hunger Games and Haymitch Abernathy’s story. The cast is stacked with Mckenna Grace, Ralph Fiennes, Maya Hawke, Jesse Plemons, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, and even Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson (likely cameos). The Hunger Games movies are fantastic, and this book was so emotional. I can’t wait to see how it’s adapted! 5. Project Hail Mary One of the most celebrated novels of the last ten years is finally hitting the big screen I haven’t read Project Hail Mary yet (but it’s on my list!), and I’m already buzzing about the movie. This book is a huge hit, so I’m thrilled to see it come to life. Andy Weir, who wrote The Martian (one of my faves), is behind it. I love realistic sci-fi that feels grounded in actual science, and that’s what Project Hail Mary promises. Plus, it stars Ryan Gosling! What’s not to love? This is a perfect way to kick off the big movie season at the end of March. 4. Avengers: Doomsday The year's most exciting and most nerve-wracking release Wow. I’m feeling all sorts of emotions about this one. On one hand, I’m giddy with excitement for an Avengers movie. This is the first time the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four will all be together. How cool is that? Doctor Doom is one of the best villains in comic history, so seeing him done right is thrilling. Every Tuesday, as teasers drop, my excitement grows. But on the flip side, the Multiverse Saga has had its share of disappointments. I hope this movie doesn’t fall into the trap of weak nostalgia. I’m nervous yet excited for opening day! 3. Disclosure Day Steven Spielberg is going back to the genre that he often perfects Steven Spielberg is my all-time favorite director, but it’s been a while since he’s tackled the genre that made him a legend. Disclosure Day is a sci-fi film, possibly involving an alien invasion, and I’m super excited! He’s teaming up with David Koepp, the writer of Jurassic Park and Spider-Man , and John Williams is scoring the film. I think this could be another Spielberg classic, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out! 2. Spider-Man: Brand New Day The next Spidey outing is the most exciting superhero movie of 2026 Spider-Man: Brand New Day is even more exciting than Avengers: Doomsday because I have fewer worries. It’s been five years since No Way Home , so they’ve taken their time with this one. The cast has me so hyped! Jon Bernthal is back as the Punisher, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, and so many amazing names from my favorite shows are joining. Michael Mando is returning as Scorpion, Tramell Tillman from Severance is in an unknown role, and Liza Colón-Zayas from The Bear is also cast (maybe as Rio Morales?). And let’s not forget Sadie Sink in a mysterious role! I can’t wait to see the first look at this movie! 1. The Odyssey Christopher Nolan tackles the ultimate story in what is destined to be the movie of the year If there’s one person I want tackling The Odyssey , it’s Christopher Nolan. His last movie was a three-hour biopic about science and Senate hearings, and it made nearly a billion dollars and won Best Picture! Now he’s diving into the ultimate story. The Odyssey is the blueprint for every story ever told. Nolan is the biggest director in the world, and I just know this will be a special experience. There’s no definitive adaptation of The Odyssey , but if anyone can give us one, it’s Nolan. Plus, Matt Damon is starring as Odysseus, with Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and more in supporting roles. This is going to be monumental, and I can’t wait!

One last ride. Well, guys. This is it. Stranger Things ended just about a week ago, and I am now officially ending my coverage of this show. I've actually been putting off writing this post, because this is something different than I have ever written on this blog before. Stranger Things premiered in 2016. I was ten years old. I remember my mom recommended I watch it, but I was hesitant at first. I had seen the little image that pops up when you click on it on Netflix, and it looked scary. At the time, I didn't like watching anything scary. But I gave it a shot. I remember the feeling of watching Will Byers vanish for the first time. I was ten, so I wasn't analyzing it or really even fully registering the story, but I remember the feeling. I thought about the adventures that I would take if I were friends with Mike, Lucas, and Dustin. What would I do if Eleven waltzed into my life? How would I stand up against the Demogorgon and try to find Will? After season one, Stranger Things just became a part of my life. Every time a new season would come out, it would take over my excitement for weeks or even months. The summer of season three was so memorable because I would just go home from summer camp pumped to watch another episode. And then COVID hit, and we got a nearly three-year gap between seasons three and four. And, when it came back, I was more excited than ever. By now, I had been writing on the blog, so you can find my original coverage of season four. My family had actually gotten COVID over Memorial Day Weekend, when volume one came out, so I was quarantined at home. No complaints from me. I binged nearly nine hours of Stranger Things in two days. The summer of 2022 was actually huge for me, because I went to my final year of sleepaway camp for 40 days. During that, the final two episodes of Stranger Things 4 released. When I came back from camp, I was so sad. I missed my friends and camp and the feeling of spending every day in that incredible place...and then I got to escape from that sadness and loneliness by spending four hours in Hawkins. And that takes us to 2025. The final season. The goodbye. I started re-watching the show in February, and I just immediately felt all of these childhood memories and emotions flooding back. Season one hits differently when you are an adult, but for me, it still felt like I was a kid. All the adventures I imagined and fun I had watching it when I was ten still felt the same when I was eighteen. And that is the magic of this show. I'm not reviewing the final season here. I have covered it extensively , so if you want that, just look at my past few months of content. Season five of Stranger Things was more than just another season of the show. It felt like the end of a major chapter in my life. I started watching this show when I was ten. I turn twenty this year. This show and these characters and this story are a defining piece of my adolescence. And so this final post about Stranger Things is my goodbye to the show. This show has taught me so much about growing up. At its core, its a coming-of-age story, and it really hits harder when you are coming of age alongside the characters. These final conversations that Mike and Will and Dustin and Lucas are having are conversations I've experienced with my friends as we go off to college. The bittersweetness of growing up and moving on to another phase of life is captured so beautifully in Stranger Things , and I think that is one of the biggest takeaways from this final season. But, to me, this show just has so much power in how it relates to its audience. Each character represents some different challenge to overcome in life. Hopper shows us that grief and depression can swallow you whole, but there is always a way to return to the greatness that you once had in you. Steve shows us that you can always change and become a better person or friend (or, in his case, mother). Max shows us that trauma and self-loathing are your mind playing tricks on you, and leaning on your friends and believing in yourself is a journey that, although difficult, is ultimately rewarding. Eleven shows us that even the darkest of lives can become bright through kindness and love. And so many other characters have that element to them. These characters, these people that I have been on this ten-year journey with, do, in a way, feel like friends of my own. Now, I know that makes me sound super lonely and sad, but I don't mean it in a lonely or sad way. They are reflections of the kinds of people I want to be around and the kind of person I want to be. The reason Steve Harrington is so beloved is because he shows that you are not defined by the worst version of yourself. In fact, you are usually defined by how much you can change and become the improved, better version of yourself. That's a powerful idea, and it is so much something I want to incorporate into my own life. If you whittle it down, at the end of the day, Stranger Things is a show about growing up. About changing. About the challenges that come along with that. As someone that has grown up during the run of this show and faced the challenges of growing up, Stranger Things has always felt like a comfort. A reminder that you can overcome anything, even if it doesn't feel like it. So, to me, this post is a final goodbye to this show that has been integral to half my life. Even if its over, I will be keeping it alive in rewatches, in introducing it to others, in continuing to just love and think about the show. This, to me, is representative of the emotional power of storytelling. The best stories can feel like more than just a show or a movie. They can feel like an integral part of someone's life, and that is most definitely where Stranger Things lands for me. So, yeah. That's my love letter to Stranger Things . Thank you to everyone who has read and supported the blog over these past few months while I have dedicated it to the final season of this show. It truly was an incredible journey and I am so glad I got to be a part of your experience in any way shape or form. And, finally, thank you to the Duffer brothers and the cast and crew and everyone who participated in the making of this show. I know I'm not the only one who has grown up with and loved these characters and this story as much as I do. This show is one of the strongest examples of just pure goodness in the world, and I cannot emphasize how important that is to me. Thank you all for reading this post. It was a tough one to write, because how do you say goodbye to a defining part of your life for ten years? I tried my best. I hope you guys connect with it in some way. And I hope you continue to keep Stranger Things alive and in the present hearts and minds of people, because I do believe in the power of its story and impact. This is Aiden, signing off of Stranger Things . Over and out.

Time after time. One of the things Stranger Things has always done so well is finales. And one of the things they've always nailed in their finales are the epilogues. After the action, after the insanity, after the villain is defeated, we get a few more moments with our characters that wrap up their arcs for the season. It's always super satisfying and often very emotional. All five of these epilogues are absolutely amazing, so the ranking honestly doesn't even matter, because they are all very close in quality in my eyes. But I ranked them anyways, because that's what I do. So here is my ranking of all five Stranger Things epilogues. 5. Christmas in Hawkins Season 1, Episode 8: The Upside Down The epilogue to season one is still great, but it is both the shortest and really the least emotional. But I find all of these epilogues to still have some level of emotion and satisfaction, so the season one epilogue still hits all the notes it's trying to. I love seeing another D&D game. Rewatching it especially, watching the boys play Dungeons & Dragons and be so into it is just really nostalgic and fun. Of course, the most emotional moment of the epilogue is when Mike glances over at Eleven's little fort and its empty. I love the moment of Nancy giving Jonathan his camera and then revealing that Steve was in on it. I love the tease of Hopper putting the Eggos in the little box in the woods. This epilogue perfectly closes out season one but leaves just you wanting just enough to get into season two. 4. The Byers Family Leaves Hawkins Season 3, Episode 8: The Battle of Starcourt This ranking was really tough, because all of these sequences have things that hit really hard. Season three feels like it could've honestly been the final season of the series with how the epilogue closes everything out. After Hopper's "death", we see the Byers family finally deciding to move out of Hawkins. These final scenes between all of our characters as they go their separate ways are just fantastic. I love Nancy and Jonathan's last exchange. I love Eleven telling Mike she loves him. But the real kicker is, of course, Hopper's letter to Eleven, which backs a montage of them all moving out. David Harbour's warm voice delivers one of the most emotional and powerful monologues in the show as we see all of our characters move into a different phase of life. I think the letter scene itself might be the most emotional and powerful moment in the show, and it adds to what is already a great epilogue. 3. Hawkins Burns Season 4, Episode 9: The Piggyback I think if season five had been as good as we all wanted it to be, this would be higher, because the end of season four sets the stage for a truly epic finale. Even before that, though, we get some really emotional and impactful moments. This is really the first time that our characters have lost, so they are dealing with the fallout of that. Hawkins is in shambles. Max is comatose. And Vecna is still out there. Dustin telling Wayne Munson that Eddie was a hero and that Hawkins is wrong about him is another one of these moments that will just make you sob your brains out. Seeing Steve and Robin helping out in the school gym is a minor but powerful moment that just makes you love these characters more. And the true final scene, where we see the rifts open in Hawkins and the Upside Down truly invade the Rightside Up, gives me goosebumps every single time. The terrified looks on the faces of our characters with the orchestral version of the main theme playing in the background just sets you up for an epic final showdown. 2. The Snow Ball Season 2, Episode 9: The Gate Part of me wants to put this at number one, because this epilogue is probably the best part of season two. Honestly, it's one of the best parts of the show. The last twenty minutes of The Gate is just perfect. After teasing it in season one, we finally get to see the Snow Ball dance. There's so many great moments of payoff that have become iconic in Stranger Things . I love Dustin's newfound confidence that he got from Steve. Him getting rejected and Nancy dancing with him is one of my favorite moments in the entire show. Lucas and Max finally get together. And Mike and Eleven get to have their dance. This sequence, backed by both Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time and then The Police's Every Breath You Take , is such a perfect wrap up to these first two seasons of Stranger Things . 1. Graduation Season 5, Episode 8: The Rightside Up The main reason that The Rightside Up is a great finale in my eyes is due to the epilogue. of course this is number one. These are the final moments we get to spend with these characters. And every single one of them hits. Hopper's conversation with Mike solidifies the police chief's arc as the most powerful in the show. Dustin's entire graduation speech as one big homage to Eddie had me both crying and cheering. The rooftop scene of all of the older kids deciding to hang out despite being far away is such a perfect moment that hits because of how real it is. Hopper's proposal to Joyce at Enzo's is beautiful. And, of course, we close out exactly how we started: with a Dungeons & Dragons game. We got one final scene to say goodbye to these characters. Mike tells the story of how Eleven may have survived and the characters all say how they believe her to still be alive. We see that Dustin is a great student in college but still makes time to see Steve. Lucas and Max finally got their movie date. Will is thriving with a possible boyfriend in college. And Mike, the storyteller, is keeping all of these stories alive. The final moments as they all put their books on the shelf make me emotional thinking about them. I love that we see Holly and her friends come downstairs and Mike watches with a teary-eyed smile realizing that he is passing the torch to the next generation of nerds. He then walks upstairs and closes the door on ten beautiful years of storytelling. A perfect, beautiful, and highly emotional ending to Stranger Things . So, of course, it has to be number one.

These friends don't lie (or at least some of them don't). The season of Stranger Things is coming to a close. After the finale closed out this incredible show last week, I am pumping out my last posts and rankings after my epic, two-month long coverage of my favorite show of all time. And this, alongside my episode ranking, is one of my most ambitious posts ever. Every main character in Stranger Things , ranked. Now what do I mean by main character? I don't know. I just decided who made it and who didn't. If they aren't included on this list, just assume they'd be ranked low. So here it is. My epic, 44-character ranking of Stranger Things . 44. Grigori A very over-the-top and forced homage to The Terminator The main antagonist of the Russia plot line in season three is where the show got a little bit too cute with its 80s references. Grigori is basically just the T-800 from the first Terminator movie. He has Arnold's iconic haircut and look. He rides a motorcycle. And he has absolutely zero personality besides being a killing machine. Stranger Things has usually benefitted from drawing from the 80s, but Grigori's character was so on the nose and cartoonish. The Duffers went a little too far with this one, but at least he has a brutal (and fun) death. 43. Lt. Robert Akers A generic evil soldier who feels like a poor addition to an overstuffed cast Speaking of a brutal and fun death, this jerk-face got what he deserves. Lieutenant Akers serves as one of our secondary antagonists of season five, and I just found him to be uninteresting, stupidly evil character. I don't think the Duffers are great at writing the military, especially in season five, because it just comes out as cheesy, generic soldier speak, and that dialogue is the most prominent with Akers. He doesn't have any development: he just wants to find and kill Eleven...because. That's not interesting. And it feels like it's forcing conflict into an already very busy season. 42. Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan A somewhat interesting threat in season four is completely wasted in season five The whole military plot line in season five is teased in season four as we see Sullivan searching for Eleven, thinking she is the one behind the murders that Vecna is truly responsible for. That is an interesting idea, and I wish it was one they explored more in season five rather than the direction they went. Dr. Kay essentially took over Sullivan's role in season five, which left him just as this side character who was taking orders from her. I think there was a huge missed opportunity to develop this into a truly compelling conflict with a scary but interesting human villain at the center. Instead, we get an often cringe-inducing storyline that just throws Sullivan off to the side and pretends he was never important. 41. Dr. Kay Linda Hamilton's villainous doctor feels like a copy of Brenner without any of his complexities I get what they were planning on doing with this military plot line, because it does ultimately motivate Eleven to make her final decision, but I just think it was weakly executed. Had Dr. Kay's character been set up in previous seasons, maybe she would've been more interesting, but as it stands, she just feels like this bland, uninteresting mix of the worst parts of Sullivan and the worst parts of Brenner. She's got all the uncomfortable, generic military dialogue and personality traits while also having this incredibly evil plan that does not have any layers. There's never a reason provided for why she's doing what she's doing. She's just evil for evil's sake. And that is just uninteresting. 40. Tom Holloway A forgettable misogynist who ultimately feels pointless when he dies I get what they were trying to do by showing the Hawkins Post guys as misogynists who constantly belittled Nancy, but at a certain point, it just felt over the top. Stranger Things will sometimes drag its bullying plot lines too long, and that is certainly the case with Tom Holloway and the rest of the jerks at the paper. Look, this guy is designed to be an incredibly unlikable character, but there's a difference between being unlikable and being a bad character. Do I think Tom is a bad character? Not necessarily, but, like many small Stranger Things villains, he just feels a little bit cartoonish and over-the-top. He's so horrible and so rude to Nancy that it just becomes too much at times. I think he does strengthen her arc in this season and causes some good conflict between her and Jonathan, but as a character himself, he's not the best. 39. Yuri Ismaylov An over-the-top Russian pilot that is both horrible and funny I don't know how I feel about Yuri. On the one hand, he's hilarious. He legitimately provides some of the biggest laughs in the entire show. On the other hand, he's included in a very serious and intense plot line. Joyce and Murray trying to rescue Hopper from a Russian prison is an emotionally powerful story, and I just think Yuri's energy throws that off a bit. There are times where we are supposed to feel the tension and urgency of this story, and Yuri just breaks the tension by cracking some annoying joke. Even when he's not cracking jokes, his personality is just inherently loud and abrasive, and that can sometimes be too much to handle. So there are times where I do like this character. And there are times where I absolutely cannot handle him. 38. Jason Carver A good way to show the building anger of Hawkins executed to middling results On paper, I think Jason is a really good idea. Through three seasons of this show, the citizens of Hawkins have barely reacted to the insanity going on all around them. Season four changes that. As soon as Chrissy is killed, there is an uproar. People start to get angry. And Jason, her boyfriend, being the leader of that makes sense. But, like so many of the smaller Stranger Things villains, he often comes off as cartoonishly angry and crazy. I just don't buy that the captain of the high school basketball team could interrupt the police and turn the town into a mob. He turns the whole city into this insane cult chasing down Eddie, and I just think there should've been a little more nuance and subtlety to his character and this entire plot line. However, I think Mason Dye, the actor, does a great job at portraying the dwindling sanity and rationale of this character, and I think he provides a good layer of additional conflict in this season. I just wish he was written to be a little less dramatic. 37. Terry Ives The story of Eleven's mother is much more interesting than her actual character This section of the ranking has a bunch of characters who really only exist to help other characters along on their arcs. Terry Ives, of course, services Eleven's arc in season two. We actually do meet her initially in season one as Hopper and Joyce start to uncover that Eleven is the kid they've been chasing, not Will, which sets her up to be a major part of Eleven's backstory. I think her inclusion in season two is one of the stronger parts of Eleven's story. In her rebellious stage, it makes sense that she'd go looking for her mother. And I think Terry's story of her birthing Eleven and having her taken away from her is appropriately sad. But again, she isn't much of a character in her own right. She acts almost more as a plot device to move Eleven along in her journey. But she's effective at doing that. 36. Barbara Holland Everyone has a strange attachment to this relatively minor, uninteresting character Guys. I have to be completely honest. I just don't like Barb that much. I think she is the most overrated character in the show. I get it. She is an unfair victim of the Demogorgon and of Nancy's ignorance, but she's just not that interesting in her own right. Sure, she's the nerdy friend who Nancy starts to draw away from when she begins dating Steve, but that idea is much more in service of Nancy's arc. And that's where I think Barb is most effective. She works as a way to motivate Nancy to search for the Demogorgon and become the badass that she becomes throughout the series. But on her own...Barb just isn't that interesting. I think Shannon Purser being nominated for an Emmy is absolutely ridiculous. She's a fine actress, but the fact that she was nominated and some of these other cast members were not is shocking to me. Winona Ryder, Charlie Heaton, Natalia Dyer, Matthew Modine...none of them were nominated for season one. So it's just weird to me that Shannon Purser was. But whatever. Barb is just a little bit overrated to me. 35. Larry Kline Hawkins's sleazy mayor is made better by a great performance from Cary Elwes Kline feels like the better type of completely unlikable character. Whereas Tom just came off as cheesy and often unnecessary in how horrible he was, Kline's sleaziness and awfulness feels fun and effective. Part of that is Cary Elwes's gleeful portrayal of this complete dirtbag of a mayor. And part of it is this odd charm that he has despite being a completely horrible human being. This is the type of character that you love to hate, and I think he works perfectly as that. 34. Lonnie Byers Will and Jonathan's crappy dad is incredibly unlikable but works as an antagonist Speaking of characters you love to hate, Lonnie Byers is the frickin' worst . From the minute you meet him, you can just tell that this guy is a complete deadbeat dad. You understand exactly the type of father he was to Jonathan and Will. Jonathan and Joyce carry such a disdain for him that it makes it all the more horrible when he shows up for Will's funeral to extort his son's supposed death for money. He works perfectly as this foil to Joyce: this guy who seems to have it all together but is just the sleaziest, most selfish jerk on the inside. One of the most satisfying moments of season one is when Joyce kicks Lonnie out of her house and gets him off this show for good. Thank God this piece of crap never wormed his way back into the Byers's life. 33. Kali Prasad 008 is an interesting character, but her return felt slightly underwhelming Oh, Kali. What a strange, strange character. I appreciate that the Duffers wanted to tie off all the loose ends of the show by bringing Kali back despite her being in the most reviled episode of the show, but I still don't know how I feel about her inclusion. I think she does serve as a great foil to Eleven. Whereas Eleven has gotten to see the beauty and love the world has to offer, Kali has not. She has been lived in darkness and pain her whole life, and that is all she understands. That informs her character and her interactions with Eleven...but I just don't know that she's necessary in season five. The cast was already huge going into the season, and throwing her on top of everyone else just makes her feel a bit forced in. She's also a really tough character to like because she's automatically conflicting with all of our other characters. Like, we've spent four seasons being invested in Eleven and Hopper's relationship, so when Kali comes in at the end of the show and essentially creates a rift in their dynamic, it just makes her incredibly tough to like. I'm very mixed on this character. Only time will tell how her inclusion in the final season ages. 32. The Mind Flayer The menacing puppet master behind all of the events in the show works as a final boss I was debating whether to include the Mind Flayer on this list, but at the end of the day, it's the true force behind all of the events of the show. I wish they hadn't waited until the final episode of the show to reveal this, but I do think that it's cool to have the Mind Flayer be the true evil of Stranger Things . I would still say Vecna is the main antagonist, but having the Mind Flayer be this ethereal, overarching force that is seemingly the puppet master of the Abyss is a cool idea. It makes the Upside Down and the Abyss and everything feel more alien and frightening than it would if it was in Vecna's control, and I really do appreciate that. Now, it's tough to put the Mind Flayer higher because it isn't much of a character, but I am really pleased with it as the final boss and ultimate antagonist of Stranger Things . 