Stranger Things (Season Five, Part One)

This show has completed its transformation from a busy but engaging throwback to just another horror show, distinguished from the usual below-average Sci-Fi Channel show by its budget. This is the television equivalent of the final third of an MCU film, a lightshow whose only emotional resonance comes from cashing in on past earned goodwill, except that goodwill burned out prior to Big Virus. Maya Hawke, at least, makes something work with all her scenes, making her the standout in a cast otherwise stuck in “I guess we’re doing this now” mode. Only four hours left of this crap. Yay.

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