Stranger Things' final season hailed as a 'masterpiece' by TV critics

It's only been a matter of hours since the final season of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix - and already, it's being hailed as a 'masterpiece' by critics. 

The sci-fi series comes to an end with the new episodes, four of which were released by the streaming giant today (November 27), with three to follow on Boxing Day, and the last instalment still more than a month away on New Year's Day. 

The series sees the return of fan-favourite character Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, alongside her band of friends, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Max and Will in the fictional town of Hawkins, which has been plagued by dark forces from the Upside Down.  

The cast will take on show villain Vecna, portrayed by Jamie Campbell Bower, a final time in scenes that Netflix promised to be 'bone chilling'. 

'Hawkins has never faced anything like what’s coming next,' the streaming service teased to viewers on the release of the season's final trailer this month. 

The IMDb synopsis adds: 'In 1980s Indiana, a group of young friends witness supernatural forces and secret government exploits. As they search for answers, the children unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries.'

The cast includes the likes of Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Gaten Matarazzo, David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton.  

The drama has already been streamed by many, including critics, who have shared their rave reviews online - saying the series left them 'yelling with joy'.

The Metro's Sabrina Barr wrote: 'This finale is a TV moment that will be remembered for years to come, especially if the sensational first four episodes of the season are anything to go by.

'It gave me full-body chills and honestly had me on the verge of screaming.

'Stranger Things season five, volume one, is epic, and will remind you why you fell in love with TV in the first place.'

The Guardian's Jack Seale's headline states: 'This luxurious final run will have you standing on a chair, yelling with joy.'

He added: 'It has successfully patchworked its own unique genre vibe, a formula that can be profitably re-run, at least once more.'

Meanwhile, the The Independent's Nick Hilton writes: 'The stakes are never lower than critical.

'The Duffer brothers have created something, in the beleaguered town of Hawkins and its luckless citizenry, that is admirably immersive.'

The BBC's Laura Martin penned: 'No Stranger Things fan is going away disappointed from these episodes, which leave anticipation for the rest of the season at fever pitch.

'It's thrilling; and if it's a precursor to how the Duffer Brothers plan to wrap up the show then viewers are in for an all-time great TV ending.'

Polygon's Samantha Nelson added: 'The stakes are higher than ever, but the characters are still Stranger Things' highlight.

'Stranger Things has become a far more mythology- and special effects-driven show since its first season, and there’s clearly more of both to come in the final four episodes.'

Dozens more critics have also taken to reviews site Rotten Tomatoes.  

Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles times writes: 'It’s a welcome but bittersweet reunion for fans of the show who’ve spent the last decade watching a gaggle of misfit kids (now teens) weaponise their nerd skills against supernatural and mortal enemies in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana.'

While The Daily Beast's Nick Schager penned: 'For a series that’s been MIA since 2022, it hasn’t lost a step in terms of vibrant personality and PG-13 horror spectacle.'

And the Sydney Morning Herald's Karl Quinn added: 'It remains a masterful interplay of light and dark, funny and tense, playful and deeply serious.

'The horror has been dialled up a notch… We don’t just get a Demogorgon now, we get a horde of them. And when they attack, those talons don’t just rip at flesh, they pierce it.' 

Mama's Geeky writer Tessa Smith said: 'What a start to the last season it is. Epic action, heartbreaking moments, all done on a grand scale.

'We get closer, longer looks at the Demogorgon and that thing is absolutely terrifying.

'Netflix and the Duffer brothers spared no expense for the final episodes… There are several big action set pieces and battles just in the first few episodes.'

While USA Today's Kelly Lawler concluded: 'The fight scenes remain action-packed and heart-palpitating.'

Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix now.  

STRANGER THINGS 5: WHAT ARE THE CRITICS SAYING? 

The Metro

'This finale is a TV moment that will be remembered for years to come, especially if the sensational first four episodes of the season are anything to go by.

'This finale is a TV moment that will be remembered for years to come, especially if the sensational first four episodes of the season are anything to go by. 

'It gave me full-body chills and honestly had me on the verge of screaming.

'Stranger Things season five, volume one, is epic, and will remind you why you fell in love with TV in the first place.'

Rating:

The Guardian

'This luxurious final run will have you standing on a chair, yelling with joy.

'It has successfully patchworked its own unique genre vibe, a formula that can be profitably re-run, at least once more.'

Rating:

The Independent

'The stakes are never lower than critical.

'The Duffer brothers have created something, in the beleaguered town of Hawkins and its luckless citizenry, that is admirably immersive.'

Rating:

The BBC

'No Stranger Things fan is going away disappointed from these episodes, which leave anticipation for the rest of the season at fever pitch.

'It's thrilling; and if it's a precursor to how the Duffer Brothers plan to wrap up the show then viewers are in for an all-time great TV ending.'

Rating: