Spoiler-Free Review of “Stranger Things” Season 5: Part 1 on Netflix: A Solid Start to the End

*This is a spoiler-free review for season five so feel free to read on!*

“It was always just about me…”

Stranger Things season five (part 1) premiered on Netflix on November 26th 2025 with four new episodes available to stream now. Part two will release on December 25th and the series finale will air on December 31st. The sci-fi horror series stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and Natalia Dyer. Each episode runs for approximately 90-140 minutes.

Our beloved group is put to the test once again as they try to stop Vecna from abducting the children of Hawkins before it’s too late.

Here is the trailer:

Stranger Things season five brings us back to the town of Hawkins after quite some time. Does it have enough steam left to finish out the series in a satisfying way? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Great pacing.

The episodes for season 5 are once again on the long side. Each one almost feels like a mini movie, but I have to say that time flew by while I was watching each one. Episode 1 took me a little bit of time to adapt, but I think that’s mostly because I was trying to remember everything that had happened previously. I strongly recommend watching the recap if you haven’t done a recent re-watch.

Episodes 2-4 were fantastic with pacing, however. I was on the edge of my seat and there were so many stand out moments. So far part 1 is delivering in terms of a final season. It really feels like it’s leading up to an exciting conclusion…don’t let me down!

Characters begin to reach their true potential…

It’s about time! There were SO many incredible moments between characters so far. There will be no spoilers in this review, but the conversation between Robin and Will is one of the most vulnerable and real moments I’ve ever witnessed on a television series. It didn’t feel forced. It just transpired in such an authentic way, which truly moved me.

I also really loved seeing some supporting characters step up and I loved the introduction of Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise) who took over the role of Holly Wheeler. You can just tell that she’s going to be a star!

Also, shout-out to scene stealer, Erica Sinclair once again!

The Cons:

It’s been some time…

Season 4 came out in 2022 so it’s been a huge gap for the audience. I didn’t have the time to do a re-watch so I was scratching my head quite a few times trying to put the pieces together during certain moments. Eventually things caught up for me, but I wish we didn’t have to wait so long for these episodes.

So far I really don’t have too many cons. I just hope that we have enough time to give each and every one of these characters the screen time they deserve because we’ve spent years watching them grow. I’m confident we’ll achieve it though.

So am I in or out?

I’m in 100 percent!!!

Stranger Things season 5 is off to a fantastic start with plenty of heart-pounding and heartfelt moments packed in.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Stranger Things season five (part 1) in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A Halloween they’ll never forget…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Damsel” on Netflix: Not Your Average Fairy-Tale…

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“This story always ends the same…”

Damsel is a dark fantasy action film that premiered on March 8th 2024 on Netflix. It stars Millie Bobby Brown, Robin Wright, Nick Robinson, and Angela Bassett. It runs for an hour and forty-nine minutes.

A young woman marries a prince, only to discover that his family actually plans to sacrifice her to a dragon.

Here is the trailer:

Damsel follows in the footsteps of The Princess, presenting us with a capable and intelligent female lead who needs to rely on herself to save the day. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Visually impressive.

This film was gorgeous to look at. It really felt like I was seeing an actual fairy-tale kingdom right off the page. The colors and costumes were aesthetically pleasing and I was impressed with the scenes involving the dragon.

Millie Bobby Brown gives it her all!

I really liked her in this and thought she stepped away from her character from Stranger Things in a bad-ass way, proving that she is more than capable of commanding the screen in different types of films. I’d like to see her do more than Netflix films because I think she has a lot of raw talent that is being stifled in a way, but I was rooting for her the entire time in this one.

I also wanted her character to give us some sarcasm or humor to lighten things up a little bit, but she delivered with what she was given.

The cat-and-mouse scenes were well done.

I loved the way the dragon toyed with her and I really enjoyed some of the earlier scenes in the cave where we got to see Elodie unlock her true potential with intelligence and courage. There were also some darker elements of horror in this one that I absolutely loved.

The Cons:

Nothing new here…

Look, I love modern day fairy-tales and I will continue to indulge in them. That being said, I’ve seen this movie before. I personally liked The Princess better, which had a better balance of bad-ass moments and humor to keep me fully engaged. I’m all for a strong female lead not requiring the prince to save the day, but this film needed some more edge to fully deliver.