31. Vickie Dunne Robin's girlfriend is fun, but doesn't really have much to do in any of her appearances I like Vickie, but she's not designed to be a huge character. She's doesn't do anything that bothered me endlessly, but she also doesn't really do anything that makes her stick out as memorable. She's more there to serve Robin's character and be this emotional tie that she now has to Hawkins. It also allows her to finally be comfortable in her own skin and provide Will with her wisdom and advice. Like I said, this section of the ranking is mainly characters who service other characters, so Vickie works more as that than as her own character. She's a fun addition. Amybeth McNulty is able to match Maya Hawke's nervous, rambling style. She's a solid character. But not much more than that. 30. Murray Bauman A character that started off fun and got progressively more annoying My least favorite of the main cast is, of course, Murray Bauman. Now, there are times where I like Murray. I think he's at his strongest when he's a recurring character in seasons two and three, but I don't really think he works as a main cast member. He's a lot to take. His zaniness and constant sarcasm is just too much at times, which is why he works with limited appearances. He's so much weirder than most of our main cast, so it just feels like too much when he does get upgraded to a series regular. He's probably the least important of the main cast, so I don't really mind him that much, but I just found myself being more annoyed than excited whenever he was on screen in the later seasons. 29. Ted Wheeler One of the funniest characters on the show Ted Wheeler is absolutely hilarious. This man is the definition of a couch potato. The Duffers are clearly in on the joke that Ted is this typical 80s dad who reads the paper in his lazy boy, watches the news, and then goes to sleep. Joe Chrest does a fantastic job of being this out of touch man who is so oblivious to everything going on with his family. He isn't in the show a ton, but anytime he makes an appearance, he gets a laugh. Quotes like "What'd I do?" and "Heavens to Betsy!" just get me every time. Of course, I can't put him higher than this because he doesn't have any sort of big arc or iconic moments. But he serves his purpose in the show perfectly. 28. Dmitri "Enzo" Antonov The sweet-talking Russian guard was a solid addition to season four Hopper's main ally in prison was, in my opinion, one of the most underrated parts of season four. Tom Wlaschiha brings his Jaqen H'ghar energy to Stranger Things with this incredibly charming, enigmatic guard at Kamchatka that is trying to help Hopper escape for his own selfish means. By the end, however, you get the sense that Enzo is truly a good guy who does want Hopper to escape. That makes him feel like this honorable, noble character who, although seemingly not worth trusting, is an ally after all. Much like Ted, he isn't a big enough character for me to put him higher, but he was just another thing that made season four the perfect season of TV that it was. 27. Suzie Bingham Dustin's Mormon girlfriend is always fun whenever she pops up I love Suzie. Sure, she's barely in the show, but when she does pop up, she's absolutely fantastic. The NeverEnding Story is one of my favorite scenes in all of Stranger Things , and so much of that is due to the perfect plant of Suzie in the first episode and the incredible reveal that she does indeed exist in the finale. Even the way they use her in season four is great as we get to see her insane family and a little bit more of her personality. She's one of these small parts of the show that just make it so special. 26. Chrissy Cunningham Vecna's first victim is fantastic with how little screen time she has I think Chrissy is honestly one of the most impressive character on the show. She appears in one episode. She has probably ten total minutes of screen time. And they do not waste a minute with her. When we initially meet her, we see her as this happy cheerleader who is dating the basketball star. That automatically paints a picture in our minds of who this character is. But as we go deeper into the episode, our expectations are subverted as we see that she is struggling behind the scenes. She is dealing with horrific body shaming from her mother which is being exploited by Vecna to torture her. The only time we see her truly happy is when she meets with Eddie and the two of them share a really beautiful moment of connection. That warms us up to both of their characters as this unexpected pairing turns out to be something really comforting for Chrissy in the darkest moments of her life. All of this leads to her final, horrible moments as she is brutally murdered in Eddie's trailer, which you truly do feel because we've spent a full episode getting invested in this character and her relationship with Eddie. I think Chrissy is a great character. Her placement is this low simply because she is a smaller character, but she is one of the most effective smaller characters in the show. 25. Argyle The true funniest character on the show I get it if you're not an Argyle fan, but I personally loved him. The California plot line is probably the weakest of our main season four stories, but Argyle brings some much needed humor and levity to it through some absolutely hysterical moments. I think the stoner humor works really well. Eduardo Franco is able to execute this awkward, cooky character with so much confidence that it actually makes him super charming and likable. He gets some super fun moments in the finale as he comes up with the idea for Eleven to piggyback in the Surfer Boy Pizza freezer. Again, not a character that makes or breaks the show for me, but just a fun little addition that elevates one of the weaker parts of season four. 24. Alexei The lovable Russian scientist was a surprisingly heart-warming addition in season three Ah, poor Alexei. It's easy to forget how little Alexei is in season three because of the impact that he made, but this guy is really only in three episodes before he gets shot by Grigori. In those three episodes, though, they turn this should-be evil Russian scientist into one of the most innocent, heart-warming parts of the show. He has this child-like innocence to him where he loves slurpees and cartoons. He forges this fun relationship with Murray and gets excited about all of the weirdness of America. And just as you are starting to adore this character and love his fun dynamics with our other characters...he gets killed. In the middle of a carnival, where he should feel safe. It's such a devastating moment for both Alexei and Murray. They are able to take a character who does not speak English, who you get to know over three episodes, and make his death one of the most heart-breaking in the entire series. That shows you just how good Stranger Things is at creating compelling minor characters. 23. Sam Owens The suspicious doctor who turns out to be good is one of the most underrated characters I think Dr. Owens is truly one of the most underrated parts of both season two and the show in general. Stranger Things has always been great at subverting tropes of classic 80s movies, and Owens is one of the best examples of that. After season one made us not trust Hawkins Lab at all, we go into season two with our guard up. Owens seems to have replaced Brenner as the untrustworthy monster at the center of it all. It was a stroke of genius to cast Paul Reiser, who plays the sleaziest, most dishonest character in Aliens , as this doctor who you just do not trust . But as you get further into season two and you see the shadiness of Hawkins Lab, you also see Owens rebelling against that. You see him get angry at some of his scientists for suggesting that Will's life is expendable. By the end, you realize that he is a genuinely good person despite working for a bad, dangerous organization. And they continue that idea in season four, where he is this good-hearted doctor who wants what is best for Eleven working with Brenner, who is incredibly nefarious and dangerous. I do wish he had made some sort of appearance in season five, because it feels like we didn't really get closure with his character, but as it stands, he is one of the most underrated people in the entire show. 22. Scott Clarke An absolute scene-stealing character who finally gets in on the action in season five I frickin' love Mr. Clarke. He is played as the man who "taught Dustin everything he knows" and they really lean into that. He feels like a grown-up version of one of the kids, and I mean that in the best way possible. Throughout each of the first three seasons, they use him as this character who explains scientific questions that the characters have about the Upside Down despite never letting him in on what's truly going on. When he's brought back in season five, however, he finally gets told about the Upside Down and all of the insanity in Hawkins. I love that they brought him back for season five and finally included him in the main gang. Beyond just the way they utilize him, he steals every single scene he's in. Randy Havens has this confident nerdiness to him that honestly feels like a more subdued version of Gaten Matarazzo's performance. Mr. Clarke is just the best. Every time I watch this show, I am reminded how much of an unsung hero he is. 21. Derek Turnbow The delightful dipshit is season five's best new character Stranger Things doesn't have a ton of new protagonists in season five, but even if they did, the standout would still be Derek Turnbow. Derek is introduced as this incredibly annoying kid who you immediately hate. He is so abrasive and spoiled and just says things that make your blood boil. But as soon as he starts being abrasive and annoying in favor of our heroes...he is amazing. He's so funny, and you just want to cheer every time he flips off one of our villains. One of the funniest and best moments in the finale is when he tells Vecna to "Suck my fat one!" They even do manage to give him a little bit of an arc as he starts off as this bully who Holly hates and, by the end, he is saving Holly from Vecna. Sure, he's somewhat horrible and annoying, but he also cares about his friends and family, and that ultimately makes him lovable. 20. Jonathan Byers One of the most up-and-down characters who ultimately gets a satisfying arc in the final season Now we're really starting to get into our main characters. Of our main cast since season one, Jonathan is definitely the weakest. But he's still a good character, and a lot of that is due to him being one of the most consistently written characters on the show. He is always a quiet loner, but he deeply, deeply cares about the people he loves, whether it be Will or Nancy or Joyce. We see much of that come out in season one when Will is missing. The way he deals with the trauma and grief of possibly losing his little brother actually makes him one of the best characters in season one. He's not as interesting in later seasons. He can actually get very frustrating with the amount he whines and acts angry. That's probably why he's lower on the list, simply because he's not always the most likable of our main heroes. But I do love the resolution of his character as we see him reconcile his relationship with both Steve and Nancy. I actually missed this upon my first watch of the finale, but apparently, they mention that he goes to NYU, which is a great little full-circle moment, because Joyce mentioned that he's wanted to go to NYU since he was six years old in season one. 19. Erica Sinclair Lucas's sassy little sister is always doing something awesome whenever she appears Erica Sinclair was first introduced in season two in the most minor of appearances...and yet she still made an impact. Her sassiness and confidence immediately felt fun and unique, so it was a welcome surprise when she became an upgraded character in season three. To me, she is exactly what I would've wanted Murray to be. Even when she's a series regular, Erica is not a major part of the show or consistently in every episode. She's used the right amount so that you appreciate and enjoy her personality and humor. I love that they made her so against Lucas's nerdiness in season three only for Dustin to convince her that she is actually a nerd...so she becomes this huge D&D player and this math whiz that might honestly be the nerdiest person in the show. But they manage to make her be both incredibly nerdy and confident, which just gives her a magnetic personality that you remember . 18. Karen Wheeler The Wheeler's powerful mother is always there for her children Season five finally allowed Karen Wheeler to get the public recognition that she deserves, because she is such an awesome character. Even though she isn't really involved in the main story of most of the seasons, she's always there as this mother who is trying to connect with her kids and keep her family together despite having a deadbeat husband. She has that mama bear instinct that you expect from a character like this, but it oftentimes remains subdued and quiet. Her strength lies in resilience and subtlety, but when it does explode out and you get these huge moments of her being a badass, it's awesome. Many of those moments obviously came in season five, whether it be her stabbing the Demogorgon with her wine bottle or her blowing up the Demodogs in the hospital. Either way, this character has always been one of the quiet strengths of Stranger Things , and I'm glad she got a few moments in the spotlight in season five. 17. Billy Hargrove One of the most tragic characters on the show is elevated by one of the best actors on the show I think Billy is a really, really good character who is as close to greatness as you can be without quite getting there. For almost all of season two, we understand him as this completely racist jerk who is horrible to Max, he's bullying Steve, and he's making some questionable comments about Lucas. We understand him more when we see that he is living in the shadow of an abusive father who just ridicules him every chance he gets. This is more expanded on in season three when we see that he did used to have a loving mother and became a monster when his mom left, which gives him more layers. When he does get infected by the Mind Flayer, his story becomes so tragic. You can see that he was once happy, but his life has just put him on this dark, sad path that ends with him becoming the Mind Flayer's pawn. Throughout season three, he has so many moments of quiet vulnerability where Dacre Montgomery just has the most painful, upset look despite him doing evil Mind Flayer things. I do love his redemption, but I wish we'd seen more real Billy and not just possessed Billy throughout the season so that we could understand him better as a person. I think that would've made him even more compelling and tragic, but as it stands, he's a very good character that is elevated by a stunning performance from Dacre Montgomery. 16. Martin Brenner The nefarious doctor behind it all has many more layers than you'd expect In season one, Brenner works as the enigmatic mad scientist who is chasing after Eleven. We don't really see him as a character. He feels more like this sinister force who is adding another layer of conflict and danger in the midst of Will's disappearance. Matthew Modine has this strangely calm yet very eerie presence that just makes Brenner intimidating as a character. In season four, however, he returns with a much more layered and complex role. He's still an undeniably bad human being, but you see that he does care about Eleven and does think of himself as her "papa" in his own twisted way. That's a really interesting way to complicate a character and make him more interesting without losing what made him villainous in the first place. Like so many of the smaller characters in Stranger Things , he just adds a little bit of nuance and complexity to the show that makes it better . 15. Bob Newby Sean Astin's ill-fated nerd was one of season two's biggest standouts One of the things Stranger Things is so good at doing is introducing characters that only stay with us for a season yet make such an impact. Bob the Brain is one of those characters. Sean Astin gives life to this guy that is just a good person at his core. When they call him "Bob Newby, Superhero", that means something. He doesn't have superpowers or abilites that make him special. His simple, good-natured character makes him a superhero. When all the stuff with Will starts going down, instead of being scared and abandoning Joyce, he tries to help. And he doesn't try to help in his own way. He tries to help by letting her direct him. He asks "What can I do?" and listens without asking any other questions. This ultimately leads to his absolutely gut-wrenching demise, which just hurts every single time you watch it. Bob is one of the highlights of season two. I absolutely adore this character. 14. Holly Wheeler The youngest Wheeler gets a very welcome and compelling expansion in season five I cheated a bit when I said Derek was the best new character in season five, because Holly is basically a new character. She has technically been in every season before this, but she finally has a role to play here, and it's a great one. We've spent so much of this show with Mike and Nancy, and Holly feels like the combination of the two of them. She has the quiet strength and power of Nancy while also having the loyal heart of gold that Mike has. I love this little arc that she gets where, through her relationship with Max, she discovers her courage and embraces herself as Holly the Heroic. You see this play out beautifully when Max, Eleven, and Kali do vanish from Camazotz in the finale and Holly is the one to step up and lead the kids away from Vecna and into the cave. If ever there was a sequel to Stranger Things (which I am not saying I want at all), I would want it to follow Holly Wheeler. 13. Joyce Byers The small but mighty matriarch of the show is one of the most consistent characters Much like Jonathan, Joyce is one of these characters that is consistently written throughout the show. She is arguably the main character of season one, and you immediately get this sense of unmatched love and protectiveness inside of her. She is so motivated to find Will that she does not care if everyone else views her as crazy. After seasons one and two, when Will is no longer in peril, she does kind of sit on the back-burner. She's not as major of a character, but they still find a way for her to have power and agency through smaller actions and moments. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She will stand up to Hopper, Murray, Vecna, evil Russians, whoever. She's not one of the flashiest characters in the show. She's not the one that gets the coolest moments (with the exception of her incredible F-bomb in the finale). But she is just consistently good, and that is enough. 12. Mike Wheeler One of season one's best characters finally gets back to form in season five Mike is the heart of the show in season one. The kids are really the main protagonists that we are following along, and Mike, being the main kid, is the one you are the most invested in. You see him have this deeply emotional bond with his friends which causes him to go out looking for Will. Once he meets Eleven, he extends that bond to her. Then they move away from that in seasons two through four. He becomes bratty and kind of annoying. But season five gets him back to his true, loyal self. One of my favorite parts of season five was how well they fixed his character. You see him being loyal and heading the hunt for Vecna. You see how much he cares about Will and Eleven and Holly and all of his other friends and family. Finn Wolfhard gives by far his best performance as this character in his final outing. Of course, the show ends with him giving a beautiful speech about his belief that Eleven did survive the destruction of the Upside Down and is living somewhere in peace. That is the Mike Wheeler I know and love. And I am so glad they got him back in season five. 11. Vecna The show's big bad is scary, mysterious, and compelling all at the same time I think introducing Vecna in season four was one of the best choices this show has ever made. Through three seasons, you view the Upside Down as this ethereal, alien dimension that feels Lovecraftian in its monsters and its construction. Having Vecna tie it all together makes the show feel more cohesive and just cooler . Beyond that, this dude is just awesome . The way he looks is memorable. The way he kills people is memorable. His voice is incredible. Jamie Campbell Bower knocks it out of the park with his performance both as the monstrous form of the character and as Henry Creel. I love how he ties everything back to Eleven and Hawkins Lab. And I honestly love the idea that he was a vessel that the Mind Flayer used but, instead of trying to fight back, he embraced that and joined forces with the horrors of the Abyss. For three seasons, Stranger Things did feel like it was missing a true big bad. Well, we got one, and he is perfect . 10. Lucas Sinclair One of the overlooked emotional cores of the show, especially in later seasons I get people who don't love Lucas, but I have never been in that camp. In season one, he's designed to be the antagonistic one in the friend group. He does not like Eleven. He doesn't want her there. But once he does come around, you see him as this loyal, caring character, even if he does have a slightly annoying side to him. Where Lucas really shines, however, is in the final two seasons. Season four gives him a really interesting arc where he is floating away from the nerdy flock and is joining the basketball team. That's such a real conflict that so many people in high school face. Wanting to be popular and fit in with the cool crowd is so relatable, and they really do a nice job of exploring that with Lucas. His relationship with Max, though, is what cements him as one of the show's emotional cores. You see how much he loves this girl and wants her to be okay, and his determination to help her through whatever she's going through makes him just an awesome character. 9. Nancy Wheeler The typical 80s girlfriend transforms into an Ellen Ripley-esc badass throughout the series If you don't love Lucas, I somewhat understand. I have seen people who dislike Nancy, and I just don't get that. I think she has one of the coolest arcs in the entire show. They give her something different to do each season. Season one, she's this John Hughes-esc good girl who has fallen into the popular crowd because of her jock boyfriend, but, after Barb goes missing, she starts turning into this Ripley-esc badass. Season two sees her deal with the guilt of Barb's death and the unfairness of the cover-up at Hawkins Lab. Season three, she pursues her dream of being a journalist only to be humiliated by a bunch of misogynistic dickwads, and she has to fight her way through that. Season four, she is working her own way through journalism and clearing her own path to success as she deals with her flailing relationship with Jonathan. Season five sees her embrace her independence and become the powerful woman that her mother is. Seeing Nancy Wheeler with a shotgun always gets me pumped. I don't care that Natalia Dyer is 5'4. She is a badass. 