This is my ranking of the Stranger Things seasons from worst to best. While I love them all for their own reasons, there can only be one favorite.
With Volume 1 of Season 5 coming out this past Thanksgiving, I decided to take a walk down memory lane. Spoilers of Season 5 Volume 1 are ahead!
- Season Two
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At the bottom of my list I have Season 2. While we now know that Season 2 had some important details in mind for the fifth season, it doesn’t stick out to me. It was like they tried to fit seven different plot lines all into one season.
The whole side quest of Eleven going to Chicago was thrown in as a way to show that Eleven wasn’t the only child and they helped her reconnect with her powers. However, I feel like that goal could have been accomplished without this side plot that confused viewers.
With the ending of Season 5 Volume 1 that just came out, we can connect an old character from this plot to the ending of the series, however it still does not waver my opinion that we could have introduced her sister and helped Eleven get her powers back without going to Chicago.
- Season One
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Season 1 holds so much nostalgia and many childhood memories for me. With the release of Season 1 when I was in 6th grade, it’s truly a time capsule of memories.
If you put Season 1 beside the other seasons, it doesn’t have all the amazing things that show acquired over the years. Most of season one was about finding Will and the journey of navigating the new reality the characters face.
My favorite part about Season 1 is the relationship between Steve and Nancy, who I still hope get back together before the series ends for good on New Year’s Eve at the end of December. Overall, this season holds so many memories and really sets the show up for the greatness it has become.
- Season Four
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While iconic, this season also had some weird side plots just like Season 2 did. Joyce and Murray’s search to find Hopper in prison was an action filled side plot, though most of us were fighting to find out what Vecna’s goals were.
The side plot where Joyce and her boys moved to California was also confusing and had no real gain for the story. However, other than these two weird side plots, this season was amazing.
With the iconic soundtrack of the summer of its release being ‘Running Up That Hill’ by Kate Bush and the devastating deaths that unfolded, this season was everything. It brought in new characters and so much more attention to the show in the media.
We all remember the absolute takeover that Season 4 had in all of our lives, and it continues to do so with the new release of Season 5.
- Season Five
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With only half the season to go off of, I can say I love it already. The development of story lines for characters who haven’t developed much since Season 2 was incredible. The new friendship between Will and Robin that gave him the courage he has needed all this time is unbeatable.
The consistent action and demons that the gang face kept me so entertained I watched it like it was a six-hour movie. If there is one season I can recommend watching, it is Season 5. I was even able to get my little cousins hooked on the show just by the first episode.
With the most insane plot twist at the end of Volume 1, I cannot wait to see what the Duffer Brothers have in store for Volume 2 and the series finale.
- Season Three
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Season 3 is unbeatable. The nostalgia and memories attached to this season take people back to a pivotal time in our lives. Circa 2019 with no problems, VSCO girls and carnivals, it is a time we can never relive but Stranger Things Season 3 brings you pretty close.
From Scoops Ahoy to pool days to carnivals, this season brings the summer vibes that we all crave. With iconic scenes like the mall scene at the end where the Mind Flayer is about to destroy everything and then suddenly Joyce is able to destroy what is holding open the gate, this season is my favorite.
The obsession the media had with Billy and Alexei for their amazing character development and heartbreaking endings still characterizes the new seasons. Everything about Season 3 was perfect, and the tragic cliffhanger as to whether or not Hopper survives was the cherry on top.
Truly my favorite season of the show, and it hopefully holds just as many memories for you as it does for me.
I truly love this show and the way we have all grown up with the cast and the story. While I am sad to see it end at the end of December, I also know we are in for an amazing and heartbreaking conclusion.