It had some sprinkles of Ready or Not thrown in and if it had lightened up just a touch and found some twisted humor, it would have been a little bit more satisfying by the time I got to the end.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

Millie Bobby Brown reminds us that she’s here to stay as a strong female lead in this bad-ass (but mostly predictable) fantasy-action flick.

A lot felt very by the numbers here, but if you enjoy twists on fairy-tales and anything with dragons, there’s enough here to appreciate for a decent enough movie of the week.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts on Damsel in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Stranger Things” Season 4 Volume 2 on Netflix: Intense from Start to Finish

*This is a spoiler-free review for season four so feel free to read on!*

“Without heart we’d fall apart…”

Stranger Things season four (volume 2) premiered on Netflix on July 1st 2022 with two new episodes available to stream now. The sci-fi horror series stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and Natalia Dyer. Each episode runs for approximately 90-140 minutes.

Our beloved group is put to the test as they face off against Vecna in an epic battle.

Here is the trailer:

Stranger Things season four started off with a bang, but does volume 2 stick the landing with the final two episodes of the season? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Doesn’t hold back…

Volume 1 was absolutely fantastic to watch, but we got a lot of set-up and flashbacks so there were some breaks from the intensity. Volume 2 takes us on a thrill ride and never stops. It really felt like more of a movie and I loved every second of it. There were so many edge-of-your-seat moments in this one, along with a lot of really heartfelt and heartbreaking ones. The music was AMAZING and there was one musical moment in particular that I will be re-watching over and over for years to come for sure. Wow! Talk about entertaining…I think it’s safe to say that this was definitely one of my favorite seasons yet.

Images courtesy of Netflix

Other characters prove their worth!

I really liked that we got enough time to explore each character in volume 1 and I am happy to report that volume 2 filled in the blanks with a few other characters that needed a little bit more time and development. Everyone proved that they were worthy to the group in different capacities and I loved watching their journeys.

That’s why I like this show so much. It’s not just about the superhero. It’s about everyone else too. The show reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in that way. You have this one powerful girl who is destined to save the world, but her friends are just as capable and powerful and they all show just how special they are over the seasons.

The same thing can absolutely be said about the characters in Stranger Things. That’s why it makes it so incredibly hard whenever we lose one of these characters. There will be no spoilers in this review, but wow. I shed quite a few tears during volume 2.

A finale to be excited about!

That last shot took my breath away. We are all set up for the final fifth season of the show and I am confident that it will be out of this world. The only problem is…we have to wait for it!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Unanswered questions.

That was a lot to take in and now I have all of these unanswered questions stirring in my brain. It’s not really much of a con, but I loved this season so much and it’s really hard to come up with something I didn’t like. I am sure that everything will be resolved in the final season, but there’s a lot left to explore and I’m just hoping that this series can finish strong because these characters all deserve a satisfying ending and so do we!

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in 100 percent!!!

A satisfying conclusion to a fantastic season!!!!!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Stranger Things season four (volume 2) in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A Halloween they’ll never forget…

My new young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Stranger Things” Season 4 Volume 1 on Netflix: Delivers with 80’s horror vibe

*This is a spoiler-free review for season four so feel free to read on!*

“What have you done?”

Stranger Things season four (volume 1) premiered on Netflix on May 27th 2022 with seven new episodes available to stream now. The final two episodes of the season will air on July 1st 2022. The sci-fi horror series stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and Natalia Dyer. Each episode runs for approximately 65-75 minutes.

It’s Spring Break in the town of Hawkins, but our beloved group encounters a new nightmarish threat targeting local teens.

Here is the trailer:

Stranger Things season four is more mature in a lot of ways, channeling classic 80’s horror films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Hellraiser, while giving us plenty of reveals to be excited about. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Dark fast-paced plot.

Our characters have grown up a lot so it makes sense for the plot to mature as well. I absolutely loved the 80’s horror vibe. We got a great cameo/small role that furthered some of these similarities even more and the dark and twisted story really was quite frightening this time around.

I loved every second of it!

Standout episodes: 4 and 7!

Supporting characters get their chance to shine!