8. Will Byers The show's most wasted potential finally becomes one of its best characters in season five Will is such a strange character, because he's so integral to the central conflict of the show, but he never actually gets a ton to do. He's pretty active for about half of season two, but then he gets possessed by the Mind Flayer and then is completely sidelined for seasons three and four. Leading up to season five, the Duffers heavily teased that Will would be the emotional core. And they were correct. Will gets so many incredible moments that do feel like a completion of his character in this fifth and final season. The main themes of this season are about accepting one's identity, and so much of that hinges on Will accepting himself. Through four seasons, he's been kidnapped, used, cast aside, and in season five, he finally gets to fight back. Through his relationship with Robin, he discovers his inner agency and is able to unlock his powers in one of the most satisfying and incredible moments of the show. In the penultimate episode, he finally stops being afraid of Vecna by revealing that he is gay to his friends and family. Part of the reason Will was so sidelined in the past was because he was not comfortable in his own skin, but season five allows him to be and thus makes him one of the strongest characters in the entire show. 7. Eddie Munson One of the most immediately lovable and tragic characters in all of Stranger Things I'm only nineteen years old, so I haven't really been around for that many shows that are as big as Stranger Things . But I cannot imagine any shows have had a character appear for the fourth season and only the fourth season and make as big of an impact as Eddie Munson did. Everyone universally fell in love with this guy as soon as season four debuted. He's just so relatable. He starts off as this outsider, this freak that embraces his weirdness, but we see that he does actually have a soft side to him. When he sells drugs to Chrissy, you see that he is a truly good-hearted person who is just misconstrued by the people around him. And they continue that when he is framed for Chrissy's murder. After he sees Vecna kill Chrissy, he becomes terrified, and the world that rejected him now additionally hates him. Despite this, he has this beautiful arc of learning how not to run away. They give him this incredibly heartfelt big brother relationship with Dustin that shows you how much this guy cares about being your true self. He gets some of the best moments in season four, especially his Master of Puppets solo in the Upside Down. And, of course, his final moment of not running away and fighting the Demobats at the cost of his own life is possibly the most heart-breaking scene in the show. I love that Dustin carries on Eddie's legacy in season five, because this man is one of the best parts of the near-perfect season four. 6. Robin Buckley Maya Hawke's nervous weirdo shines for different reasons in all three seasons she's in This may be a relatively hot take, but I absolutely think that Robin is one of the best characters in Stranger Things . I love her introduction in season three as you see this person who has known Steve in his jerk era start to warm up to him because of this new development he's received through the first two seasons. You believe this is going somewhere romantic and then the Duffers pull off one of the most genius subversions in the show and reveal that she is gay. After she comes out to Steve, she becomes this much more open, bubbly person in the next two seasons who still works as this platonic, good friend that shows Steve he doesn't need a girlfriend to have purpose. But what really gets her this high is her role in season five. Will needs a little bit of some outside motivation to accept himself in the final season, and Robin provides that. She sees someone that feels so much like she did when she was closeted and slowly but surely helps motivate him to reveal his sexuality to his friends and family. Maya Hawke gives her best performance in season five and really solidifies Rockin' Robin as one of the best characters in the entire series. Before we move on, let me say one quick thing: I love all of the characters above these five. But none of them come close to my top five favorite characters in Stranger Things . These next five are legitimately some of my favorite characters in television. Honestly, they might be some of my favorite characters in all of fiction. To me, these characters at the top are at the core of what makes Stranger Things so special. So here we go. 5. Dustin Henderson The funniest member of the party is also the one who's got the most emotion tied to him I think pretty much everyone universally agrees that Dustin is the best of the main kids, and it's not really even close. Lucas, Mike, Will...they're great. But none of them are Dustin. What makes this character so great is how well they've developed him across seasons. In season one, he is the obvious standout because of how funny and charming he is. Gaten Matarazzo just has a uniquely hilarious energy that makes him the scene-stealer in that first season. In season two, though, they take him in a completely different route by pairing him up with Steve. Suddenly, the funniest character in season one now has this incredible brotherly bond to one of the other best characters in the show, and there's an emotional tie-in between the two of them. His character is defined by these relationships he crafts and how much he takes from Steve and Eddie, and that just makes him so lovable. You see how he admires those two and wants to be like them, and that idea is so endearing. This makes it even more devastating when he's a broken version of himself in season five after Eddie dies, and you see it affecting his relationship with Steve. Some of the most heart-breaking stuff in season five is when Dustin breaks down in Steve's arms and says he "can't let it happen again!" I love his final graduation speech as he does pay tribute to Eddie and embraces himself as the nerd and the freak that can also befriend those he normally wouldn't be expected to. I just adore Dustin. One of the best characters in all of TV. Okay. I love Dustin to death. He's so close to the top four. But when I tell you I have shuffled around this top four so many times, I mean it. Every single character in this top four has been my number one at some point. So think of it as these four characters being tied for the top spot. Because that's just how I'm choosing to think of it so I don't go insane. 4. Eleven The show's most iconic character gets an absolutely perfect ending in my eyes The reason that I view all of these characters as tied for the top spot is because they are all incredible for different reasons. Eleven is perhaps the most obvious reason. She's the main character. She gets the most screen time. The most development. And the best and coolest moments. They also give her so many different stories and types of development, and all of it feels consistent with her character. It's so interesting to have this abused girl who was a lab rat for most of her early development finally get released into the real world and meet good people who actually do care about her. Her entire arc in the show is about learning and becoming. The series-long story is basically just about her becoming a true human being, and there's something innately profound about that. If you just look at where she started, it really shows how great the development of this character has been. When she met Mike in the woods, she could barely talk. Throughout all of season one, most of her dialogue is a word or two. She didn't understand simple concepts like friendship. And, by the end of season five, she finally understands that she can choose . She can have agency and make her own life decisions without anyone forcing her to do anything. And that is what ultimately motivates her to go down with the Upside Down. So she doesn't have to live a life on the run. So she doesn't have to put her loved ones in danger. That's such a powerful way to wrap up this incredible character who has been the face of the show since she first walked into our hearts with that torn hospital gown. 3. Max Mayfield The most heartbreaking and uplifting character on the show...and the one I connect with most It pains me to not put Max in the top spot, because in a way, she's my favorite character on the show. She is the one that I truly connect with the most. Her arc of overcoming trauma and depression and trying to reconnect with the life inside you is so powerful to me. When I'm having a bad day or am just feeling down, one of my go-to methods of making myself feel better is watching the Running Up That Hill sequence, because it is such a powerful message. And so much of that is due to how they've built up and executed Max's character. She has this complicated relationship with Billy that you see affect her personality and the way she acts around the boys. After Billy's death, you see her struggle with how to handle that. The Duffers played this beautifully, because you see that Max has some mixed emotions about losing Billy. The guy was horrible to her, but he was her brother at the end of the day. And they let her confess those mixed emotions. That's so beautiful and tragic to me. I love that she is this target of Vecna's that ultimately does choose her friends and her life instead of giving into the depression and grief that Vecna represents. And we see that even continued in season five as she desperately searches for a way out of Camazotz and back to Lucas. I love that they give her this mentor role with Holly where she teaches the youngest Wheeler to believe in herself and choose life . To me, Max is just representative of optimism and hope and how friendship and love can carry you through the worst of times. That is such a powerful concept. And, of course, Sadie Sink is just the only person that could play this role. She is, in my opinion, the best actor on the show, so she just adds the cherry on top of this already perfect character. God. Writing this blurb makes me want to move Max to the true top spot. This is why I say they're all tied for me, guys. Because these four are truly some of my favorite characters in all of fiction. 2. Steve Harrington The greatest redemptive arc in all of TV makes for one of the best characters in all of TV What do I say about this character that hasn't already been said? Steve Harrington is the fan-favorite for a reason. Because he is one of the best characters in the history of television. Again, one of the things Stranger Things does so well is subvert classic 80s tropes and turn them into something much better. Steve might be the best example of that. In season one, he is the worst . The dude straight-up sucks...but you get the sense that there may be more to him than meets the eye. And, after he gets punched in the face by Jonathan, you see that he realizes he might be the jerk. He becomes truly introspective and realizes that he was in the wrong, so he goes and apologizes to Nancy and Jonathan...and, in the process, saves them from the Demogorgon. That redemption is, in my opinion, the best redemptive arc in all of TV (I would give it to Jaime Lannister, but season eight exists). And, of course, they continue that incredible development in season two, where you see him form this incredible bromance with Dustin. From the same character who was a bully and a jerk in season one blossoms the world's greatest babysitter, who cares deeply about everyone around him. He is so protective of the kids and Nancy and Robin, and you just see that ooze out in every action he takes. He is always learning how to be a better person, whether it's through finding out that Robin is gay or being alienated from Dustin in season five. He is always able to step back and realize what he can do better, and that is so unique and powerful for a character who was such a jerk in the first season. I was Steve Harrington for Halloween this past year. I have a poster of him hung up in my apartment. This dude is probably one of my five or ten favorite TV characters of all time. I mean, all of the top four are probably in the top five or ten, but you know what I mean. There's just one character who barely, barely, barely edges out Steve. 1. Jim Hopper One of the most compelling fictional characters of all time If you combine everything I love about a character: powerful arcs, great, memorable personalities, cool moments, emotional bonds...Jim Hopper checks every single box. When you meet him, he is this checked-out, alcoholic police chief. He is just so unable to pull himself out of this spiral of darkness and depression that he has been down since his daughter's death. Initially, he does not treat Joyce's claims that Will is missing seriously. But as he does more investigating and digs a bit more, he sees that something is truly wrong. And, through this, he gets a chance at redemption. He gets to rediscover himself and the great man he once was by helping to find and save this kid when he couldn't save his own daughter. That is such a powerful, emotional arc that hits me every time I watch season one. And they are able to continue that level of power and emotion by giving him another daughter: Eleven. Season two onwards sees Hopper rediscover how to be a father , and that is just as powerful as watching him rediscover his own greatness. You see his anger and overprotectiveness and fear get in the way of his relationship with El. You see him struggle with what to do. And, at the end of season five, he faces his worst fear: losing another daughter. It's devastating , watching him have to accept that Eleven is going to sacrifice herself, but you see him process this and eventually learn to live with it. His final conversation with Mike is the perfect completion of his arc. You see him tell Mike to not go down the path that he went down after he lost Sarah. He can still live , which is what Eleven would have wanted. What a perfect way to end this absolutely perfect character. And, although I would say Max, Steve, and Eleven are all my favorite characters in this show (and Dustin, too, although he's maybe just a slight step below), with a gun to my head, Hopper is my favorite.

I believe. Wow. After ten years, five seasons, and forty-two fantastic episodes, Stranger Things has finally come to a close. I was ten years old when I started watching this show. I turn twenty this year. Like so many of you, this show ending feels like a chapter of my life coming to a close. This past year, and these past few months especially, I have been covering Stranger Things non-stop, but this is perhaps my most ambitious and epic post I’ve done yet. I rewatched the entire show earlier in 2025, and, during it, I prepared this ranking. And, finally, with the show being done, I can share it with all of you. So, that being said, here is my ranking of every single episode of Stranger Things . Click the links down below to go to a certain section, because this is a long one. 42-36 / 35-31 / 30-26 / 25-21 / 20-16 / 15-11 / 10-6 / 5-1 42. The Lost Sister Season 2, Episode 7 It's nice to get this out of the way quickly, because this is my favorite show of all time and it just ended and I want to talk positively about it. This is the only episode of Stranger Things that is truly bad, and it's for a bunch of different reasons. I actually think that the episode could've been good with a few minor changes, but without those changes, it's a really bad entry in what is one of the most consistently great shows ever made. The Lost Sister finds itself smack dab in the middle of a great cliffhanger and a penultimate episode, and it is a slow, weird entry in the series. Everything is rushed: Eleven's relationship with Kali being the main thing. They knew each other when they were toddlers, but they are just accepting that they are "sisters". Kali acts like she knows everything Eleven has been through, but that's simply not possible. The supporting characters are cartoonish and cringe. This entire episode was a secret backdoor pilot for a spin-off TV show, and that just feels kind of dirty to me, so I really, really dislike this episode. It is the only bump in what is a fantastic road. I also do actually really like the foreshadowing of Brenner secretly being alive. That didn't pay off until season four, but it definitely makes this episode slightly more interesting. 11/10 Moment : I do actually kind of like what this episode does for El's character, and I think her final decision is actually a powerful moment. I don't love the arc that led her here, but I feel like the choice to return to Hawkins is earned and shows the power and impact that characters like Mike and Hopper have had on her. That montage of friendship that makes El realize she misses her friends in Hawkins pulls on the heartstrings, so it definitely has a few effective moments, but the episode as a whole is just a miss. Best Easter Egg(o) : There's not many to choose from here, but I'm actually going with a song choice. Runaway by Bon Jovi is a classic 80s song that has been used in many pieces of 80s media, and Millie Bobby Brown is actually married to Jon Bon Jovi's son, so I'm counting that as an easter egg. 41. Suzie, Do You Copy? Season 3, Episode 1 The first episodes of any given Stranger Things season besides the first are usually some of the weakest in the season, and that is definitely the case with season three. Suzie, Do You Copy? picks up in the summer of 1985 and sees all of our characters really at their happiest. That's not a bad thing, but with them being happy for some reason comes them being unlikable and weird. The tonal shift from the dark end of season two to the bright, eye-popping beginning of season three is already jarring, but the characters just act annoying in this episode. Mike and Hopper especially act incredibly immature towards each other, but Dustin, Lucas, and even Steve are a bit ridiculous. I also am not a huge fan of the big Russian machine thing, and that receives a lot of attention in this episode. Look, I enjoy spending time with these characters and I think season three is still great, but this is definitely one of the series's weakest episodes. 11/10 Moment : This is kind of a non-traditional pick, but I really love the moment when Karen sees Ted and Holly sleeping in the chair. Ted is a complete goober throughout the entire show, so you kind of understand why Karen would consider cheating on him with Billy, but you can tell that her motherly, familial instincts kick in when she sees her husband cuddled up with her daughter. It's a really touching moment from some of the weaker Stranger Things characters. Pride of the Party : Joyce Byers. There are very few times up to this point that we've seen a non-stressed out Joyce, so it's nice to get that here. We see her educating Hopper on how to be a dad, but we also see her dealing with her own problems and her loneliness without Bob. She feels like the only character in this episode that is acting normal and dealing with true issues that hit you in the feels. Best Easter Egg(o) : This is a pretty broad homage, but the Russians being villains is one of the biggest, most overused tropes in 80s movies, so I think it is actually very clever of Stranger Things to do that here even if I'm not crazy about the plot line as a whole. 40. The Flayed Season 3, Episode 5 This feels like a necessary but frustrating episode. There were some dots that needed to be connected to get us into the final act of the season, but the way they connected those dots was kind of underwhelming. I think the entire Russian plot with the gang that is pictured above is very illogical and too 80s. The 80s aspects of Stranger Things is one of my favorite parts of the show, but this feels 80s in the wrong ways. I also feel like the whole Invasion of the Body Snatchers plot with the Mind Flayer infecting these people and then turning them into goop is just done in an uninteresting way. We turned Nancy's jerk boss from the Hawkins Post into an evil goop monster? I think we can do better, guys. It's still Stranger Things , so the group dynamics and characters are still tons of fun to hang out with, but this episode really encapsulates all the frustrations from season three. I also genuinely hate it when Hopper steals the car. That is so out of character and ridiculous from him, and it really, really pisses me off. 11/10 Moment : I love moments of Joyce going off on people because Winona Ryder is a great actress, so her screaming at Murray for being an immature brat is awesome. She has so much resilience and strength, and it all comes out in moments like these. I like Murray, but sometimes he needs to be humbled, and he gets a nice mouthful from Joyce that I think is just fantastic. Pride of the Party : Alexei. The characters are not at their most likable in this episode, and the next few episodes have some great moments from some other characters, so I'm giving Alexei a shoutout here. He is so endearing and lovable, which is exactly the opposite of how most Russians are portrayed in the 80s. I really enjoy his character throughout the season, and this is our first real episode where we get to spend time with him. Best Easter Egg(o) : This is an easter egg throughout the whole season, but to me, it's most apparent in this episode. Grigori, the Russian assassin who is tracking down Hopper, is clearly inspired by the Terminator himself. 39. The Mall Rats Season 3, Episode 2 The second episode of season three is a slight improvement on the first, but not by much. On the positive side, Billy being infected by the Mind Flayer is much scarier than Will, and Dacre Montgomery does a fantastic job of being really, really intimidating while also showing a more vulnerable side to his character. I also enjoy El and Max together. The montage of them in the mall is tons of fun. However, I still feel like this episode doesn't move the plot forward a ton and the characters still have really angsty moments where they are at their most unlikable. Like, Will's only character trait in these first two episodes are him begging his friends to play D&D. That's not great writing or characterization, and I feel that way about a lot of the kids especially. I think it does a good job of setting up where we're eventually going in this season, but as an individual episode, it's definitely still a weaker entry in the overall show. 11/10 Moment : I do love the moment when Steve figures out that the Russian signal is coming from the mall. It's was a nice, subtle setup when he recognized the music, and the payoff is really cool when he puts some quarters in the little horse thing and the music plays. Not crazy about the Russian plot as a whole, but that's a really cool and clever little moment. Pride of the Party : Robin Buckley. Robin may have been introduced in the last episode, but this is the episode where she really takes the spotlight for the first time. Her sarcasm is really funny, but I love that she immediately just wants to help decode the Russian message with Dustin. She's in without asking any questions, and I kind of love that about her, so she definitely gets MVP for this episode. Best Easter Egg(o) : Cary Elwes makes his first appearance as Larry Kline, the sleazy mayor of Hawkins. Kline is worse than this character, but he is very reminiscent of Larry Vaughn, the mayor from Jaws , who cares more about the Fourth of July festivities than the well-being of the townspeople. 38. Will the Wise Season 2, Episode 4 I feel like this episode encapsulates all of my problems with season two: the plot lines are a bit too disconnected and a bit too dragged out. I do love the Mind Flayer as a villain and I think it possessing Will is a great arc, but here, it begins to feel a bit derivative of season one. Joyce is freaked out. The boys realize something is wrong. Hawkins Lab is being suspicious. All of these are beats that we saw in the first season, so it's less interesting now. I also really don't like the Dart plot line all that much because it feels out of character for Dustin to not tell his friends, and this is where it's at its most prevalent and worst. This is still Stranger Things , so the episode is still good, but it's definitely one of the weaker episodes of the entire show. 11/10 : Hopper and El's argument is a very frustrating moment because you want these two to get along, but I think it's a really good moment. You see Hopper still struggling to try and figure out how to be a father and you also see Eleven struggling with understanding that her actions have consequences. There is some powerful acting from David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown, so I have to give it to this one. Pride of the Party: Will Byers. This is not the best episode for any of our characters, but Will has some standout moments here. He is dealing with being infected by the Mind Flayer, and we see him start to lose himself while also trying to fight it at the same time. Noah Schnapp really shines in this season, and the sheer terror that he is able to emit through his line delivery and facial expressions in this episode is really fantastic. Best Easter Egg(o) : When Hopper drops down into the Upside Down tunnels, it's very reminiscent of when Indiana Jones falls into the snake pit in Raiders of the Lost Ark . 37. Vecna's Curse Season 4, Episode 2 The sophomore episode of season four feels like the garbage dump. That sounds really negative, but what I mean by that is that this feels like the episode most dedicated to the least interesting subplots of the season. I hate Eleven's bullying plot line, because the bullies are so cruel and neither Mike nor Will ever stands up for her and it really pisses me off. This is really the end of that plot, so I'm happy that it's over, but I really don't like it. Likewise, Jason is one of my least favorite aspects of the season, and this is where his somewhat over-the-top mob mentality thing starts. I do love what it does for Lucas's character, however, and I also love the other Hawkins main characters. The main Hawkins group begins to look for Eddie, which is super fun, and Nancy starts to investigate Chrissy's death. That is the real meat of this episode, and when it focuses on it, it really works. I also like the building mystery of Hopper and Russia. It takes a little while for the plot line to get going, but this episode does a good job of building intrigue. This episode still has some high points, but it feels like the lowest points in season four are here, which isn't bad, because this is still a pretty solid entry. 