Monsters of modern society

Rated TV-MA • Netflix

The stakes for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things could not have been higher. Not only would we find out if the teenage heroes would prevent darkness from covering the entire world, but we would also find out if Netflix managed to satisfy the myriad fans of this fantasy series that trades on 1980s nostalgia.

Viewers became hooked on the show set in the fictional small town of Hawkins, Ind., when young Will Byers vanished and his gang of nerdy friends had to rescue him from the Upside Down. Filled with monsters and closely guarded by top-secret military personnel, the Upside Down is a terrifying threat hidden in America’s heartland. Subsequent seasons introduced new dangers of earth-shattering proportions, and we discovered much about the origins of the Upside Down, the mastermind (Vecna) controlling the hive-mind of hideous vines, demogorgons, demodogs and demobats, and the mind-invading entity, dubbed “The Mind Flayer.”

While the show revels in eerie subject matter, it’s the cast’s chemistry that makes the series so compelling. Their determination to save each other from the evil that menaces their hometown has the power to turn former rivals, bullies, and disinterested family members into self-sacrificial heroes. And Joyce Byers’ determination to recover her son is matched only by police chief Jim Hopper’s no-nonsense fearlessness. (Winona Ryder and David Harbour both deliver unforgettable performances in their respective roles). Will and his friends are pushed to the limits of their imaginations and resourcefulness, and the harebrained missions they concoct in order to keep the darkness at bay are what have kept viewers waiting impatiently for successive seasons.

One of the most interesting aspects of this final season is the prominent role played by Madeleine L’Engle’s sci-fi ­classic, A Wrinkle in Time. In previous seasons, the show referenced Dungeons & Dragons, The Lord of the Rings, and various elements of ’80s pop culture. But I was surprised to see the series feature a novel with overtly Christian themes in which Scripture is quoted frequently.

Like Stranger Things’ fifth season, the book’s narrative follows a group of unlikely heroes who travel to another dimension to liberate their loved ones from a superintelligent hive-mind that is bent on universal conquest. Observant viewers will note a host of other connections between the two stories, but the contrast between the lessons learned by their protagonists shows a cultural shift.

Meg’s heroic journey in A Wrinkle in Time requires her to discover the power of self-sacrificial love in service to a higher power, but Will’s in Stranger Things emphasizes self-discovery and self-liberation. Will begins Season 5 weighed down by a secret, hindering his ability to help his friends against the forces of darkness. He fears the relational fallout that might occur if they find out he’s gay. The series suggests he has nothing to be ashamed of. The possibility of rejection, of his friends drifting away from him—these are society’s problems, problems that would melt away in the warmth of uncritical self-acceptance. One character advises: “I was looking for answers in somebody else, but … I had all the answers. I just needed to stop being so … scared of who I really was.” The source of Will’s power becomes the knowledge his community will embrace him without judgment. Both A Wrinkle in Time and Stranger Things assert that the truth sets you free, but what truth? What if society’s “truth” is a falsehood masquerading as your salvation?

The series has plenty of objectionable content, much like the ’80s movies it patterns itself on, but at its best, Stranger Things reminds us that we are engaged in a daily spiritual battle. Spiritual evil is relentless, afflicting our minds with fear and lies about ourselves and our futures. The powers of darkness try to deceive us, if they can, appearing as angels of light—a new approach attempted by Vecna in Season 5.

Though the finale ultimately fizzles in a less than satisfying manner, the heart of Stranger Things has always been a loyal group of friends using the power of curious minds, scrappy courage, and creative storytelling against incredible odds to defeat evil. And that story, despite its defects, depicts heart-swelling, death-defying, self-sacrificial glory, that can be used as inspiration to have the courage to bring the light of the gospel into the darkness.