I appreciated that we took some time for each character on the series to get some well deserved screen time. There’s a lot of characters and a lot of subplots going on, but the longer episodes actually helped us catch up with all of them. The new characters really added something as well.

Standout performance goes to Sadie Sink as Max. Wow, she was absolutely incredible! I’m really glad we got a chance to see her character develop more.

The Nancy and Robin adventures were pure entertainment and the other characters had plenty of fantastic moments as well.

I would have liked for Erica to have gotten some more screen time, however.

The Cons:

I have to wait until July to watch the last two episodes…

Seriously, that’s my only con. I love this series so much and I think that season 4 has been absolutely incredible so far. I can’t wait to see how it all ends!

So am I in or out?

I’m in 100 percent!!!!!

Dark, twisted, and so much fun to watch! Season 4 has been absolutely incredible so far and I highly recommend it!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Stranger Things season four (volume 1) in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

A Halloween they’ll never forget…

My new young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

My performance of the week ending 7/13/19 on TV goes to…

“I make my own rules!” You ladies absolutely do and that’s why I can’t just narrow it down to one standalone performance this week. Let’s give it up for the amazing ladies of Stranger Things season 3 on Netflix. In my favorite season yet, the girls pretty much stole the show. They had me laughing, crying, and rooting for them against all odds. These powerful and impressive female characters refused to sit on the sidelines, as they kicked ass and had fun doing it. Let’s meet these wonderful characters and discuss why they are so fantastic! **Please note major spoilers have been left out for your convenience so feel free to read on!

Stranger things shopping — Image courtesy of Netflix

Girls just want to have fun and I would absolutely love to go on a shopping spree with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Max (Sadie Sink). I already liked these two characters and Millie Bobby Brown has impressed me since the beginning of the series, but the adorable friendship between these two made me smile so much! Maybe the shopping spree montage was a little cheesy and over-the-top, but that’s why it worked for me. Eleven is growing up and learning what it’s like to be a teenage girl and luckily she has Max to help her out along the way!

There is no question about it, our girl Robin (Maya Hawke) rules! I absolutely loved the introduction of her character. Steve could definitely learn a thing or two from her. OK, he probably needs to be completely schooled by her, and he is…on more than one occasion. Robin is smart, cool, funny, and someone I could really relate to.

We all scream for ice cream and I want more screen time for another new addition, Erica (Priah Ferguson). She may be Lucas’s little sister, but she is a scene-stealer for sure! She was a little annoying with wanting to try every flavor of ice cream, but once she became part of the team, she was fantastic and had me laughing out loud constantly!

Joyce stranger things — Image courtesy of Netflix

Joyce (Winona Ryder) continues to remind us why we love her so much. She’s loyal, intelligent, and she refuses to let anyone stand in her way…even the military! Better watch out or she will give them a stern talking to, as if it is part of a parent-teacher conference! But seriously, Joyce is such an amazing character and her quirks just work. She’s fearless, caring, and hilarious in a subtle way.

nancy wheeler 2 — Image courtesy of Netflix

I gotta give it up for my girl Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), who refuses to let being called Nancy Drew turn into an insult. In season 3, Nancy has to deal with some beyond difficult and frustrating male co-workers, who had me pulling my own hair out in disgust, but she continues to follow her instincts, refusing to take no for an answer. I have a feeling she will make a fantastic reporter one day, but I love that Nancy is living in a man’s world and shatters it completely. She even shows off some impressive shooting skills, reminding us that she’s a complete bad-ass too. Team Nancy Wheeler for life!

What’s next for the Stranger Things ladies? We’ll have to wait and see, but I would love to see more screen time for all of these characters in season 4. While I love all of the characters on the show, there has to be something said here for the girl power in season 3. I hope that trend continues because these women are strong, powerful, intelligent, and beyond capable. They are the super heroes of the show for me!

Stay tuned for a recognized performance on TV each week!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Have a performance on TV that you think is simply outstanding? Feel free to contact me with your nomination for the week by Friday at midnight!

Do you love television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Once Upon a Time, Lost, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural? Do you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery? Then you may like my book series, Dreaming of Wonderland…available on Amazon! Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well. I really hope you enjoy!

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