11/10 Moment : The Vecna attacks are just so awesome and terrifying, so Fred's death is my favorite moment here. It's pretty obvious that Chrissy is going to be Vecna's victim right from the start, but Fred seems like an unconventional choice, so it's pretty surprising when the cop starts turning into a demon in front of him. I love the chase through the woods with Wayne Munson's voiceover, and the terror and trauma of Fred watching his dead friend climb from the flaming car before dying is so horrific. Pride of the Party : Dustin Henderson. Dustin is one of the MVP's of this season as a whole, and this is where it starts. After Max (who was a close runner-up for MVP) tells him what she saw the night before, he immediately goes to find Eddie. I love that he is immediately defensive of Eddie and wants to help him. He recognizes Eddie's terror when he finds him and allows him to join them in the fight against the Upside Down. He does a great job of keeping the peace between Steve and Eddie as well, which I just love. Best Easter Egg(o) : As much as I hate Eleven getting bullied, the scene of her getting chocolate milk (I think that's what it is) thrown on her while everyone laughs at her is a clear nod to Carrie , where a telekinetic girl gets humiliated in front of a crowd laughing at her by getting pig's blood dumped on her. 36. The Bridge Season 5, Episode 7 The penultimate episode of the entire series has been the internet’s punching bag since it debuted, and it’s not that bad. In fact, I think it’s a pretty good episode, but let’s address the negatives first. This does not feel like the penultimate entry of Stranger Things . It does not really increase the tension or build to this epic showdown with Vecna. It has moments of telling us that the stakes are incredibly high and the danger is incredibly close, but we don’t really feel any of that. Where it does succeed, however, is in the character beats and emotional moments. I simply do not understand the hate that people are throwing at Will’s coming out scene. I thought it was a beautiful, cathartic payoff to five seasons of setting up this character’s sexuality, and I do think that launches us into the finale nicely. On top of that, Lucas and Max’s reunion was just perfect. Sadie Sink proves once again that she is one of this show’s best performers while Caleb McLaughlin proves that he is one of the show’s most underrated performers. Dustin and Steve’s exchange as they fully reconcile their problems is fantastic. Watching the group come together for one last battle, even if it doesn’t feel as epic as I’d like, is still very exciting. The Bridge might be far from the best episode of Stranger Things , but it is also far from the worst. 11/10 Moment : I am going with two moments here, because I can’t choose. And they are the two main ones I mentioned in my blurb. The first is Lucas and Max’s reunion. The episode opens with Max finally waking up and seeing Lucas’s tear-stroked face as the two have a truly powerful conversation. Sink and McLaughlin’s chemistry, both charismatically and emotionally, just makes this the best romantic pairing in the entire series. We’ve been waiting all of season five for this moment, and it was absolutely perfect. The other moment is, of course, Will coming out to all of his friends and family. Will Byers has been through the ringer in this series, and one of my favorite parts of season five is them finally giving him some agency and some important stuff to do. Vecna preys on the deepest fears and insecurities of our heroes, so it makes sense that Will would have this fear of abandonment. He combats that by revealing to the entire cast that he is gay, and the response from all of the characters just gets the tears flowing. Charlie Heaton’s teary-eyed promise of never abandoning Will kicks off all of the other people that care about him joining in, and it is just one of the show’s most cathartic and satisfying moments. I don’t care what people say. This was a fantastic way for Will to reveal that he is gay. Pride of the Party: Dustin Henderson and Steve Harrington. The show’s best duo have been at each other’s throats all season, and, after Dustin broke down in Escape from Camazotz and told Steve he couldn’t lose him to, the two finally get it together and reconcile. Dustin admits that he’s been distancing himself because of how scarred he is from Eddie’s death, and Steve understands that. The two say that they missed each other and hug. On top of that, Steve comes up with the final plan to defeat Vecna, which is a pretty awesome moment. These two characters are one of the core elements of this show, so giving them one final great moment together before the finale makes them the episode’s MVPs. Best Easter Egg(o): This is kind of a real-life easter egg (which was confirmed by Jamie Campbell Bower) but Vecna and his attitude in Camazotz is very reminiscent of Jim Jones and Jonestown. 35. The Flea and the Acrobat Season 1, Episode 5 This is the closest thing to a "filler" episode we have in the first season of Stranger Things , but it's still a very good entry. Will's body has been discovered, but our characters know it's a fake. The boys continue their quest. Hopper actually searches Hawkins Lab. And Lonnie returns for Will's funeral and pretends to be a father and a husband. This episode still has some great moments: Lucas's frustration at Eleven reaches a peak and he breaks off from the group, Joyce kicks Lonnie out, Hop begins to realize something is very shady about Hawkins Lab...but it feels like this is the only episode in the first season without the "umph" factor. There's not that standout character moment or emotional scene to elevate this episode. There's a lot of exposition and characters walking around yelling at each other. I know I'm being slightly negative here, but season one is so great that I feel like I have to justify putting one of its episodes lower. This is still a good episode, but it is definitely the weakest in the opening season. 11/10 Moment : I absolutely love Mr. Clarke (and wish that he had been my middle school science teacher) and I think his explanation of alternate dimensions is so much fun. His dynamic with the boys is great in this first season, and his example of the flea and the acrobat actually makes a weird amount of sense. It's a really well-written exposition dump because the boys are always great and Mr. Clarke is just so likable. Pride of the Party : Joyce Byers. Throughout the season, we've really seen her mostly be manic and crazy and emotional, but in this episode, we finally see her strength overtake that insanity. Lonnie Byers is a complete jerk, and he comes back after Will's "death", pretending to be a good parent, but really, he just wants to cash a check for a wrongful death lawsuit. When Joyce finds out, she goes ballistic. Winona Ryder nails her anger and her power as she kicks Lonnie out, so she was absolutely the best character in this episode. Best Easter Egg(o) : As they track down the gate to the Upside Down, the kids are walking along train tracks, a clear nod to Stand by Me . 34. Trick or Treat, Freak Season 2, Episode 2 Up to this point in the show, Stranger Things has had pretty much great episode after great episode. There's rarely bad moments on the show, but I feel like season one lacks them at all, so this episode is a bit strange because there are actual moments I dislike. I do not like the party scene with Nancy and Steve. I don't like Billy going crazy and almost hitting the boys with his car. However...I do really like the continued development of our characters, which is very present in this episode. Max joins the group for real here, which is awesome. We see what happened to Eleven after she killed the Demogorgon. We got a glimpse of the Mind Flayer in episode one, but we get the full-on unfolding of it here, and it is terrifying. I think this episode has some very high highs but definitely more lows than the show is used to. 11/10 Moment : I love the scene when El sees Mike in her head. I think there was some great acting by both Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard, and it just hits you how much being separated is hurting both of these characters. There's a glimmer of hope as Mike almost sees Eleven, but that quickly vanishes when he closes the walkie-talkie and leaves the vision. It's a great, sad moment. Pride of the Party : Max Mayfield. She is one of my favorite characters on the show, and, although she got introduced last episode, this is where we really start to get to know her. I love how cool she is and how cool the boys think she is. Sadie Sink's grumpy but also energetic personality is fun, and I just really enjoy her dynamic with the group. Best Easter Egg(o) : This is a Halloween episode, so, naturally, there's a bunch of Halloween references. The first of two is when El dresses up as a ghost, a clear nod to the ghost costume in that film. The second is when Max jumpscares the boys in the Michael Myers mask. I love Halloween , so I love allusions to it. 33. MADMAX Season 2, Episode 1 Season two kicks off with a pretty good episode. It's always fun to spend time with the characters when they aren't dealing with the terror of the Upside Down, and this is that while also setting up where we're going in season two. The major thing here, however, is the introduction of a bunch of new characters. Max and Billy are the obvious highlights, but this is the first time that we meet Murray, Bob, and Dr. Owens. Stranger Things expands its world and its characters in one episode alone, and I love that. The plot and structure of the episode are the thing that holds it back from being a top tier hour, however. The episode is a bit all over the place, and I find some of the plot lines to be less compelling than others. The Barb plot is especially frustrating, because it just feels like they are going nowhere with it. She's dead and Nancy feels guilty...what else is there to it? Also, the introduction with 008 is cool, which is super disappointing, because, as you know, The Lost Sister is the show's weakest episode. 11/10 Moment : Definitely the ending. This is probably the episode of the show that Eleven is in the least, but it's a great final reveal when you see Hopper walk in and El is there. Their relationship is probably my favorite in the show, so watching it bud here is amazing. It also allows you to reinterpret Hopper's actions throughout the episode. He's playing the part of the downbeat, drunk chief that he was in the beginning of season one, but that's really just a facade to hide Eleven. It's an awesome moment, and it kicks off one of my favorite aspects of Stranger Things . Pride of the Party : Will Byers. This is the first time that we've really spent time with Will, and we kind of see the episode play out from his point of view. We understand his struggles and his wanting to feel normal despite the terrible things that have happened to him. This sets up a really sympathetic character that we can immediately latch on to, and that's nice. I like that Will gets a more active role in season two despite still being the victim. It allows us to experience different emotions regarding the same character, and I think that's clever writing. Best Easter Egg(o) : When Will is in his house and flashes to the Upside Down, we get a great reference to Close Encounters of the Third Kind . The shot of Will walking outside the doorway with flashing lights in the sky is pulled directly from that film, and it's very cool. 32. The Pollywog Season 2, Episode 3 Much like the second episode of the second season, The Pollywog has some very high highs but also some low lows. I enjoy Dart initially - I think that the boys' curiosity and eventual realization of what he is is a lot of fun. I'll talk about this later, but I love Bob's speech about "Mr. Baldo". The final scene with the Mind Flayer is, in my opinion, one of the scariest moments in the show. Where this episode falters for me a bit is Eleven. I don't mind her leaving her isolation, but it felt like it wasn't set up very well. It felt like she was all of the sudden frustrated at Hop and decided to leave, ignoring all of the safety precautions. That aspect is so frustrating because I love the scenes of the two of them cleaning up the cabin and setting up the trip wire and stuff like that. This is, as most Stranger Things episodes are, still a very good hour of TV. I just think season two is a bit more flawed than the other seasons. 11/10 Moment : The final scene is awesome. The Mind Flayer is probably my favorite-looking monster on the show, and I think this is its scariest moment. I love the way its edited, too. Cutting between Will's conversation with Bob about confronting the nightmare and the Mind Flayer infecting Will is just so effective. Noah Schnapp's acting here is also fantastic . He is really underrated throughout this entire show, and he absolutely sells the standing up to this malevolent creature while also being terrified. The visual of the shadow tendrils engulfing all of the holes in Will's face is so unsettling and just makes me cringe in fear every time I see it. Pride of the Party : The Mind Flayer. Unconventional pick, I know, but as I said, I think he is the coolest-looking monster on the show. I don't think Stranger Things is very scary, but the Mind Flayer actually manages to freak me out in this episode. For that, it gets the MVP. The shadow spider is just so unsettling. I don't have much else to say besides that. Best Easter Egg(o) : Bob's conversation with Will (which was a close runner-up for my favorite moment) is, in my opinion, the best easter egg in the show. He tells him about a clown that haunted him when he was a kid. Pair that with the fact that he mentioned earlier that he was from Maine and you've got one hell of a reference to It . Bob is very subtly but very clearly talking about Pennywise, and it is awesome. 31. The Nina Project Season 4, Episode 5 I feel like The Nina Project struggles from being the episode that has to come after Dear Billy . You go from one of the greatest sequences in the history of television to what is basically a setup episode. That can make the episode feel underwhelming, but I still think it's pretty solid. The one major negative I have is actually the return of Brenner. I love that he comes back and I think his character is used incredibly in the rest of the season, but I do kind of feel as though the actual scene where he comes back feels anti-climactic. This guy is so important, and they don't really give appropriate weight to his return. I also feel like it lessens Owens as a character because he doesn't warn El about this. Besides that, I do think this episode feels like it does a good job of moving our characters towards their final spots for the season. El needs to get her powers back. The main Hawkins group investigates the Creel house. Jason and his basketball crew finally discover Eddie. I think this episode also has some of the season's funniest moments. Murray doing karate to defeat Yuri is so fun. And, of course, we get introduced to the friendly orderly in Eleven's flashbacks. Wonder who that could be. 11/10 Moment : This is a pretty small moment, but I really love it: Lucas and Max's small interactions in the Creel house. These two are some of the best characters across the whole season, and it's nice to see them re-ignite their romance after Max's near-death experience. Lucas turns on the goofy, dorky charm and Max finally responds to it with a laugh. There's a really touching moment where Lucas tells her that he missed her laugh, which just hits so much harder when you know where this story goes. Pride of the Party : Although I'm annoyed at the actual scene where he returns, Martin Brenner has to be this episode's MVP. Since his "death" in the first season, there had always been speculation that he would return. They teased it throughout season two. And, finally, we get the reveal that he is alive. I love that they don't really change who he is as a character, but is now essentially a protagonist. Eleven needs him, even if she doesn't want to have to rely on him. Matthew Modine is so good at being charming and fatherly while also always looking like he has an ulterior motive. Brenner's arc in this season is just so interesting, so for that, I have to give him MVP. Best Easter Egg(o) : When Mike and Will call the number that Unknown Hero Agent Man left them, they reference WarGames , which is a forgotten classic of the 80s. 30. The Case of the Missing Lifeguard Season 3, Episode 3 I feel like this episode is half the struggles of the first part of season three and half the awesomeness of the back half of season three. It's still a bit too bright and the characters are still really angsty, but as you get further into the episode, you start to get a bit more of an idea of where this season is headed. Lucas and Mike are really difficult to watch in this episode just because of how obsessed they are with Eleven and Max, but it leads to a really great moment as we see Will break down and struggle with growing up and his friends not wanting to be kids anymore. Likewise, Eleven and Max are really angsty here too, but it leads them to Billy, where they notice things are wrong pretty fast. Beyond just building tension for further down the line, this episode has some truly hilarious moments. I love the scene where Dustin and Steve think the Jazzercise instructor is an evil Russian. Season three definitely has the rockiest beginning of any season, but it really pays off when you get the building tension of this episode and then the big turning point of episode four. 11/10 Moment : Will destroying Castle Byers is one of my favorite moments on the show. Noah Schnapp is probably the best actor of the four boys, and he is really good at delivering on emotional moments. His anger and sadness really shines through as we flash back and watch the boys when they were kids right before he takes the bat to the the fort. It's a really emotional moment, because you understand that Will has missed out on a part of his childhood due to his Upside Down connection. I absolutely love it. Pride of the Party : Jim Hopper. Season three is not Hop's best, but there are still shades of the best of him throughout, and they make a quick appearance here. Despite frustration of getting stood up by Joyce, Hopper continues to help her out when she believes that the Upside Down might be back. His loyalty and unwavering protection of her even when she's pissing him off is what makes him this episode's MVP. Best Easter Egg(o) : Deep-cut incoming...the episode title is a reference to Nancy Drew and the Mysterious Case of the Missing Fertilizer , which is pretty meta, because the jerks at the Hawkins Post mockingly call Nancy "Nancy Drew". 29. The Monster and the Superhero Season 4, Episode 3 Season four, like most seasons of Stranger Things , takes a bit to get going, but the back half of this episode is where things start to ramp up. It starts off by focusing on some of the weaker plot lines of the season, specifically El getting bullied, but once we get past that, this is an awesome entry. I love the return of Sam Owens and his offer to Eleven. The mystery of Vecna in Hawkins starts to get more interesting as we learn about Victor Creel. Nancy and Robin are a fun duo that I enjoy spending time with. And, of course, this sets up Max's journey for the rest of the season as we learn that she is Vecna's next victim. The revelation feels both inevitable and shocking, and it leads into what is probably my favorite sequence in the show, which we will talk about much later in this list. This episode may start off a bit rocky, but once you get past Eleven reuniting with Owens, it gets pretty frickin' awesome. 11/10 Moment : I love Dr. Owens's taking of Eleven. El has had it rough in the beginning of this season, and her bad luck is capped off when she gets arrested. It seems like things are going worse when a bunch of cars pull up to the side of her transport truck and government agents appear to be taking her from the police. There is a collective sigh of relief when Owens steps out of the car and reveals himself to be saving Eleven from going to juvie. It's a very fun moment that sets the stage for the next steps of the season. Pride of the Party : I'm going with two here: first off is Sam Owens. Dr. Owens is one of the most underrated characters in Stranger Things , and his return here is so much fun. I love how loyal he is to Eleven and how badly he truly wants to help her. The second MVP is Lucas Sinclair. Lucas has not gotten his flowers throughout this ranking, but season four really does some interesting things with his character. I love that they keep some intrigue as to whether or not he is betraying his friends for the basketball guys, and it's an awesome reveal when we discover that he's been tricking Jason and is, of course, loyal to Dustin and Eddie. Best Easter Egg(o) : The entire backstory of the Creel House seems like a reference to The Amityville Horror , in which there's a demon supposedly haunting a house and torturing this family in the 50s. 28. Shock Jock Season 5, Episode 5 The fifth episode of season five does a really nice job of recovering from the insanity of episode four. I actually think that idea of being sort of a recovery episode both helps and hurts this one. After all the awesome action and payoffs, this episode slows down a bit and gives us a sense of where things are going in the second half of the season. We get a lot of Max and Holly. Steve and Dustin’s antagonism towards each other reaches a breaking point as Steve makes some cruel comments about Eddie and Dustin responds by fighting him. This episode really sets up the heavy emotions that we are going to feel in this back half of season five, and it caps off nicely with an incredible sequence as Will overtakes Vecna’s body and tells Max to run. Like much of volume two, this episode is completely over-hated. I think it’s really, really good. 11/10 Moment : Will taking over Vecna’s body was probably the most exciting moment of volume two of season five. I’m glad that we didn’t hold back on seeing Will with powers again. After Sorcerer , I was a bit worried that they’d wait until the finale to show us him harnessing the power of the hive mind, but they don’t. They shock a Demogorgon to life to get Will close and then he frickin’ takes over Vecna’s body and snaps his legs. Noah Schnapp is so good at this harsh, badass acting when Will is in powers mode, and his screams at Max to run are just chilling. This was a fantastic way to end episode five and it really solidifies Will as the season’s best character. Pride of the Party : Unsurprisingly, the MVP of this episode is Will Byers. Anytime this guy uses those powers, it’s just so awesome. I love how he has suddenly become one of the biggest threats to Vecna alongside Eleven. Seeing him fight back against the monsters and the evil that has haunted him for so long is just one of the coolest and most satisfying things season five has given us. Alongside his already incredible moment with him taking over Vecna’s body, I love that he still interacts with Robin about his sexuality. You can see him slowly embracing himself as a person, which leads to his coming out party in The Bridge . Best Easter Egg(o): Robin's not so subtle reference to Young Frankenstein comes when she says "It's pronounced Fronkensteen!", which perfectly fits her character. 27. The Weirdo on Maple Street Season 1, Episode 2 The second episode of Stranger Things is almost as good as the first. The group is fully together, and it's very fun to see the boys interact with Eleven for the first time. And that's really the highlight of the episode. Other things, like Joyce's furthering paranoia and Jonathan confronting his dad, are nice little subplots, too. It's so interesting to watch all of these characters at the beginning of their journeys, and, in a way, it feels like this episode is the true kick-off to the show. Sure, the first episode has the inciting incident and establishes the world, but it feels like this is where the actual story begins. Not a huge fan of the Barb-Nancy stuff, but it works to set up Nancy's arc, so I give it a pass. 11/10 Moment : As I said, the boys' interactions with Eleven are absolutely incredible, and the best moment they have is when they discover El's telekinesis. The episode sets up Lucas being skeptical of Eleven, and he is about to run downstairs and tell Mike's parents about her, but El slams the door shut with a cold "No." The look of astonishment on all three of the boys' faces is priceless, and makes this scene the best in the episode. Pride of the Party : Eleven. In episode one, we see El meet Benny and establish her powers, but we don't really see her interact with anyone besides Benny. This is the first time she's probably ever interacted with regular kids her age, and she is really endearing and scary at the same time. We get the soft, naive moments, but we also see her start to understand the world around her and how she can use her powers. Millie's best performance is in season one, and she kills it in this episode. This is how you can act with such little dialogue. Eleven is Stranger Things 's most iconic character, and it all starts here. Best Easter Egg(o) : When Joyce sees the Demogorgon for the first time as it comes through her wall, it is a clear reference to Freddy Krueger's iconic push through Nancy Thompson's wallpaper in A Nightmare on Elm Street . 