Cast of Stranger Things in Season 5Image via Netflix
By
Collier Jennings
Published 9 minutes ago
Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with a substantial amount of experience under his belt. Collier, or "CJ" to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. Using his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he's been able to tackle a wide variety of articles.
Sign in to your Collider account
Summary
Generate a summary of this story
follow
Follow
followed
Followed
Like
Like
Thread
Log in
Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
For five seasons, the main characters of Stranger Things have faced off against demogorgons, Mind Flayers, and the malevolent Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). They've managed to survive thanks to a combination of wit, psychic abilities and an innate knowledge of Dungeons & Dragons. Their greatest challenge may not come from the Upside Down, but in avoiding criminal charges due to the events of the Season 5 episode "The Turnbow Trap".
"The Turnbow Trap" serves as the penultimate episode of Season 5's first "volume", and things are fairly dire. Not only has the government, spearheaded by the mysterious Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton), set up shop in Hawkins but Vecna's reignited his reign of terror and snared multiple children, including Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) — the sister of Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard). To save Holly and the other kids, Mike, Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Will (Noah Schnapp) and the rest of their "Party" concoct a plan that's absurdly illegal. How illegal? Let me count the ways.
‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Sees Its Heroes Breaking Multiple Laws
Hawkins' heroes in Stranger Things 5Image via Netflix
In a precursor to Volume 1's jaw-dropping twist, Will often gets psychic visions of whenever Vecna sends out Demogorgons, and determines that Holly's classmate Derek Turnbow is in the skinless sorcerer's sights. Therefore, he and Mike devise a plan: after getting inside Derek's house, the Party drugs his entire family and sets a trap for the Demogorgon, eventually tagging it with a tracker so they can find where Vecna, and therefore, Holly is. You read that right: our heroes kidnap a child and his entire family. Dustin (Gaten Materazzo) even bluntly points out how insane this is: "We're saving a child via kidnapping".
The criminal activity doesn't stop there. In addition to abduction and stealing tranquilizers from the hospital, the Party also completely wrecks the Turnbow house when fighting the Demogorgon. Yes, it's cool to see Steve (Joe Keery) swap his nail-studded baseball bat for a chainsaw, but you can't help but hope that the Turnbows know a good insurance agent as the Party starts smashing things up to prepare their Demogorgon trap. Steve and Dustin also cause more havoc when Steve leads the Demogorgon on a wild chase, smashing his car throughout multiple fences and mailboxes. The truly disturbing part features Erica (Priah Ferguson), who tricks the Turnbows into eating the pie with fake tears...and then stabs Derek's sister Tina with a syringe full of tranquilizer when she doesn't eat the pie. Forget Vecna — Erica might be the real Big Bad of Stranger Things.
Related
’Stranger Things 5’s Insane Episode 3 Twist Turns Max’s Fate Into a Series Game-Changer
The show’s biggest mystery finally snaps into focus in Episode 3.
Posts By Hannah Hunt 3 days ago‘The Turnbow Trap’ Shows How ’Stranger Things’s Protagonists Are at Their Limits
While the heroes of Stranger Things often bend or skirt the law, they haven't really committed brazen criminal behavior up until "The Turnbow Trap". Yet this moment also shows how desperate Will and his friends are to beat Vecna. At this point, their town is being invaded by the government, infected by a hellish alternate dimension, and tormented by a psychopath with immense powers. It's also personal for Will; having barely survived his encounter in the Upside Down and his possession by the Mind Flayer, he knows full well what Vecna is capable of and won't let anything, not even human laws, get in the way of stopping him.
Probably the best example of how determined Will is comes when he argues with his mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder). Joyce understandably has major issues with kidnapping the Turnbows, leading Will to rip into her and say that they "can't play it safe" now that Vecna has Holly. While he's got a point, it's shocking to see Will — usually the most quiet, level-headed member of the party — erupt at his own mother, who stopped short of moving heaven and Earth to find him in Stranger Things Season 1.
Stranger Things is almost near its end, so it only makes sense that the Duffer Brothers would want to go out on the biggest note possible. That note just happens to involve kidnapping and drugging people, and viewers can't help but wonder if the Wheelers and Byers know a good lawyer.
Stranger Things
Like TV-14 Drama Mystery Horror Science Fiction Release Date 2016 - 2025-00-00 Network Netflix Showrunner Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer Directors Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz Writers Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock
7 Images
Eleven looking into an opening of the Upside Down with pink light in Stranger Things season 1
Jim Hopper (David Harbour) grabbing Jonathan's (Charlie Heaton) shoulders in Stranger Things season 1©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
Eleven with cables all over her head in Stranger Things season 4
Vecna looking towards Will in the trailer for Stranger Things season 5 (2025)
Max and Eleven in Stranger ThingsNetflix
Stranger Things season 2, episode 2 "Trick or Treat, Freak".MovieStillsDB
The Upside Down in Stranger Things season 5Courtesy of Netflix Close
Cast
See All-
Millie Bobby Brown
Jane 'Eleven' Hopper
-
Finn Wolfhard
Mike Wheeler
Expand
Collapse
-
Stranger Things
-
Netflix
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.Your comment has not been saved
Send confirmation emailThis thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
- Terms
- Privacy
- Feedback
1 day ago
’Stranger Things 5’s Surprising Will and Vecna Twist May Be Setting Up a Dark Harry Potter Theory
3 days ago
Forget ‘Star Wars’ — This Cult ’90s Sci-Fi Series Is Still a Masterclass in Space Warfare
4 days ago
Marvel Brought Back Blade Long Before 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' but No One Remembers
50 minutes ago
The 10 Greatest Quotes in Pixar Movies, Ranked
More from our brands
Stranger Things Stars and Creators Tease Volume 2 and Finale
Everything We Know About Stranger Things Season 5
Two Strangers Things Characters Are Being Recast For Season 5
Why Rita Died in Dexter, Explained
7 Characters Most Likely To Die In Stranger Things Season 5, Ranked
This beloved sci-fi novel is key to the plot of Stranger Things season 5
How Old Are the Main Characters in Each Season of Stranger Things?
What To Watch
July 20, 2025
The 72 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now
Trending Now
10 Underrated Action Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces
Nancy Wheeler’s ‘Stranger Things’ Spinoff Is More Than a Side Quest — It May Hold the Key to Season 5’s Endgame
The 3 Best Movies To Watch on Netflix This Week (#1 Is a Cozy Christmas Favorite)
