Joyce speaking into a microphone in Stranger Things
By
Ben Sherlock
Published 9 minutes ago
Ben Sherlock is a Tomatometer-approved film and TV critic who runs the massively underrated YouTube channel I Got Touched at the Cinema. Before working at Screen Rant, Ben wrote for Game Rant, Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop. He's also an indie filmmaker, a standup comedian, and an alumnus of the School of Rock.
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Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
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Explain it like I’m 5
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Warning! Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things' season 5 premiere.
By the time Stranger Things season 5 picks up, a lot has happened to Hawkins since Vecna opened the gates. At the end of Stranger Things season 4, a couple of days after the so-called earthquake hit Hawkins, the Upside Down started to invade the town. Will sensed that Vecna was still alive, and the stage was set for a thrilling final season.
In Stranger Things’ season 5 premiere, Hawkins has managed to contain the outbreak of the Upside Down, but the town has completely changed in the process. The town has been quarantined, there’s a heavy military presence, and Hawkins’ future is uncertain. Robin’s budding new career as the radio personality “Rockin’ Robin” proved to be the perfect exposition machine.
In her first on-screen broadcast in Stranger Things’ season 5 opener, Robin reiterates all the rules that Hawkins citizens have to follow, which doubles as an explanation for the audience. It’s a chance for us to catch up on everything that’s happened to Hawkins since Vecna opened the gates. But Robin races through that exposition pretty quickly.
The Military Does Medical Check-Ups For Those Who Live In Hawkins
A military checkpoint in Stranger Things
According to Robin, Hawkins now has a bigger military-to-civilian ratio than ever. The town has been quarantined, soldiers patrol its borders to make sure no unauthorized personnel get in or out, and the military conducts regular medical checkups on the townspeople. It remains to be seen if the ending of season 4 will have lasting impacts on the citizens’ health.
They’ve been told that these checkups are because everyone was breathing in the “ash” falling from the sky after the “earthquake.” Robin comes up with a bunch of colorful metaphors to describe this so-called ash, from “dandruff” to “springtime snowflakes,” but we know that’s just a lie. It wasn’t an earthquake; it was paranormal activity.
A "Metal Band-Aid" Was Put Over The Rifts Throughout Hawkins
Kids sledding down a metal Band-Aid in Stranger Things
The rifts that opened up throughout the town and allowed the Upside Down to bleed into our dimension have been sealed with giant steel bands described by Robin as a “metal Band-Aid.” In true adolescent fashion, the town’s kids don’t grasp the seriousness of the situation. They all sled on the metal band keeping the literal demons at bay.
The MAC-Z Is In Downtown Hawkins (& It Has A Gate To The Upside Down)
Soldiers march through the MAC-Z in Stranger Things
Downtown Hawkins has been converted into something called the “Military Access Control Zone,” or the “MAC-Z” for short. No citizens are allowed to enter the MAC-Z, or even see what’s going on in there, and the whole operation is being shrouded in mystery as usual. Robin can only speculate on what’s happening in the MAC-Z, but the omniscient camera gives us a peek behind the scenes.
While Robin is explaining what the MAC-Z is and lamenting that she has no idea what’s happening there, the show cuts away to a bunch of soldiers going about their day in the MAC-Z. It looks like a pretty typical secret military base, with one notable exception: it has a gate to the Upside Down, with soldiers strolling in and out.
Anyone Entering Hawkins Needs To Pass The Military Checkpoint
Murray driving a truck in Stranger Things
Anyone who wants to get into Hawkins needs to pass through a military checkpoint. We see this when Murray arrives on the outskirts of town, posing as a truck driver. He uses the alias Austin Millbarge, which is the name of Dan Aykroyd’s codebreaker character from the movie Spies Like Us, which is only a couple of years old when this season takes place.
Murray is using the guise of a truck driver to bring in important intel to help with the kids’ investigation, but he also brings in outside snacks, like peanut butter, and music, like a jazz tape for Jonathan. Murray and his ability to trick the government are the kids’ only connection to the outside world in the midst of their unforgiving quarantine.
Hopper, Eleven & The Group Use Underground Tunnels To Travel Through Hawkins
Hopper reaches into a hole in the wall in Stranger Things
Since there are soldiers patroling the streets around the clock, Hopper, Eleven, and the rest of the gang are using a network of underground tunnels to sneak across the town. We see Hopper and Joyce using these tunnels to smuggle Eleven to and from the training ground where they’re preparing her for the climactic showdown.
In the earlier seasons of Stranger Things, this tunnel system grew organically out of the Upside Down, via the Mothergate at Hawkins Lab. It’s also a nod to Mike’s D&D character, “Mike the Brave,” whose specialty — as he describes it to “Holly the Heroic” — is searching and navigating spooky underground tunnels.
The Military Has A Special Lab In The Upside Down
A secret lab in the Upside Down in Stranger Things
The military doesn’t just have a gate to the Upside Down in the MAC-Z; they’ve actually built a special lab in the Upside Down itself. This is where we’re introduced to Linda Hamilton’s long-awaited character, Dr. Kay, a government scientist, leader of the Wolf Pack, and main antagonist for Stranger Things season 5.
Whatever secret project Dr. Kay and her team are working on in this lab, it’ll surely cause nothing but trouble as Stranger Things’ final season goes on. Every time the military has gone meddling in the Upside Down, it’s ended in disaster.
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Stranger Things
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