26. The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler Season 5, Episode 2 The widely speculated episode did indeed end up being the kidnapping of Holly Wheeler. After the major cliffhanger of the first episode, we immediately kick into high gear with a terrifying Demogorgon attack. Ted and Karen get brutalized by the creature before it drags Holly into the Upside Down. That whole opening sequence was a tension-filled masterclass that really lets you feel the danger and stakes of the season off the bat. The ending was also really eerie and mysterious (despite being a bit predictable), but it left me super, super eager to see what happens next. The middle of the episode was a little bit slower, but continued the work of episode one by building out where each and every character is. I loved the pairing of Will and Robin. It brought out the best in both of them, and I think they're really doing a great job of allowing Will to come into his own. I think some of the character beats 11/10 Moment : Ross Duffer teased that this would be the craziest cold open they had ever done. I don't know if it's quite that, but it is definitely up there. Backed by ABBA's Fernando , the viciously scary Demogorgon attack on the Wheeler house really does make it feel like no one is safe in this season. We finally see Karen get to actively protect her children from the horrors of the Upside Down, even if she does not succeed. The scene has the same tension and eeriness as Will's disappearance in season one, but the horror is much more visceral and allows for a truly shocking open. Pride of the Party: Nancy Wheeler. After her family gets mauled by the Demogorgon, we get to see a different side of this character than we've really seen before. Sure, Nancy gets protective of the people she loves, but we've never really seen any of her family in danger like this. Because of that, Nancy really embraces her strong side while also feeling vulnerable. She tells Mike that she feels responsible because they never told their family about the Upside Down, which is a really understandable sentiment. I love her determination to get to Karen and her resentment of being belittled by the doctor at the end of the episode. Nancy is always a great character, and she does really step up here. Best Easter Egg(o) : Holly's vanishing is a reference to Poltergeist , where Carol Anne Freeling is taken by the "TV people" in the very beginning. 25. The Crawl Season 5, Episode 1 Sure, it’s a bit exposition-heavy and takes a bit to get going, but The Crawl is a very fun re-introduction into this dystopian version of Hawkins. After the excruciating three-year wait, it’s always fun to catch back up with our characters. The biggest breath of fresh air is honestly having the whole group in Hawkins together. It’s really been six years since we’ve seen some of these characters share the screen together, so I really, really enjoyed that aspect of it. The other thing that I love about this episode is this just eerie, impending sense of doom. You feel like something terrible is going to happen throughout, and, at the end, it does. Usually, the first episode of a given season of Stranger Things will feel slow and meandering, but The Crawl gets off to a fast-paced, thrilling start to the epic final season. 11/10 Moment: Robin announcing the crawl was so much fun. I loved the way that the entire party is operating as this sort of underground spy network, and the way they are operating is through the Squawk. Robin seems like the type of character that would work as a DJ, and the way she signals these codes to give information about the crawl is so fun. I’m also from Detroit, so using Diana Ross (or any Motown artist) will get me excited, and Upside Down is a perfect song to signal that a crawl is about to occur. Pride of the Party: Mike Wheeler. For three seasons, they have not known what to do with Mike Wheeler. He is one of the standouts of season one, but he quickly became unlikable and frustrating because the Duffers made his whole personality about his relationship with Eleven. Here, they revert him back to season one Mike, and it is great to see. He is the loyal, caring person that we saw in season one. I love his conversation with Holly as we actually see him be a good big brother. We are reminded that he is best friends with Will and does care for him a ton. It was just so great to see the Mike we all know and love return.  Best Easter Egg(o): Dustin visiting Eddie's grave is, to me, a subtle reference to Sue Snell visiting Carrie White's grave in Carrie . 24. Dig Dug Season 2, Episode 5 Season two starts off on a slower note, but this is where it really gets going. Dig Dug is a thrilling episode that starts to answer some questions about the Upside Down and Eleven while also presenting an exciting, urgent conflict. Hopper is stuck in the tunnels and it's up to Will to find him through his mental link with the Mind Flayer. I love the drawing of the Upside Down tunnels and the slow realization that the tunnels are a map of Hawkins. I also love some other character moments, most notably when Lucas tells Max the truth about Will's disappearance. This is also the episode that sets up the back half of the season. Eleven discovers the truth about her mother, Will begins having a seizure when they set the vines on fire, Nancy and Jonathan team up with Murray...but the best and most notable set up is, of course, Steve and Dustin finally coming together. The best duo on the show begins in this episode right here, and it gets automatic points just for that. This is everything you want in a mid-season finale: some questions answered but great setup for the rest of the season. It still has the Stranger Things 2 problem of being a bit too spread out, but this is definitely one of the strongest episodes of the second season. 11/10 Moment : I want to say Bob figuring out that the drawings are a map of Hawkins, but I'm actually going to go with Lucas telling Max about season one. I love her denial and disbelief, because it's very annoying at first, but Lucas's insistence and his eventual genuine fear gets her convinced. This feels like the way a kid would act if she heard this crazy story, but I love the serious transition it takes when Lucas covers Max's mouth and becomes scared. Great acting by both Caleb McLaughlin and Sadie Sink, and just a really great moment that will fly under the radar. Pride of the Party : Bob Newby. Sean Astin's Bob is a weirdo in the first half of season two, but this is where he starts to become a good character. I love how he doesn't press Joyce that hard for questions and mostly just trusts her when trying to figure out the tunnels of Hawkins. I also love that he does figure out that Will's drawings are a map of Hawkins. He is funny, endearing, and really, really smart in this episode, so he is the definite MVP (although Lucas was a close second). Best Easter Egg(o) : When Joyce marks an X at the spot where Hopper is, Bob asks "What's at the X, pirate treasure?" This is an awesome meta reference to The Goonies , because Sean Astin starred in that film, which is all about a bunch of kids looking for a pirate treasure. 23. The Monster Season 1, Episode 6 This is an interesting episode, because it feels like we divert from the main plot almost entirely to resolve some subplots. This is the episode least focused on Will, and I don't mind that, because it feels like a break from the rest of the season. Nancy and Jonathan's relationship really starts to blossom here, and it's a pretty well-developed romance. It starts off with the trauma of Nancy in the Upside Down, and the two of them just bond over that experience. This is where Steve is the worst version of himself, and the confrontation between him, Jonathan, and Nancy is really good, especially when you know where his character goes. And, of course, this episode caps off with Eleven warding off the bullies and returning to Mike, which is just the sweetest of moments. I think this episode is inherently going to be lower because it is more of a side-quest episode (and I don't love the Terry Ives stuff, even if it is interesting backstory on Eleven), but it's still a very good entry in a great season. 11/10 Moment : These frickin' bullies have been harassing Mike, Dustin, and Lucas all season, so it was time for them to get their comeuppance. They turn into true psychos here by threatening to cut out Dustin's teeth if Mike doesn't jump from the deadly height of the quarry...and El comes in just in time to save the day. This is the first real sign of her being a complete badass, and it is awesome. It's capped off by a great threat from Dustin as the bullies run away and the iconic shot of Mike, Dustin, and El hugging in front of the quarry. Pride of the Party : Dustin Henderson. Throughout the show thus far, Dustin has very much been the fourth friend. Mike is clearly the main kid, Eleven is second, and Lucas is a close third. Dustin has often been in the background, making jokes and saying nerdy things. In this episode, however, he is the frickin' best. He convinces Mike to reconcile with Lucas and calls out both of his friends for being immature. He defends Lucas to Mike and defends Mike to Lucas. He is the one who advocates for going to find Eleven. As I said before, he has an awesome threat after Eleven breaks Troy's arm and the bullies run away. He is on the back burner for much of season one, but he really, really shines in this episode. Best Easter Egg(o) : I feel like this is the first real look we get at the Upside Down, and much of the Upside Down is designed to look like Xenomorph-esc things from Alien with all the stickiness and gooeyness of the production design. 22. E Pluribus Unum Season 3, Episode 6 Season three definitely has its ups and downs, but, as with most Stranger Things seasons, it really ramps up near the end. E Pluribus Unum is the true beginning of that ramp up. All three of our main plot lines develop significantly here, and we start to get an idea of where this final stretch may be heading. Steve and Robin's relationship really develops here, and we get some great setup for the ultimate reveal about Robin's sexuality. The scenes with the Russians are a little bit cartoonish, but it serves their dynamic well enough. Eleven begins to investigate where the Mind Flayer might be hiding by tracking where Billy has been, and this gives us some insight into Billy's past, which is just devastating. Millie Bobby Brown and Dacre Montgomery are the MVPs of season three, and they kill it again here. You sense that Billy was once happy, and you see how heart-breaking it is that he has become who he is now. The Mind Flayer's threat in the final scene is just incredible. I cannot rave about Dacre Montgomery enough. He is being threatening and scary because he's talking as the Mind Flayer, but he's also crying because on the inside, he's Billy. That is some acting right there. He single-handedly elevates this episode, and I really wish people would talk about his performance as Billy more. 11/10 Moment : The final scene is just fantastic. Dacre and Millie just knock it out of the park, and their performances combined with the intercutting of the flayed become a part of the Spider Monster Mind Flayer just injects this uneasy feeling of dread into your stomach. It is a haunting, spooky moment that really sets the stage for an incredible finish to the third season of Stranger Things . Pride of the Party : I'm cheating here (I do that a few times throughout this ranking) because I am picking both Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley. Their dynamic is, as I've said, one of the highlights of the third season, and this is where you really get the first true emotional connection between the two of them. Up to this point, you get the feeling that they are going to end up together, and they have a really heartfelt experience together in this episode, but it's made even better when you know that they just end up as really good friends. Best Easter Egg(o) : The very beginning sees the monster from the hospital get super close to Nancy's face (before getting wrecked by Eleven). The way its shot is a direct homage to Alien3 . 21. Papa Season 4, Episode 8 The penultimate episode of the penultimate season does a good job of wrapping up a lot of subplots. The thing that this episode executes the best is the complexity of Eleven's relationship with Brenner. Brenner is a twisted, demented scientist, but in his own odd way, he does love Eleven. And, in her own way, Eleven views her as a father figure. She still calls him "Papa" despite all of the horrible things he has done to her. Beyond the Brenner-El dynamic, I think that this episode does a good of being the calm before the storm. Our main group in Hawkins prepares for battle against Vecna, and they all get some really great character moments. Max and Lucas prove that their relationship is the beating heart of this season with a touching moment between them. Steve and Nancy continue to tease us with them possibly having feelings for each other again. Robin gets a few nice moments. Eddie and Dustin have a playful scene together that makes it even more heart-breaking when you watch the finale. Even Erica gets a sweet line when she jokingly makes fun of Lucas and then reminds him that he's her brother. I don't think this episode has some of the heights of season four, but it's a really great exploration of these characters that make this incredible show what it is. 11/10 Moment : Brenner's death is incredible. I love that the Duffers didn't really try to redeem him: they just kind of showed him to us in a different context. He's still a bad person, but he truly believes that what he's doing is to help Eleven. We see this in his final moments as he releases her from the collar and tells her that he needs her to understand that everything he did was for her. He begs her to tell him that she understands, and she does not give him the satisfaction . She does not brush him off entirely either, but she gives him a cold "Goodbye, Papa" as she drives off with the California gang. This is the perfect way to send off Brenner and the perfect way to cap his relationship with Eleven. Pride of the Party : Eleven. After not really seeing her with her powers for nearly an entire season's length, we finally get her taking on an entire military. As Jack Sullivan's soldiers are attempting to shoot her down, El begins to take control of the helicopter they are in, crashing it in an epic, explosive spectacle. On top of that awesome moment, her turning down Brenner is just an incredible way to show how much she has grown. Best Easter Egg(o) : Vickie, Robin's crush, appears in this episode, and her outfit is very much inspired by Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles . 20. The Massacre at Hawkins Lab Season 4, Episode 7 I think this episode gets a lot of credit for what it did when it came out. The Vecna reveal is undeniably awesome and left everyone hanging in the balance for the month-long break between the two volumes of season four. I also think that the stuff in the Upside Down is super cool. Eddie and Steve's budding friendship is fun to watch. Them bonding over mutual love / annoyance towards Dustin is so entertaining. I do feel like this episode is a little bit overrated. I think people were so awe-struck by the Vecna reveal that they forget a few things: A) although it's an awesome reveal, it's written to be this literal twenty-minute exposition dump. I will never really understand why Vecna showed Nancy all of this, and that really pulls me out of the twist as a whole. And B) the episode as a whole answers a lot of mysteries while not really moving the plot forward. Maybe this episode does not hold up as well upon rewatch because I already knew all the answers to the questions raised throughout, but I do think that this entry just serves to answer all of the questions we've had throughout the season. Still, obviously an iconic episode of Stranger Things that gave us huge reveals and helped us understand the Upside Down more in fantastic fashion. 11/10 Moment : Maybe I did just spend a bunch of time criticizing Vecna's reveal, but that's only because I feel I have to defend this episode's lower placement. The reveal is fantastic and Jamie Campbell Bower really gets to flex some scary, intimidating acting. This really ties together the whole season and honestly the whole show: everything connects to the Creel House and Hawkins Lab. It's an awesome, beautifully edited sequence that tells us (almost) everything we need to know about the show's big bad. Pride of the Party: Vecna. Up to this point, Vecna is a very intimidating and scary antagonist, but we don't really understand who he is or what he is doing. Here, we finally get that information. We see that he was this psychopathic kid who harnessed his abilities for evil. Beyond that, though, he was Brenner's first experiment, which creates some sympathy for him no matter what. I love that it's a twist on multiple levels: Vecna is Henry Creel, he's One, he's the friendly orderly, he killed everyone in Hawkins Lab, and he was banished to the Upside Down by Eleven. This is how to make a villain incredible. Best Easter Egg(o) : When Eleven goes down to the boiler room to meet with One, it is a clear homage to Freddy Krueger's boiler room in A Nightmare on Elm Street , which should've tipped everyone off immediately that One is Vecna, because Vecna is heavily inspired by Krueger. 19. The Bite Season 3, Episode 7 I feel like this episode encapsulates the magic of Stranger Things . Season two and season three are neck-and-neck for the "worst" season of the show, and they are still incredible. The Bite swiftly moves us into the final act of season three while also providing some of the most touching and heartfelt character moments on the show. Robin and Steve, as I've said countless times, are the best relationship in season three, and this episode is why. Stranger Things is so good at setting up a cliche and then subverting it in a smart way. This entire season, Steve is looking for a relationship, and they setup the trope where he is blind to what's right in front of him. When he makes a move on Robin, however, she softly tells him the truth about her sexuality, and it makes for one of the best character interactions on the show. Beyond that, we get Alexei and Murray's bromance. They really make you fall in love with Alexei right before he gets shot in the chest by Grigori, and it is heart-breaking. This episode really does a good job of wrapping up our subplots so that we can focus on the main conflict for the final episode, and I really, really appreciate that. 11/10 Moment : I know I just raved about it in that mini-review blurb, but Robin's reveal to Steve is one of my favorite moments on the show. The interaction is written so well, Maya Hawke and Joe Keery are so good, and it just works as a beautiful moment between these two characters. I love that they sit on the tension of Steve's reaction before showing us that he is incredibly supportive and just willing to be her friend. It is a really touching, incredible moment, and it exemplifies everything great about these characters and this show. Pride of the Party : Steve Harrington. This really shows his growth from season one to season three. He has spent this entire season trying to get his life together after high school, and part of that is finding a girlfriend. When he feels presented with that opportunity, he is shot down because Robin is gay. Instead of reacting badly and being a jerk, he just continues to act like her friend and pokes fun at the girl that Robin had a crush on. This episode is one of the many strides that he takes that has made him a fan-favorite since his redemption. Best Easter Egg(o) : This entire episode is filled with Back to the Future easter eggs, and I especially love the moment when the score plays in the background of Dustin and Mike finally coming into contact with each other. 18. Holly, Jolly Season 1, Episode 3 This feels like the point at which the show kicked into full gear. We've got the setup out of the way, we've seen our characters interact; now it's time for the story to get going. The first half of this episode is relatively slow, but things pick up in the back half. So many great moments; Nancy's slow realization that something bad happened to Barb, Joyce's discovery that Will can communicate through the lights, and, of course, the discovery of Will's body. Again, it is impressive how emotional Stranger Things is right off the bat, and the last ten minutes of this episode hit you hard in the heartstrings. Hopper's devastation when Will's body is pulled out of the water is sad enough, but Mike running home and crying in Karen's arms is a true tearjerking moment. Thank God that that wasn't actually Will's body, otherwise Stranger Things would've been a very sad, very short three episodes rather than the show we know and love today. 11/10 Moment : I'm cheating a bit here and putting the entire final sequence. I love the scene where Joyce puts up the Christmas lights with the letters and Will tells her to R-U-N right before giving us the first full look at the Demogorgon. So pair that with the entire montage we get after Will's fake body is found and you've got a great, heart-breaking ending to another incredible episode of this show. Pride of the Party : Mike Wheeler. Mike is arguably season one's main protagonist, and here, he gets a lot to do. He spent most of last episode dealing with Eleven and getting to know her, and in this episode, we see him as the loyal friend who will stop at nothing to find Will. His belief in Eleven and faith that Will is still alive makes it all the more devastating when he sees Will's body pulled out of the water. Stranger Things has always had strong emotional moments, and Mike's entire character in this episode is very emotional, which makes him the clear MVP here. Best Easter Egg(o) : Joyce being able to communicate with Will through the lights is a direct homage to Poltergeist , where the parents of their kidnapped child communicate with her through the TV. 17. The Bathtub Season 1, Episode 7 The Bathtub is a major episode for Stranger Things . Our entire team finally comes together for the first time. Hopper, Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan all get together with the boys and El and we start to piece together the Upside Down. This episode has it all: a thrilling car/bike chase through the Hawkins suburb, some great character moments, and an intense climax that sets the stage for the season one finale. One of the major strengths of this episode besides the action are the character interactions. Nancy and Mike don't get a lot of screen time together throughout the show, but here, we see them banter back and forth a little bit, and it's really entertaining. I also love it when the rest of our main characters meet Eleven. Joyce's maternal instincts kick in and she really immediately takes care of her, which I just really enjoyed. This is, like the rest of season one, a pretty incredible episode. 11/10 Moment : The chase at the beginning, for sure. This is one of my favorite scenes in the first season, because it's absolutely electrifying and it resolves one of the main tensions between Mike and Lucas. Plus, Eleven flipping a van will never not be awesome. We've seen El use her powers throughout the season, but this might be the biggest, coolest moment of her telekinesis in the entire show. Pride of the Party : Going along with my favorite moment, Eleven is this episode's MVP. This is her time to shine: she helps the boys escape the chase and then she locates Will and Barb's body in the Upside Down. We start to see her as truly a good person who wants to help Joyce find Will. Her relationship with Mike starts to blossom for real. I feel like this episode and the next are the ones where she transforms into the character we know and love today. Best Easter Egg(o) : A lot of season one is E.T. and Stand by Me , so I'm going with another E.T. reference here: the entire car chase feels very reminiscent of the car chase in that film. The vans look pretty similar to the ones in E.T. , and, although the Stranger Things bikes don't fly, they have their own awe-inducing moment as El causes the van to flip. 16. The Turnbow Trap Season 5, Episode 3 The third episode of season five continues its early ramp-up towards the final showdown with Vecna. With Holly missing and Eleven and Hopper trapped in the Upside Down, the party in the Rightside Up needs some sort of plan to strike back at Vecna. Will finally gets to have some agency and organizes (with Mike) a plot to kidnap Derek Turnbow, who he sensed was Vecna's next target. Will being involved in this plan feels so good. For four seasons, we've seen this character sit back and cry instead of being involved and trying to take down these monsters, so it is a breath of fresh air for him to be helping out, even if Joyce isn't a fan of it. Once the plan is in motion, the episode just becomes a non-stop thrill ride of fun, exciting moments. Erica Sinclair makes her glorious return to the show (alongside Mr. Clarke!) and gets some of the best moments of the season. And, of course, the final sequence is a Home Alone booby trap set piece starring a Demogorgon. Awesome. Cap it off with the reveal of Max finding Holly and you have got a fantastic episode of Stranger Things 5 . 11/10 Moment: The actual Turnbow trap, the namesake of the episode, is just one of the most fun sequences in the entire series. This is where you can really see that the budget for this season is massive, because they are not skimping out on epic Demogorgon action. Everyone gets involved in this incredible trap as they attempt to attach a telemetry tag to the Demogorgon so it can lead them to Holly. Watching Nancy and Jonathan set a Demogorgon on fire and then shoot it and then have Mike beat it up with a shovel is just awesome. There's no other words to describe it. Pride of the Party: Erica Sinclair. I believe this is Erica's first (and only) MVP on this list, but she absolutely deserves it. Throughout the show, this character gets a ton of iconic, memorable one-liners, but perhaps none are better than "I told you to eat your damn pie!"Her blatant refusal to help the group out because her and Tina and now archenemies is so funny, and it's made even better when she agrees to do it after learning that the job is drugging the entire Turnbow family . That fits perfectly for this character, and Priah Ferguson nails the hilarious, dry humor that is needed for every one of Erica's moments in this episode. Best Easter Egg(o): This might be a stretch, but I view Steve choosing to use the chainsaw as a small reference to Ash Williams and his iconic chainsaw look in the Evil Dead movies. 15. Escape from Camazotz Season 5, Episode 6 You want to talk about emotion? Escape from Camazotz delivers on that. This is the biggest episode of volume two, and it really hits on every character beat and heartbreaking moment that it is going for. We actually kick off the episode with the revelation that the Upside Down is a wormhole connecting the Abyss to Hawkins, which is a huge, fun reveal. That really sets up a cool final showdown as Vecna attempts to have the Abyss crash into Hawkins. But the real meat of this episode is in its handling of the character dynamics that we’ve come to love throughout this show. Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton deliver some of their best acting of the show in Nancy and Jonathan’s tear-jerking breakup scene. At the brink of death, the two of them are finally honest with each other. Gaten Matarazzo rips our hearts out with one singular line as Steve tries to be a hero: “You’re going to die and I can’t let it happen again.” And, of course, Max and Holly do escape Camazotz with an emotional swell of Holly accepting the fact that she is heroic with Max’s encouragement. I get some frustrations that volume two does not build to the finale, but so many of these incredible moments made me tear up and cemented how much I love these characters.  11/10 Moment: There are plenty of scenes to choose from here, but I am going with Nancy and Jonathan’s breakup. This couple has felt a little bit off ever since the beginning of season four, so it was nice to finally see them have a great moment together. There have been a lot of lies and secrets between the two of them, so seeing them finally be honest with each other when they are at the brink of death is just so poignant. Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton absolutely crushed it here. You can feel the love they have for each other as it’s strained but still there. I love that Jonathan revealed he was going to propose thinking it would fix everything, but realized that their relationship problems are too deep to just put a ring on it. The payoff of them finally talking about college is so satisfying and so real. It’s just such a well-written and powerful scene that really gives these two characters a beautiful, albeit unclear, end to their relationship.  Pride of the Party: Max Mayfield and Holly Wheeler. Holly has been one of the unsung heroes of season five, while Max has been one of the consistently best characters on the show since season two. The two of them get some of their best moments here. I love that Max is jaded and is having trouble continuing to look for an escape from Henry’s mind prison, but Holly is determined to find a way out and help her get back to Lucas. The two of them bounce off each other so well. It feels like this big sister-little sister relationship that really, really works. Their final goodbye is, like so many moments in this episode, incredibly emotional. I love Holly’s initial fear as she realizes she can’t go through Max’s portal. Max shows her belief in the youngest Wheeler and shows her that she is Holly the Heroic, prompting her portal to open up. Cap it off with a paralleled Running Up That Hill sequence and you’ve got one hell of an escape from Camazotz. Max and Holly join the upper echelon of iconic duos from this show, and I am all here for it. Best Easter Egg(o): The Demodog attack in the hospital is very clearly an homage to the raptor attack in Jurassic Park . 14. The Hellfire Club Season 4, Episode 1 The introduction to season four does a great job of expanding the scope of Stranger Things for the epic-ness that takes place from here on out. We get updates on basically every character and get introduced to a bunch of new cast members as well. This episode does a fantastic job of establishing how all of our characters are in incredibly different situations from where we saw them last. We see Eleven struggling at school. We see how Lucas has integrated with a more popular crowd which distances him from Mike and Dustin. Max is dealing with depression and a tough situation at home that stems from Billy's death. Throughout the episode, we follow cheerleader Chrissy as she is plagued by terrifying visions. The episode uses it's shockingly long runtime to really give us an idea of where everyone is at, and that works really well to setup all the journeys that our characters take this season. And, of course, the final scene is probably the scariest scene in the entire show that gives us an idea of the threat that Vecna poses. 11/10 Moment : I said earlier that Stranger Things doesn't really scare me, but when it's able to, I'm impressed. Chrissy's death is frickin' terrifying. The building sense of dread throughout the episode pays off with this nightmare hallucination of Chrissy's abusive mother and traumatic home life. Vecna trudges through her house, toying with her before finally cornering the poor cheerleader and murdering her in a horrific, brutal fashion. The first time I saw her bones snap and watched her eyes get sucked back into her skull, I think I made an audible noise of terror. It's such an effectively scary scene that really sets the mood for a dark turn in the story. Pride of the Party : Eddie Munson. This is our introduction to Joseph Quinn's fan-favorite dungeon master, and he is immediately lovable. They do a good job of eliciting some suspicious behavior that makes you not fully trust him off the bat, but as soon as he connects with Chrissy, you fall in love with him. He is so energetic and fun, and it is so sad where his character ends up going. I love that he is the only real person who seems to make Chrissy happy in this episode. He is so much fun as soon as we meet him, but he's also really endearing, so he is definitely the episode's MVP. Best Easter Egg(o) : There's a lot of them in here, actually, so I'm picking two. The Duffer Brothers said that Vecna is a mix of Pennywise, Pinhead, and Freddy Krueger, and the clearest to me is Mr. Krueger himself. The nightmare hallucination combined with his enormous hand is a clear homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street , and it's awesome. The second is Chrissy herself. She is Vecna's first victim, and her namesake comes from Chrissie Watkins, the first victim of the shark in Jaws . 13. The Body Season 1, Episode 4 This episode feels like the saddest point on Stranger Things thus far. Episode three ends with the discovery of Will's "body", so this episode is the fallout of the characters discovering his apparent death. Everyone is kind of at their lowest here: Joyce's insistence that Will is alive feels like a manic manifestation of her grief, Jonathan's anger is at an all-time high, and the boys are broken because they just saw the death of their friend. It's kind of a tough episode to watch, even knowing that Will is actually alive, because it's just so sad. This is also, however, where the mysteries start to pick up. Hopper's investigation into the truth about Will's body is a great little masterclass in slow-building tension and intrigue. Nancy and Jonathan discover the Demogorgon in a picture. There's some suspicious things afoot in the fourth episode of season 1, and it's all capped off when Hopper cuts open Will's body to discover it is stuffed full of cotton. This is a great midpoint for the first season...and it only goes up from here. 11/10 Moment : Hopper cutting open Will's body is one of my favorite moments on the show...but an even better moment is when Joyce sees Will in the wall and El makes contact with him through the boys' radio at school. Noah Schnapp's acting there is just incredible; you don't even really see his face, but you hear him yell "It's like home, but it's so dark and empty!" and the terror in his voice is just spine-tingling. It is a horrific, tense moment that fills you with emotion, but also some hope, because we know Will is alive. Pride of the Party : Jim Hopper. This is where Hopper's arc really starts to get into full swing. He's set up as the checked-out police chief who doesn't really pay attention to all of the craziness going on around him, but that's not who he is. After Will's body was discovered, he is clearly upset, but he starts to sense something suspicious going on after finding out that the autopsy was not done normally. One of the many things I love about Hop is that he is actually a really good cop, and, in this episode, he does a lot of very cool and very clever detective work that I was a huge fan of. Of course, it concludes with him carefully cutting into Will's cotton body, which is just a beautiful capper on a great episode with him. Best Easter Egg(o) : The title itself is a reference. In his collection Different Seasons , Stephen King has a short story called The Body , which was later adapted into Rob Reiner's 1986 classic, Stand by Me . 12. The Gate Season 2, Episode 9 The Gate is a great finale that caps off a fantastic second half of season two. This is the first truly epic Stranger Things finale: we've got multiple characters doing multiple things that all connect and need to happen at the same time for Eleven to close the gate. Basically everyone gets an awesome moment here. Whether it's Steve being a babysitter, Max standing up to Billy, or, of course, El's awesome display of power as she closes the gate, this episode has something for everyone. It's probably the weakest of the season finales only because it isn't as emotional as the other four. But I do love the entire gate closing sequence and the Snow Ball. I felt like that was the perfect capper to a great episode, because it delivered some payoffs of things that were set up in episode one. Overall, a great finale that gives you everything you want in a Stranger Things episode. 11/10 Moment : There are so many to choose from, but I think I have to go with Eleven closing the gate. I love the gate set piece in and of itself: I think the gargantuan, intimidating hole with the silhouette of the Mind Flayer floating behind it is super cool. Pair that with Hopper protecting El from the Demodogs and her coolest display of her powers yet and you've got one of the most iconic moments in Stranger Things . Pride of the Party : Nancy Wheeler. I haven't given Nancy the love she deserves throughout this ranking, because she is one of my favorite characters on the show. She doesn't even really have the biggest moments in this episode, but her two major contributions are awesome. I love that she is the one to finally push the Mind Flayer out of Will. It demonstrates her quick thinking and shows how much she's grown that she's willing to poke him with a fire poker knowing it will hurt him greatly to get the Mind Flayer out of there. But the second moment is one of my favorite moments on the entire show. Her dancing with Dustin almost makes me cry, because it's such a relatable and adorable moment. This is a payoff from the first episode where Dustin flirted with Nancy and she rejected him, and now we see her dancing with him to make all the middle school girls who rejected him jealous. It is awesome. Best Easter Egg(o) : This entire season feels like a bit of an homage to The Exorcist what with Will being possessed and all, but this episode seems like the most overt as the Mind Flayer has fully taken him over. 11. The Dive Season 4, Episode 6 Throughout this ranking, I've discussed all of the crescendos of all of the various seasons. Season four might just have the best crescendo because its the one that has the most going on (at this point in life, season five has not come out, so I may not actually mean this). The Dive is the beginning of the crescendo, and it is awesome. There are so many just fantastic moments in here. First of all, I don't think the character dynamics have been this good since season one. Our main Hawkins group is so fun together. You can tell they all care about each other, but they also are really funny. The actors have worked together for multiple seasons now, so you can tell their chemistry is at an all-time high. Hopper continues to be awesome in Russia. He gets a few great moments as they prepare to fight the Demogorgon. And, of course, spending time with Suzie and her insane family is also hilarious. Season four is pretty dark and bleak, but this episode feels like the most fun. It ends with a fantastic cliffhanger as the group discovers a gate in the Upside Down and Steve gets pulled in. The first time I watched that, I was terrified for his life (again, I haven't seen season five yet so I don't know how this comment is going to age). 11/10 Moment : I love Hopper's fight with Dmitri and the reveal that he stole the alcohol and the lighter from the guard to beat the Demogorgon. There was a moment there where it really seems like Hopper is attacking Dmitri and is going to lose his only friend in the prison, but we see that that's not the case and he had a plan up his sleeve. Hopper is a quiet genius throughout the entire show, and we see that on display here. Pride of the Party : I'm taking two here: Jim Hopper and Steve Harrington. Arguably my two favorite characters on the show. Hopper is my first MVP for the reasons I just talked about: he is so smart and never fails to lose hope even if things seem dire. Steve is the other MVP because of course he is the one to immediately jump down and investigate the gate. It just shows his continuous character growth from season one as he has gone from a selfish brat to a selfless GOAT. Easter Egg(o) : Steve getting pulled into the gate by a mysterious force underwater is pretty reminiscent of Chrissie's death in Jaws . 10. The Spy Season 2, Episode 6 This episode continues the crescendo of season two. With the exception of The Lost Sister , each episode in the back half of this season just gets better and better. The Spy gives us some massive payoff as well as an absolutely pulse-pounding final twenty minutes. Nancy and Jonathan finally get together, and, although we actually don't see much of them this episode, it's still satisfying. Will is basically fully possessed by the Mind Flayer at this point, and Noah Schnapp continues to be the star of season two with a perfect mix of being creepy and terrified at the same time. And, of course, Steve and Dustin's relationship begins in this episode. Steve giving girl advice to Dustin is one of the funniest and most endearing scenes in the show, and it kicks off a very unexpected but very awesome relationship that is one of the core things I love about Stranger Things . The second half of the episode gives us two incredible action sequences: Steve, Dustin, Lucas, and Max discover the Demodog army in the junkyard and fight them off, and then Mind Flayer Will tricks a bunch of Hawkins scientists into getting attacked and killed by the Demodog army. It ends with a great cliffhanger as we see a Demodog climb out of the Upside Down and into Hawkins Lab, and it sets the stage for an awesome final act of the season (with a bump in the road because of The Lost Sister ). 11/10 Moment : It's between the junkyard sequence and that ending moment with Will revealing that he tricked the Hawkins soldiers into a trap that will get them killed, and I think I'm going with the latter. This is where you truly understand the danger that everyone is in with the Mind Flayer being in control of Will, and it is super terrifying. It's an awesome little twist that turns the stakes up a full level while also giving us a very cool and pretty scary sequence to cap off the episode. Pride of the Party : Steve Harrington. There are a few cornerstone moments for Steve, and this episode is one of them. This is where he goes from redeemed bully to one of the best and most beloved characters on the show. As I said earlier, his girl advice to Dustin and their bromance is amazing, but he really steps forward in the junkyard. You see his courage and his protective nature as the oldest one of the group. Him offering himself up as bait to Dart is just an all-time Steve moment, and I absolutely love it. Best Easter Egg(o) : The final sequence with the Demodogs attacking the scientists is a direct homage to a scene from Aliens in which the marines are attacked by the Xenomorphs but cannot figure out where they are coming from. Throw Paul Reiser (who was in Aliens ) and you've got a great 80s reference that is both fun and original in its own right. 9. The Mind Flayer Season 2, Episode 8 The crescendo of season two is, as I've said throughout this ranking, awesome. The Mind Flayer is everything you want in a penultimate episode. The first half is an absolute thrill ride as we watch our group stuck in Hawkins Lab try to escape. Bob gets his time to shine in an incredibly tense sequence as he sneaks through the lab under Dr. Owens's guidance. His death is an absolute heartbreaker, and it automatically gives this episode weight. From there, our entire group reunites and we start to understand the Mind Flayer and how it works. I love the scenes of tied-up Will and how Joyce, Jonathan, and Mike all try to get him to come through. The episode caps off with the Mind Flayer locating the group and sending the Demodogs after them...only for Eleven to show up and rejoin all of our characters. This episode has emotion, action, highly intense moments, and a final moment that sets the stage for an epic season finale. 11/10 Moment : There are so many to choose from, but Eleven's entrance is frickin' incredible. I was rewatching this episode, so I knew that she comes in, but as the group was being surrounded by Demodogs, I completely forgot that she is the cavalry. It is the payoff that we as viewers had been waiting for all season, and it comes in at the absolute perfect time. I also love that we see nothing besides her walking in the door and Mike's reaction to seeing her for the first time in a year before the credits roll. What a way to end the episode. Pride of the Party : Bob Newby. The lovable nerd's swan song is a great sequence with great character moments from him. I love that he puts his foot down and tells Hopper that he is going to turn the power back on and open the doors. The fear in his face as he races through Hawkins Lab to get back to Joyce makes it all the more heartbreaking when the Demodogs do pounce on him. Bob went out like an absolute champ (or, in his case, superhero), so he absolutely deserves MVP. Best Easter Egg(o) : It's a quick one, but when Will is flashing the Mind Flayer's thoughts after discovering that the group is hiding at the Byers' house, the camera flies in a first-person perspective much like it does when embodying the spirit in The Evil Dead . 8. The Sauna Test Season 3, Episode 4 The Sauna Test has, in my opinion, one of the best sequences in all of Stranger Things . The episode immediately kicks into high gear as Will tells Lucas and Mike that the Mind Flayer is back, and we soon get our kids teaming up to try and confirm that it has infected Billy. The ensuing eponymous sauna test is one of the most intense and exciting scenes in the entire show. Dacre Montgomery's switch from being terrified to being terrifying is some amazing acting. Pair that with Eleven's sheer display of power and you've got just an electrifying sequence. The rest of the episode is not as good as the actual sauna test, but it's still better than most of the third season. Hopper beating up Kline to try and figure out how his corruption is helping the Russians is very fun. Although I'm not crazy about the Russian plot line, Steve, Dustin, Erica, and Robin's dynamic is very, very entertaining. And, of course, the haunting final shot paired with Vera Lynn's eerie We'll Meet Again  as we reveal the flayed is just an incredible, dread-inducing way to conclude an epic episode. 11/10 Moment : If you can't tell, I'm going with the sauna test itself. I think both Dacre Montgomery and Millie Bobby Brown give it their all in that scene, and it is incredible. It's so intense and so awesome. Stranger Things has been relatively light on actual human vs. human action scenes before now, so this honestly feels like the first major fight sequence of the entire series, and it does not disappoint. Pride of the Party : Eleven. After having a relatively unlikable first few episodes, El pauses her teenage angst and resumes being awesome. She protects her friends and takes Mind Flayer Billy on headfirst. She is a complete badass in this episode, and anytime we get Eleven being badass, she is going to get the episode MVP. Best Easter Egg(o) : To get to the Russian elevator, Erica climbs through air ducts. Anytime someone climbs through air ducts, it feels like a very intentional Die Hard reference. 7. The Vanishing of Will Byers Season 1, Episode 1 The one that started it all is still as great as it was in 2016. What this episode does so well is establishing the characters. Every time we meet a new character, we understand who they are off the bat. The boys are all introduced playing Dungeons & Dragons, and there is no better way to show us who these guys are. Wolfhard, Schnapp, McLaughlin, and Matarazzo are lovable immediately . Eleven's introduction is mysterious and intriguing. We get a very subtle sense that Hopper has more going on than just the drunk, depressed cop. This episode nails everything that Stranger Things is known for: the tone, the characters, the beautiful feel of the old Amblin films combined with Stephen King...all of it works excellently in the first hour of this epic, incredible story. 11/10 Moment : There are a lot of moments to pick here, and Will's kidnapping would be the obvious one, but I actually have to go with Joyce's apology to Jonathan. Joyce is shown to be very anxious and snappy towards Jonathan throughout the episode, and, as they are making posters for Will, she apologizes and the two have a moment of shared grief over Will. It's impressive to get the feels going in the first episode, but this scene does it really effectively, partly because of great, emotional performances from Winona Ryder and Charlie Heaton. Pride of the Party : Jim Hopper. The first episode is tough, because we get introduced to all of our main characters, so I had to go with my favorite character on the show. I love Hopper's set up as the deadbeat police chief that is cynical and fed up with life, but this episode sets into motion his redemption and the beginnings of his emotional journey. Little moments, like when he lies to Mr. Clarke about his daughter being alive, just show you how great of a character he is. This episode could really have anyone in the MVP slot, but I think Hopper earns it just by being the best character on the show. Best Easter Egg(o) : When Will runs into the shed while the Demogorgon is chasing him, it's basically the exact same shot as Elliot cautiously approaching the shed where E.T. is hidden in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial . 6. Sorcerer Season 5, Episode 4 Ahhh, the glorious mid-season finale of season five. We knew that volume one of season five would end with a bang, but man oh man, was this some sort of bang . The episode opens with Joyce seemingly scaring away a Demogorgon while Will watches it through the monster's eyes, a perfect plant that hints at what is coming. In the Upside Down, Eleven and Hopper finally run into Dr. Kay, which was fun to finally see. Of course, that whole plot line leads to Kali's return, which was a super fun surprise. Robin gives Will the best pep talk in Stranger Things as she recounts the story of Tammy Thompson and tries to help Will embrace his identity. Derek Turnbow has one of the best single-episode turnarounds as he goes from complete dipshit to truly delightful. And, of course, the entire MAC-Z showdown is one of the coolest things Stranger Things has ever done. A massive battle with the military and multiple Demogorgons keeps getting crazier and more intense throughout. There is a fantastic long take as we follow Mike and the kids trying to navigate the chaos of the battle. Vecna shows up and just wreaks havoc before taunting Will...leading to one of the most satisfying payoffs ever. After remembering his carefree self and taking Robin's words to heart, William Jacob Byers harnesses the hive mind and uses his newly found powers to snap the limbs and necks of the Demogorgons that were about to kill his friends. I mean...it's just perfect. Not to sound like Homelander, but everything about this moment, down to the last minute detail, is just a beautiful, badass, and emotionally rich full circle payoff. 11/10 Moment : You'll never guess what I'm putting here. Will harnesses his powers is actually not my favorite moment in the show. My favorite moment in the show is my favorite TV moment of all time, so it's nearly impossible to top that...but this gets really, really close. I love it when shows or movies are able to pull off these incredible moments of victory for our heroes that feel earned, and Will, the character who has been tortured and kidnapped and rejected for this entire show, finally embraces who he is and fights back . It's just such a great moment both story-wise and thematically. Accepting one's identity is one of the most troubling things we face as humans, so for it to payoff in such a rich, powerful way here is just amazing. I will never stop raving about how perfect this show is. Pride of the Party : I am actually having two MVPs for this episode, because there's a really obvious one but then there's another one that deserves the award as well. Of course, Will Byers gets an MVP for this episode. The poor kid has known nothing but trauma and rejection and bullying for his entire life, so when he finally accepts who he is and fights back, it is just so satisfying and makes you want to jump off your couch and cheer. The other MVP is Robin Buckley. Robin and Will are the best duo in Stranger Things 5 , and their relationship pays off as Robin gives a beautiful speech that later motivates Will to unlock his powers. Maya Hawke's delivery of this speech had so much emotion and passion behind it that makes me tear up every single time I watch it. So, while Will is really the standout of the episode, Robin deserves a shoutout too, because none of the awesome stuff with Will happens without her. Best Easter Egg(o): When the Demogorgons arrive at the MAC-Z, Will says to Joyce "They're here", a pretty direct nod to one of the most famous horror lines of all time in Poltergeist . 5. The Battle of Starcourt Season 3, Episode 8 The Battle of Starcourt is the episode that single-handedly elevates season three to a truly great season of TV. This epic, nearly hour and twenty minute long season finale (which, as it turns out, is one of the shorter season finals in the show) has so many incredible moments. Everyone reunites. Billy shows up and threatens them. The Spider Monster comes into the mall. Of course, the NeverEnding story. Steve shows up just in time to stop Billy from hitting Nancy with his car. Lucas uses the fireworks to distract the Spider Monster. Billy's sacrifice is a powerful, horrifying end to his character. Hopper's "death" is gut-wrenching. It all caps off with an incredibly emotional scene as Eleven reads Hopper's speech over a montage of the Byers family leaving Hawkins. This episode is so fun, so emotional, so exciting. It is, in my opinion, one of the best episodes of TV ever made. And it goes to show how great this entire show is that it is barely in the top five. 11/10 Moment : I'm picking two, because I cannot decide. The first is Hopper's speech. Probably one of the most emotional moments on the show, honestly. David Harbour's voiceover is heartfelt, and the speech itself is just incredibly well-written. If it doesn't get you teary-eyed, I don't know what will. The second moment is the reveal of Suzie being real and their gorgeous rendition of The NeverEnding Story . It is so funny while also being an incredible moment of payoff as we finally learn that Suzie is real and she comes in super clutch. No other show can pull off something as ridiculous as that scene and have it be one of the best moments on the entire series. Pride of the Party : Billy Hargrove. I've never understood people who are critical of Billy's sacrifice, because I think it is an incredible moment. Since season two, we've seen that this is a broken character who is the product of an abusive father. After learning his backstory, we see that his mom left because of this abuse. Throughout the season, we see Billy trying to break through and stop the Mind Flayer from using him as its puppet. Dacre Montgomery communicates all of Billy's emotions through his eyes, and, in Billy's final moments, he remembers his mother and is able to break free of the Mind Flayer's possession. It is an awesome, heart-breaking end for a very tragic character, and I think he deserves the MVP for that moment. Best Easter Egg(o) : The NeverEnding Story itself is an easter egg, because that was an 80s film and a very 80s song. 4. The Rightside Up Season 5, Episode 8 The series finale of Stranger Things was pretty much everything I wanted from the epic conclusion to this incredible show. I was listening to a podcast right before this that made a good point: if we took away the Upside Down and the magic and sci-fi and all of that, we would still watch this show for one simple reason - the characters. The Rightside Up understands that and sends every one of its iconic cast members in an emotionally satisfying way. The final battle with Vecna and the Mind Flayer is tons of fun. It’s a bit short, but we get some incredible moments of fan service and payoff. Watching Joyce Byers chop off Vecna’s head and drop an f-bomb in the process had me standing up in my basement, applauding. But the real power of this episode lies in its forty-minute epilogue. Eighteen months after the Upside Down is destroyed and Eleven (maybe) sacrifices herself to prevent Dr. Kay’s plan from coming to fruition, we see these characters that we’ve grown up with graduate high school. The final moments with the party and the older kids and Joyce and Hopper were just special. What an epic, ten-year journey this has been with this story and these characters. And it all culminates with a final game of Dungeons & Dragons where we get to see the party being kids one last time. 11/10 Moment: There are so many moments to choose from, because it's the frickin’ series finale. But I have to go with the final scene. The Duffer brothers have said that they have had the final scene planned for multiple years at this point, and you can tell. This is the perfect way to close out Stranger Things . The entire show started with a Dungeons & Dragons game, so it is such a beautiful full circle moment to close it out with one. Finn Wolfhard delivers his best performance in this episode but this scene specifically as he, the storyteller, delivers these final moments with these characters. You can tell that the actors were not acting in this scene. The scene closes out with each of the actors putting their character booklets on the bookshelf, saying one last goodbye to this incredible show and these incredible characters. An absolutely perfect way to close out my favorite show of all time. Pride of the Party: Part of me wants to say every single character, because almost every character has some standout moment. But there’s one character who stands above everyone else. And that is, of course, Eleven. After feeling sidelined for much of season five, the main protagonist of the show gets to be the main focus of the finale. She gets so many great moments, whether you are talking about her massacring the military or finally getting to pay off her training by hopping into the Mind Flayer and taking Vecna on one-on-one. I love how many emotional moments she got as well. Telling Hopper that she is making a choice that Sarah didn’t have is just a devastating but beautiful way to end her character. And, while I was initially hesitant about it, I really do love the ambiguity of her being alive. I think it works as Mike’s own theory to make himself and the rest of the party believe that she might still be out there, living the peaceful life she deserves. And, after some thought…I believe, too. Best Easter Egg(o) : Hopper telling Joyce they are moving to Montauk is a great little nod at the original title of the show, which was Montauk . 3. The Upside Down Season 1, Episode 8 This is a perfect episode of television. The season one finale encapsulates everything great about the show: incredible characters, exciting action, and heavy, heavy emotions. The final twenty minutes of this finale delivers, like, ten straight moments that will make you cry. There are so many great things about this finale. Finally finding Will, Eleven's sacrifice, Steve's redemption...all of it is just done perfectly. The first season of Stranger Things is one of the greatest TV seasons of all time, and this finale is the biggest reason why. It is just an absolutely incredible hour of this show that truly, truly delivers on every level. If you are looking to make a perfect season finale, this is how to do it. 11/10 Moment : There are so many options here that it is almost impossible to choose, but I am going with Joyce and Hopper finding Will and giving him CPR. Eleven's sacrifice is an extremely close second, but the main story of this season is all about finding Will, and the final payoff is incredible. Winona Ryder's acting is phenomenal, but David Harbour's heart-wrenching desperation to save Will as we flashback and watch his daughter die at the same time gets me teary-eyed every time. It is a beautiful sigh of relief when Will finally takes a breath and we know he is going to be okay. Pride of the Party : I'm cheating here, because this episode has two MVPs (and it could really have more). Eleven is MVP #1 for obvious reasons. Her arc in this episode is devastating as she is so close to escaping Brenner and the Hawkins Lab scientists and living with Mike...only to sacrifice herself to defeat the Demogorgon. As I said before, her killing the Demogorgon is a very close runner-up for my favorite moment in this show, and, by extension, this season, so she gets a shoutout here. The other MVP is Steve Harrington. Steve has one of my favorite arcs on the show, and the payoff of it is right here. He transcends the 80s jock bully and goes back in the Byers house to help Jonathan and Nancy fight the Demogorgon, kicking off one of my favorite characters in the entire show. Best Easter Egg(o) : As Hopper and Joyce walk through the Upside Down, we see two major Alien references. The first is a gross-looking egg which is highly reminiscent of the Xenomorph egg and the second is the horrifying and disgusting tendril which Hop pulls out of Will's mouth when they discover him. 2. The Piggyback Season 4, Episode 9 These top episodes are so difficult to rank, because they are truly some of my favorite episodes of TV ever. This epic, two-and-a-half hour episode delivers on all fronts: action, emotion, character moments, surprises...it earns its mammoth runtime and gives the audience one of the most exciting, heart-breaking chapters of this entire show. It does a great job of setting up this deeply clever, interconnected plan that involves literally every single character in the show. Everyone, and I mean everyone, gets a moment to shine. Picking my episode MVP is going to be basically impossible, because it genuinely feels like it could be anyone. This episode nails the tension, because all of the various action sequences are all interconnected. When something goes wrong in one part of the plan, it affects all the others. That means this entire episode is just non-stop, edge-of-your-seat excitement. And, as you move into the final hour, this thing gets emotional. I cried, like, six times when I watched this again - and I knew everything that was going to happen. This feels like an episode of TV that pushes the medium forward, giving us epic storytelling on a level we have never seen in anything else on the small screen. 11/10 Moment : This and my MVP are going to be nearly impossible to pick, but I'm going with Eddie's guitar solo. When I first saw the trailer for season four, I was so confused as to how they were going to pull off someone going ham on an electric guitar in the Upside Down, but they absolutely nailed it. Eddie distracts the Demobats by playing Master of Puppets in a truly epic, unforgettable moment. It leads directly into his devastating death as he decides not to run away for the first time this season. What a powerful, epic moment. Pride of the Party : I genuinely think I could pick anyone here. Everyone is frickin' awesome in this episode, and I cannot decide on a singular MVP. Yes, I'm doing a mega-cheat here, but I'm picking four MVPs, because I truly cannot decide. My first is Eddie Munson. His guitar solo and completion of his arc as he stands up and fights the Demobats for Chrissy instead of running is so powerful, and his death is one of the saddest moments on the show. My second is Max Mayfield. My favorite character of season four is once again faced with insurmountable odds as she has to act as bait for Vecna. Her confession of suicidal thoughts to draw Vecna to her is truly devastating, but it also shows her bravery as she is being vulnerable and willing to risk a horrific death to save the world. Her almost-death is also completely heart-breaking. MVP three is Lucas Sinclair. Lucas is another one of the best characters in season four, and he stands up to Jason and fights back against what he thought he wanted to be at the beginning of the season. His reaction to Max's near-death is what makes that scene so horrifying and sad. Caleb McLaughlin absolutely kills it, and so he gets a spot here. My fourth and final MVP is Nancy Wheeler. If you shoot flaming Vecna with a sawed-off shotgun, you are getting an episode MVP. Nancy is a complete badass and has so many awesome moments throughout the show, but this might be her best one. Best Easter Egg(o) : It's a relatively simple one, but when the balloons start exploding with spurts of blood in the Snow Ball memory, that is a direct homage to the 1990 IT miniseries, wherein Pennywise haunts Richie Tozier by creating exploding balloons full of blood. 1. Dear Billy Season 4, Episode 4 I don't really know if I can put into words how much I love this episode. Other great episodes encapsulate why Stranger Things is great. Dear Billy encapsulates why Stranger Things is special. Before we get to the obvious standout elements, it's easy to forget how good the other parts of this episode are. Mike and Will reconcile. Hopper's escape from the Russian prison is a complete thrill ride that is elevated by some incredible acting from David Harbour. Robert Englund's cameo as Victor Creel is so intense and cool, and the Creel family backstory does a great job of setting up the mystery of Vecna. All of those elements would make this at least a top ten (maybe top five) episode of the series. What makes it the best episode, however, is, of course, the entire Max storyline. This is Stranger Things at its most intense, its most emotional, and its most poignant. Sadie Sink's Emmy-snubbed performance is fantastic. Every scene with her carries so much weight. We see how Vecna is preying on her depression and guilt over Billy's death, and it all leads into one of the best sequences to ever grace the small screen. Max's escape from Vecna is a heart-wrenching allegory for depression and trauma. Kate Bush's pulse-pounding Running Up That Hill backs one of the most memorable and incredible scenes I have ever watched. I feel like I'm not giving proper praise to the rest of this fantastic episode because the entire finale is just one of my favorite scenes in any movie or TV show ever. I honest to God was tempted to write an entire review for this episode because I have so much to praise it for. It is such a breathtaking hour of storytelling. Stranger Things has multiple peaks, but this is the highest of them all. 11/10 Moment : I just spent half of that mini-blurb talking about it, but I'll talk about it some more. The Running Up That Hill sequence is my favorite scene in all of TV. It is the perfect combination of acting, visuals, and music. Sadie Sink gives it her absolute all, and the desperation to escape from Vecna is so apparent in her facial expressions. Pair that with Dustin, Steve, and Lucas's panic as Max's body floats into the air, and you've got true, heart-pounding tension. The emotional power that Running Up That Hill emits as Max slow-motion runs from Vecna to return to her friends is so incredible. Just thinking about it makes me a bit emotional. I love this sequence so much, and it just shows why Stranger Things is my favorite show ever. Pride of the Party : Again, I've spent most of this blurb talking about her, but this episode's MVP is obviously Max Mayfield. Honestly, if you took her storyline out of it, I would have a lot of trouble deciding on who would be the MVP because all of the characters have standout moments. But Max's journey in this season is one of the most powerful and emotional arcs throughout all of Stranger Things , and this is her at her strongest. We see her struggling with the trauma and depression of Billy's death, and we see her trying to fight it alone. Through almost being killed by Vecna, however, she realizes that she needs her friends and they are there for her, even if it feels like the whole world is collapsing. The reason this episode hits so hard is because of the allegory for the very real problem of mental health, and Max is the character that we see that allegory through. The cherry on top is, of course, Sadie Sink's stunning performance. The fact that she was not Emmy-nominated is a crime. Best Easter Egg(o) : Robert Englund, the actor who plays older Victor Creel, is the original Freddy Krueger, so his presence is enough of an easter egg, but the entire sequence leading up to Nancy and Robin talking to him is one big homage to The Silence of the Lambs .

Over and out... I am wrapping up my Stranger Things coverage here on the blog. One final bittersweet goodbye to this beautiful ten-year journey that all of us have been on together. Yesterday, I ranked every single episode of the show, so today, we are zooming out and ranking all five seasons. Despite me loving every single season of this show, there was a pretty clear ranking in my head. This was not as hard as I expected it to be. I think part of that is because all five of these seasons are great to me. So here it is. My ranking of every season of Stranger Things , one last time. 5. Season 2 The series's sophomore outing feels darker and a little less fun, but still great Season two of Stranger Things would be the peak for so many other shows, so it is telling that this is the weakest season of the show. There are a few reasons why it ultimately falls short of the heights of season one, but I think the biggest one is that it tries too hard to replicate season one while lacking the mystery and intrigue that made it great in the first place. I think they do a great job with Will's character in this season, but having him be the focus of another conflict with the Upside Down feels repetitive. You can feel them trying to replicate the iconic Christmas lights with the drawings hung up all around the Byers's house. It feels like it is sticking too closely to the formula of season one which holds it back from feeling like its own unique story. That said, it's still great. So much of the iconic stuff about this show actually starts in season two. Max and Billy are introduced here. Jonathan and Nancy get together. We expand the Upside Down and its lore and reach a bit more. Hopper adopts Eleven. And, of course, Dustin and Steve become arguably the most iconic duo in the history of television. By the end of the season, watching Eleven reunite with the party and close the gate is almost as satisfying as her defeating the Demogorgon. The payoff of finally seeing the Snow Ball is such a great emotional crescendo for these first two episodes. I think season two is still a fantastic season of TV. It just goes to show how great Stranger Things truly is. 4. Season 5 The final season is a bit rocky at times but ultimately comes to a very satisfying end The final season of Stranger Things has some of the highest highs and the lowest lows of the show. Before the season started, the Duffers said this would be a combination of seasons one and four, which is true, but in doing that, it loses some of the magic of both of those seasons. It wants to be as epic as season four but struggles to mix that sense of stakes and urgency with the small, personal story of season one. But let's stop beating around the bush here: the final season of Stranger Things still comes to a very satisfying conclusion. This season gives us so many incredible moments of emotion and payoff that we've been waiting to see for years . Watching Will Byers accept his identity and gain superpowers is incredible . The final showdown with Vecna gives every one of our characters a moment to shine. And, of course, the extended forty-minute epilogue is a poignant goodbye to this beautiful ten-year journey that we have been on. All in all, season five does not reach the heights of the two seasons it is trying to combine. But it achieves its most important goal: sticking the landing. A show can be made or broken by its finale. When its a show with the popularity of Stranger Things , it really can only be broken. Just look at Game of Thrones . This final season knew the stakes going in, and delivered a great end to this story that will leave Hawkins behind with a positive legacy. 3. Season 3 On the flip side of season two, season three is a bit too bright and energetic, but also still great I know a lot of people view season three as the weakest season of the show, but I personally love it. It definitely feels like a change of pace from seasons one and two, but I think that's a good thing. After season two tried to be a darker season one, this entry decides to brighten the world and bring some fun, popping 80s energy to Stranger Things . And, while that decision doesn't always entirely work, I think it makes for an ultimately satisfying middle entry in this show. What does work perfectly, however, is the crescendo and final showdown with Billy and the goo-Flayer. After the incredible sauna test sequence, season three kicks into high gear and does not let off the gas until the credits of episode eight roll. There are so many incredible action sequences and satisfying moments of payoff. Dustin calling Suzie in their moment of need and giving us The NeverEnding Story is one of my favorite scenes in Stranger Things . Billy's final sacrifice and Hopper's speech to Eleven give us the most emotional moments since season one. The acting in this season is absolutely fantastic, from Dacre Montgomery to Millie Bobby Brown. I love the addition of Robin as this great new companion for Steve. Her coming out scene is one of the best written scenes in this show. Such a good way to subvert audiences expectations. Season three has a lot more great moments than people remember, and I absolutely love it. 2. Season 4 The epic, sprawling season that catapulted this show to legendary status As much as I love the other three seasons below this, seasons four and one of this show are basically perfect. After season three's bright energy and somewhat campy feel, season four gets back to the core of this show...but this time, it gets epic . This is one of the most ambitious seasons of TV ever. Every single episode is over an hour long. And almost every single minute of that runtime is earned. We have characters in different cities, different states, different countries, different continents . And, despite the spread-out nature of this season and the epic scale, it still manages to have those great, touching moments between characters that make this show special. By introducing Vecna and having a real, sentient threat for our characters to go up against, this season automatically raises the stakes and the urgency. Whereas the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer are unstoppable creatures, Vecna can outthink and outsmart our characters, which is even scarier. This allows for the Duffers to just slowly crank up the tension and the dire situations throughout the season. And, in this, we get some of the best and most powerful moments in the show. I kid you not when I say the Running Up That Hill sequence is possibly my favorite moment in any movie or show. I wrote a whole ten-page essay on it in my English class last year. I've probably watched it over a hundred times, and it still hits me every time. It's so good, and while no other moment in this season reaches those heights, it gets close from time to time. All of this epic building of tension and stakes lead us to the super-sized two and a half hour finale, where we get one of the best episodes of TV of all time. This interconnected battle that is taking place in Hawkins, in Russia, in Vecna and Eleven's mind, and in the Upside Down just makes for one of the coolest and most ambitious finales ever. You get almost two hours of non-stop action and epic payoff before moving into a very emotional final thirty minutes as you see the party cope with the losses they've suffered. As I am writing this blurb, I want to put season four in the top spot. Because if this were any other show, it would take the top spot. Along with the final two seasons of Breaking Bad and a specific other season that we are going to talk about very soon, this is one of my favorite TV seasons ever. 1. Season 1 Arguably the best first season of any show ever Stranger Things was special from the beginning. Season one of this show is unlike anything I have ever seen and will see in the future. It is this perfect, lightning-in-a-bottle little story that feels like the perfect blend of Steven Spielberg's kid-like wonder and Stephen King's coming-of-age horror. Even people who don't love Stranger Things as a whole acknowledge that season one is absolutely perfect. It's such a simple story: a young boy mysteriously vanishes and his three best friends, the police chief, and his mother desperately search for him. But through this very simple and effective plot, we get to explore these fantastic characters. Whether you are talking about Mike, Lucas, and Dustin, who feel like actual nerdy kids who are adventurous and want to find Will. Whether you are talking about Joyce, who is acting insane but is actually right and no one will believe her. Or whether you are talking about Hopper, the checked-out alcoholic police chief who gets a chance to become the great man he once was through this search for Will. In crafting these fantastic characters, you just feel the emotions and thrills that the Duffers want you to feel throughout this season. They craft a very compelling hook and just build so much incredible stuff around it. How can you not talk about Eleven in this season? From the moment she steps on screen with that torn hospital gown, she was iconic. Millie Bobby Brown does so much in her performance despite barely speaking throughout the season. And that can be said of so many of the actors this season. Winona Ryder. David Harbour. Finn Wolfhard. Gaten Matarazzo. Charlie Heaton. Natalia Dyer. Joe Keery. All of them are just absolutely incredible this season. I don't know what else to say. Stranger Things as a whole is my favorite show of all time, and I love the following four seasons after this. But there are very few stories that connect with me like the first season of Stranger Things . It was what got this special journey started in the first place, and it is absolutely perfect.

One last fight. Wow. After nearly ten years of fantastic television, Stranger Things has finally come to an end. Let me just preface this review by saying that it is going to be difficult for me to be unbiased. I am nineteen years old. This show came out when I was ten. I have grown it up with this story and these characters, so saying goodbye to them was going to be a highly emotional experience for me. I have plenty of other posts planned talking about why this show is so special, so I will try to offer my criticisms and be fair...but just keep in mind that this was a very emotional experience for me and a lot of the things that were problems in this episode don't really affect my feelings on it. The Sweet A great finale does not make you say, "Wow, what a great ending." A great finale makes you say "Of course that is the only way it could end." Stranger Things is the latter. There are essentially two halves to this episode, so I am going to talk about each of them separately. The first half is our real final battle. The party has a plan to take down Vecna and end the Upside Down nightmare once and for all. And, immediately, the finale feels like it executes the stakes that were maybe lacking in volume two. Part of the reason that volume two was so divisive was because it did not feel like we were building to the final showdown. Well, the final showdown felt like the last battle. The stakes felt huge. Seeing the Abyss crash down on the Upside Down felt massive , and it really allowed for you to feel every single moment in this final battle. I also loved that every single character got a great moment in this last fight. Like, literally everyone had a moment that made me smile and feel satisfied. From Nancy shooting at the Mind Flayer to Jonathan saving Steve to Mike using the flare to Will using his powers to Joyce decapitating Vecna, everyone just had something to do. And that was awesome. It really felt like we needed the whole party to stand together one last time to take down the Upside Down once and for all. I also thought that the visuals and the action were really great. The final boss is this crazy amalgamation of the Mind Flayer and Vecna, where Vecna is controlling this giant spider monster from the inside. Normally, a big CGI boss battle is not my favorite thing, but the way this was executed felt earned and exciting. I like having the exterior battle between the party and the Mind Flayer while also having Eleven battle Vecna from the inside of the Mind Flayer. Was the battle over a bit too quickly? Maybe, but do I really care that much? No. Stranger Things has always been good at creating these epic plans that come to a head in the finale so you know exactly what needs to be done. When something goes wrong, you feel the stakes and the urgency rising. That element was missing from volume two, but the finale brings that back. You know exactly what the characters need to do, so every time a wrench is thrown in there, it makes the rest of the plan feel more desperate and dire. One of my main criticisms of season five was Eleven and Hopper feeling sidelined. It felt like, in pushing the focus of the season in on Will and Max and Holly and others, we lost a little bit of development and screen time for El and Hop. The finale completely remedies that. Eleven is the main focus of this finale, and Hopper is really the secondary focus right behind her. They both get so many great, heart-wrenching moments and conversations that bring their characters to a satisfying conclusion. So, of course, the major talking point in this episode is Eleven's ultimate fate. Stranger Things has been criticized for not killing off main characters, so it felt like it was necessary to do so in the finale. And the one that makes the most sense is Eleven. It started with her, so it feels natural that it should end with her. Her final decision to stay behind in the Upside Down was one of the most emotional moments in the show. It was, in my opinion, a perfect way to wrap her character up. They properly built to it and it felt earned and right when she stayed behind. And, while I was initially hesitant about leaving her fate ambiguous, I think it was actual the right decision. Stranger Things has always balanced darkness with hope. Eleven killing herself because she doesn't want to be chased by the military anymore is a very dark plot point. So giving us that glimmer of hope that Mike's story might be true is just a really beautiful and cathartic way to leave us on a lighter, more touching note. Either way, her being gone has the same affect, so leaving it a mystery as to whether she is out there somewhere is a perfect way to leave things off. The epilogue (the second half of the episode) really felt like this sweet, powerful way to say goodbye to this story and these characters. Everyone gets a satisfying ending that leaves their characters off in a nice place. Almost every scene in the epilogue hit some emotional note that had me on the verge of tears. After ten years of this story, seeing this epilogue and watching the payoffs of Hopper proposing to Joyce at Enzo's or Dustin honoring Eddie in his graduation speech or Max and Lucas on their movie date just hits you. This is where people who are hating on this finale (which is a minority at this point) are just missing the mark. These are the perfect endings to these characters. I don't have much else to say. Season five was not perfect. Hell, this finale wasn't even perfect. But the way this story wrapped up was so emotionally poignant and satisfying that I really don't care. Stranger Things was my favorite show of all time going into this, and this finale cemented that. After the episode finished, I came up from my basement and my mom asked me how it was. I couldn't respond, because I just started crying. That's how you know this show has hit the perfect ending. The Sour Honestly, I don't even really want to criticize anything. This is a special show and it just means so much to me, so none of my criticisms really have an effect on my thoughts or feelings on this episode. Sure, there are some lapses in logic. I think killing off Kali was a pretty predictable and safe bet, and I wish they would've been bolder with some of the story choices in regards to that. As much as all of the conversations between characters are fantastic, having them happen in the midst of the final battle was a little bit awkward. I think that the execution of the cave scene and revealing that Henry was a vessel for the Mind Flayer all along was a little bit weak and rushed. Although they kept teasing the cave throughout the season, it just felt like it was a bit late to reveal that Vecna is more of a pawn for the hive mind and the Mind Flayer is the true evil behind everything. I still don't love the inclusion of the military. It felt like their only purpose was to motivate Eleven to sacrifice herself, and I wish they could've found a better, more satisfying way to include them. Dr. Kay just feels like an underwhelming character who has none of the layers or complexities of Dr. Brenner. She just feels like she's evil for evil's sake, and that is frustrating. But again, none of these complaints really matter. This show ended beautifully. And I am going to miss it so much. Final Thoughts and Score Stranger Things sticks the landing with a very emotionally satisfying ending that solidifies this as my favorite show of all time. Of course, I am going Sweet here. Age range is 13+. SWEET N' SOUR SCALE Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad) Moldy (Terrible) "Stranger Things" "Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up" Fun Factor: 9.5/10 Acting: 10/10 Story: 8.5/10 Characters: 10/10 Quality: 9/10 Directed by Matt and Ross Duffer Rated TV-MA for strong bloody violence, language, frightening themes and images, thematic elements Premiered on December 31, 2025 2 hours and 8 minutes Millie Bobby Brown as Jane Hopper / Eleven David Harbour as Jim Hopper Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair Noah Schnapp as Will Byers Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers Joe Keery as Steve Harrington Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley Jamie Campbell Bower as Henry Creel / Vecna Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair Linnea Berthelsen as Kali Prasad / Eight Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay Alex Breaux as Lt. Akers Joe Chrest as Ted Wheeler Randy Havens as Scott Clarke Amybeth McNulty as Vickie Dunne Catherine Curtin as Claudia Henderson

Happy New Year! Happy New Year everyone! The end of this year is absolutely insane for my blog, because I have all of the normal end of year craziness paired with the ending of Stranger Things . I am actually seeing the finale of Stranger Things in the theater tomorrow at noon, so I will begin my coverage of that on New Year's Day, not New Year's Eve. So, because of that, I am pumping out a top ten list of my favorite movies from this past year before I have to dive into the ending of Stranger Things . This was, in my opinion, the best year for movies since COVID. Not only were there some great releases, but so many people went to the theater. Let's keep it up for 2026! 10. Wicked: For Good The second part of the epic musical adaptation is not as good, but still has lots of strengths Wicked: For Good was definitely not as compelling or thrilling as the first Wicked , but that's the wrong way of looking at it. This is a different story that isn't really a prequel to The Wizard of Oz . It's more of an alternative version of it. Technically, everything is still spectacular: the costumes, the colors, the sets, the cinematography...all of it is great. Cynthia Erivo still delivers a powerhouse performance, but Ariana Grande gives an even better performance than she did in Wicked . It hits on all of the emotional beats you want it to. The songs, while not as powerful or memorable as Wicked , are still great. And, by the end, I was in tears. Sure, the story is messy and the way it connects to The Wizard of Oz is somewhat questionable, but I still found this to be a good adaptation of one of my favorite musicals. 9. The Naked Gun This movie was the most I've laughed in a theater in a long, long time On paper, a remake of The Naked Gun seems stupid, but in execution, it was fantastic. Comedy films are kind of weak nowadays. Oftentimes, they are sent straight to streaming or just don't really make me laugh. The Naked Gun was just so irreverent and hilarious that I could not help but love this film. Liam Neeson plays the role of Frank Drebin Jr. exactly how he plays every other role: dead serious. But that works perfectly for this movie, because it's so ridiculous and really does a great job of bringing the humor of the classic film series to a modern audience. It's not the best movie I've ever seen, but it was one of the most fun theater-going experiences I had this year. 8. F1 A great return to the classic summer blockbuster formula 2025 felt like it got movies back on track a little bit, and F1 was a major part of that. So many blockbusters nowadays are just filled with CGI noise and sky beams and all of that nonsense. So many of these big movies are just sequels or remakes. Joseph Kosinski and Brad Pitt decided to remedy that by giving us a feel-good, fun, fast-paced summer blockbuster that just has the spirit of a movie released twenty years ago. It's got everything you want in a racing movie: amazing practical stunts, charming movie stars, likable characters, and a feel-good story that just gets you excited about movies. Again, F1 is not the greatest movie ever made, but it's just a well-crafted, entertaining movie that I loved going to see in the theater. 7. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning Ethan Hunt's supposed swan song is a thrilling way to close out the series (if it really is the last) A lot of people where underwhelmed by The Final Reckoning . I was not one of those people. I found the most recent Mission: Impossible to be one of the most ambitious and best. This nearly three-hour long sprawling action film is a non-stop thrill ride from beginning to end. Tom Cruise knows what audiences want to see in a Mission: Impossible movie, so he delivers that ten-fold. Every big action sequence was just jaw-dropping. From insane submarine expeditions to hanging off of planes, this movie had it all. And, on top of that, it felt like this big, global threat with truly world-ending stakes. Every single moment is ratcheting up the tension so you feel the weight of every single obstacle thrown in Ethan Hunt's way. This is what I want to see more of in these big franchise blockbusters. I cannot get enough of Mission: Impossible . 6. Marty Supreme Timothée Chalamet carries an intense, nerve-racking dramedy that is a lock for awards season Marty Supreme is the final movie I saw in theaters in 2025, and it did not disappoint. From the director of Uncut Gems comes a new insanely stressful film, but this time, it's about ping pong. Timothée Chalamet delivers what might be the best performance of his career (although I have not seen A Complete Unknown) and carries this film as this fast-talking hustler who is trying to prove himself as the best ping pong player the world has ever seen. It's so much fun to watch him worm his way out of a situation but end up in a worse situation because he didn't handle the previous one properly. The tension keeps ramping up as you see things getting more insane and more dire, which leads to a very satisfying climax that cements Marty as one of the most lovable yet terrible people I've ever seen in a movie. I had tons of fun with this one, and I look forward to seeing how many awards it racks up. 5. Thunderbolts* Marvel's latest team-up leans more on emotion and characters than action...and that's good Marvel started off the year with a whimper after Brave New World , but quickly found its footing again with Thunderbolts* . Marvel's newest band of misfits work together so well because this movie is focused on themes of depression and purpose. All of these characters have done horrible things. Their lives have not been what they sought them out to be. And, because of that, you see these very broken people struggling to work together. Telling this story from Yelena's perspective makes it even more powerful because you know what she's been through. I love that this movie felt smaller and more personal instead of having world-ending and a big CGI finale. This is a way to set yourself apart from the rest of the MCU. I want them to take more risks like this in the future, because Thunderbolts* paid off beautifully. 4. Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro's sweeping adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel is simply stunning I loved Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein when I first saw it in theaters, but it's just stuck in my mind and really made me believe that it is one of the best movies of the year. del Toro delivers an absolutely gorgeous world to set this story in. From the sets to the costumes to the cinematography, everything on the technical front is just gorgeous. Jacob Elordi is probably going to get snubbed for an Oscar nomination, and I am going to be mad about it, because he does an amazing job of playing this creature who is learning how to be human. The film poses so many moral questions that I did not realize were so intrinsic to the Frankenstein story, but it worked so well for me. This movie showed me how little I actually know about this iconic, iconic tale. It was such a beautiful adaptation that really makes you think a lot about the nature of humanity and who the true monster in this story is. 3. Weapons The year's scariest movie is also one of the best and most memorable Much like Frankenstein , I loved Weapons when I first saw it. I actually rewatched it in October, and it was even better the second time, thus its placement on the list. This is such an unsettling movie that balances some ridiculously scary moments with a sharp wit and some laugh-out-loud moments. I love how well it builds out the mystery of how these seventeen kids went missing. The way its structured in showing different events from different perspectives to reveal new information is just genius. And, of course, the highlight of the film is Amy Madigan's terrifying Aunt Gladys, who entered my nightmares for the first time in August and has not left them yet. Her seemingly innocent personality masks a truly terrifying villain that is the perfect cherry on top of an already fantastic movie. I can't wait to see what director Zach Cregger does in the future. 2. The Fantastic Four: First Steps Marvel's first family finally gets the big screen adaptation they deserve I have been waiting for the Fantastic Four to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years . And they did not disappoint. The genius decision to set First Steps in an alternate universe away from the main MCU Earth makes this story feel both singular and an exciting piece of the future MCU. In their various film adaptations, the Fantastic Four have not felt like a true family, so this movie takes that and does the opposite. First Steps is all about family. The F4 themselves feel like a family. The movie centers on the birth of Franklin Richards. The whole entire movie hinges on its themes of family and what you are willing to sacrifice to protect the ones you love, and that just makes it feel like a true adaptation of the characters from the comics. On top of that, the retro-futuristic vibes of Earth-828 just give this movie a fun and unique flair. The visual effects, from the 60s-esc sets to the stunning Galactus, are some of the best we've ever gotten in the MCU. All four of our main cast members are great for different reasons. Johnny and Ben feel like the classic Human Torch and Thing, with a great banter and charming personalities. Pedro Pascal gives Reed Richards a likability paired with the awkwardness you'd expect from him. But the real standout is Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm, the heart and soul of this movie. She feels like the most powerful version of Invisible Woman we've ever seen, but letting this story play out with her as a mother makes it feel more personal and emotional for her. I just loved what they did with this movie and I can't wait to see these characters in Avengers: Doomsday . 1. Sinners Ryan Coogler's perfect direction and clever screenplay create the best movie of the 2020s so far 2025 was a great year for movies. I gave out ten Sweet ratings this year, which is double my previous record for new releases. And, despite that, no movie this year ever came close to touching Sinners as my favorite film of 2025. I've been pining for more original releases and imaginative movies. Sinners is everything I've wanted packed into one glorious two-hour experience. Ryan Coogler brings 1930s Mississippi to life with an energetic cast of characters, fantastic performances, and one of the best soundtracks of the 2020s. In the first forty minutes, I immediately fell in love with all of these characters and this idea of the night out at the juke joint. And that was before the vampires showed up. This movie blends horror, drama, action, comedy, music, romance...all of it is meshed into this absolutely perfect film that just blew my mind when I first saw it. I saw this thing three times in the theater. That tells you how much I loved it. Michael B. Jordan gives the two best performances of his career as the Smokestack twins, a pair of incredibly charismatic mobsters who are incredibly compelling leads for this story. The surprise highlight was first-time actor Miles Caton as Sammie Moore, the twins's younger cousin, who is really the heart and soul of the film. The tension, the visuals, the score, the performances, the way the story unravels...God, all of it was just perfect. There have been some good movies in the 2020s. I loved Top Gun: Maverick and Wicked and Oppenheimer . But none of them, none of them, are as good as Sinners .

One more episode to go. Okay. I was on vacation when volume two dropped, so, while I was able to watch it, I was unable to get a full review in. I figured I would chime in on my thoughts by doing a ranking of the episodes this season, adding in the three episodes we got from volume two. Let me just say this before we go in: some of the hate online that I have seen about this volume is absolutely ridiculous. If you genuinely did not like these three episodes, I respect and understand that. But calling this another Game of Thrones or saying that this is "the worst volume ever" is just stupid, guys. So if you are coming into this ready for me to just dunk on Stranger Things 5 , go find some other toxic corner of the internet. I have my criticisms, but I still believe that this is a good season and these three episodes have their strengths. That said, here's my ranking. 7. Chapter Seven: The Bridge The penultimate episode is underwhelming but some of this hate is just ridiculous I think The Bridge is where a lot of the backlash regarding this volume of episodes has come from. The legitimate criticism about this episode is that it does not feel like it's building to the final episode of Stranger Things . It's a slower, character-focused episode. It's light on action. It doesn't really give us a ton of revelations or reveals. It does not raise the stakes or tension going into the finale. And that is really, really frustrating. It is disappointing to have the second to last episode of the entire show feel like it's not trying to get you excited for the epic final showdown. I also think opinions on this episode will shift after the finale, but we will see. And, while this episode feels underwhelming as the penultimate episode of the show, it still has some great moments. The fact that it's the lowest rated episode of Stranger Things is utterly ridiculous. Lucas and Max's reunion is as emotional as you'd expect. Holly's rebelliousness in Camazotz and Vecna's growing menace do give us a small semblance of stakes. And I thought Will Byers's coming out scene was absolutely beautiful. This is the most controversial part of this volume, and I just don't get it. Noah Schnapp delivered a fantastic performance in one of the series's most emotional payoff scenes. Will being gay has been set up since literally the first episode of the show . This scene was, in my opinion, a beautiful and cathartic way to fight back against the fear Vecna injects in everyone. It's really a massive shame that so many people are hating on this scene, whether it's because they are actually homophobic or because they wanted Will and Mike to end up together. I thought it was a perfect way to let Will let go of this massive, weighty secret that he'd been holding in for so long. 6. Chapter One: The Crawl The season's kick-off is a very fun reintroduction into the newly quarantined Hawkins The Crawl is an undeniably messy episode, but I love how quickly it jumps into action. We see the group back together, all in one place, for the first time since the end of season three. It's nice to have everyone interacting and working as this sort of underground spy network trying to fight Vecna in the shadows while the military quarantines Hawkins. I love seeing where everyone is at. Dustin being traumatized from Eddie's death makes sense, and his new rebellious state sets him up for a powerful journey across the rest of the season. Mike Wheeler returns to season one form by being the loyal, great friend that I've missed seeing in seasons two through four. The climactic crawl ends in a dread-inducing sequence as a Demogorgon viciously rips through Holly Wheeler's ceiling and throws us right into the action of season five. 5. Chapter Five: Shock Jock A slower episode that has a lot of pacing issues but also gives us some really satisfying moments This is a trend with Stranger Things . Episode four usually is an epic, mid-season finale that gives us some huge revelation or incredible sequence. In season one, we saw that Will's body was fake. In season two, Will has been infected by the Mind Flayer and Hopper gets stuck in the tunnels. In season three, we had the sauna test. And, of course, season four had Running Up That Hill . Episode fives tend to not be able to measure up to the epic-ness of the fourth episode, so they feel a little bit softer. Shock Jock has the insurmountable task of living up to Sorcerer , so it just feels a bit slower and less exciting by design. I love seeing everyone's reaction to Will having powers. We get some great moments from Holly and Max. Will taking over Vecna's body and yelling at Max to run was one of the highlights of the season for me. It's a bit awkward in the structure and pacing. Hopping between Camazotz and the Upside Down and the Squawk when all of them feel disconnected can be a bit frustrating. But I thought that this episode delivered some really fun and satisfying moments for a few of our biggest characters. 4. Chapter Two: The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler A sophomore episode that ramps up the tension and the stakes very nicely The much-anticipated second episode of the season turned out to have one of the best sequences of the series. You wanted stakes right off the bat? Well, a Demogorgon annihilating the Wheelers and taking Holly into the Upside Down is pretty gnarly stuff. I love how this picks up the momentum of episode one and delivers an action-packed, exciting episode that also delivers on some character moments. Nancy's guilt about not letting her family in on the Upside Down feels very real and very sad. Robin and Will's dynamic is just incredible. The episode also has some pacing issues (as many of this season's episodes do), but it's a lot of fun and really does get the ball rolling early. 3. Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap A ridiculously entertaining hour that has everything I love about this show The Duffers described The Turnbow Trap as the most classic Stranger Things episode this season, and that could not be more true. After Holly has been kidnapped by Vecna, the group tries to figure out a way to get her back. Will, having tapped into the hive mind, figures out that Dipshit Derek Turnbow is Vecna's next target. We get the return of Erica Sinclair in a glorious sequence where she drugs an entire family. We get a great needle drop of Tiffany's I Think We're Alone Now as Holly dances in the empty Creel house. And, of course, the eponymous Turnbow trap where the entire group tries to Home Alone a Demogorgon is just incredible. Cap off the episode with Max's return to the show and you've got one of the most purely entertaining entries in all of Stranger Things . 2. Chapter Six: Escape from Camazotz One of the most emotional episodes of the entire series Whereas The Turnbow Trap delivered on all the action and classic fun of Stranger Things, Escape from Camazotz delivered on all the characters and emotional side of the show. To start off, though, we have some majorly satisfying reveals about the Upside Down. The dimension we've always viewed as a scary mirror of Hawkins is not that at all: it's a bridge between Hawkins and the mysterious Abyss, the true home of the Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer, and now Vecna. This revelation was really cool and does kind of reshape the way you look at earlier seasons and how the Upside Down operated. But let's get into the meat of this episode. The highlight here is Max and Holly as they try to escape Camazotz. Holly comes up with the great idea of looking into Henry's trauma (where we see that weird cave memory) before they discover Vecna's mind lair. There, we get an extremely emotional scene where Max encourages Holly and tells her that she is heroic, thus opening up her portal in the mind lair. The parallel of Dear Billy worked beautifully for me as both Max and Holly ran towards their freedom. The other standout moments here are, of course, Nancy and Jonathan's scene and Steve and Dustin's scenes. On the brink of death, Nancy and Jonathan are finally honest with each other. Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton give powerhouse performances here as they just lay everything out on the table and reconcile the secrets they've kept from each other. There is part of me that wished they died, but I also don't think it's satisfying to kill them off because Nancy shot the exotic matter. Either way, this was a great scene. And the other incredible scene is between Dustin and Steve. After being at each other's throats all season, Dustin, in a moment of vulnerability after fearing that Steve might die, reveals that he's been so angry because he can't "let it happen again". Gaten's voice breaking as he says that he can't let Steve become his next Eddie is making me emotional thinking about it. This is where I just don't get the hate for volume two. Stranger Things is about the characters at its core, and the characters are the primary focus of this volume. And nowhere is that more present than in Escape from Camazotz . 1. Chapter Four: Sorcerer The mid-season finale is huge in scope, reveals, and emotions Sorcerer is still the mark to beat, and, hopefully, The Rightside Up will reach or beat that mark. As Vecna's plan continues in motion, the group desperately tries to save the kids that he is attempting to kidnap. During this whole setup, we get some great moments. Robin's speech to Will (which eventually motivates him to come out) is one of the best moments of the season. Maya Hawke's performance is not talked about enough, because she's been fantastic this whole season, and that was her standout moment. Derek Turnbow becomes the newest fan-favorite character as he becomes Delightful Derek instead of Dipshit Derek. And Hopper and Eleven have some really powerful father-daughter moments as they try to break their way into the military base in the Upside Down. But none of those are the reasons that this is one of the show's strongest episodes. The climax of this episode is an epic, insane battle in the MAC-Z when three Demogorgons show up and start massacring the military. The highlight of this battle is a gorgeous one-take as we follow Mike, Joyce, and Will as they navigate the kids through this insanity. Vecna then shows up and absolutely destroys the military. He then taunts Will and sets the Demogorgons on his friends...which is when we get the second best moment of the entire show. Through four seasons, Will Byers has been sidelined. He has not been the focus, despite being the central figure in season one. And that has always been disappointing. But they are remedying that in season five, which they prove when he remembers Robin's speech and accepts himself for who he is...thus tapping into the hive mind and siphoning Vecna's powers. In one of the most badass and epic moments I've ever seen on TV, Will, with whited-out eyes and a menacing look, stops the Demogorgons from killing his friends and snaps their limbs Vecna-style. What a mid-season finale. If the real finale can live up to this, I really think that will cement Stranger Things as one of TV's biggest successes.