Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 6 “Escape From Camazotz” was unexpected but delightful for its combination of near misses and explosive moments. No one has died yet, which is a shocker in itself and scares me for the future. But we did see the end of some relationships, stewing anger, and trapped souls.
Basically, I can feel Stranger Things revving up to pay off for a lot of the things that they have set up. And with only a couple episodes left to go, these episodes are going to get infinitely more complicated. Also… as dark as this sounds, I need them to stop teasing me and just kill someone already. Because I mentioned in my previous review that it felt like they were going to kill people, but they haven’t yet. Just do it. Stop edging me.
MORE: Need a refresher of what happened in the last episode? Read our review of Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 5!
Dustin Finally Cracks
In Episode 5 of Stranger Things Season 5 we saw Dustin and Steve literally get into a physical fight. And while that was difficult to watch because of how much we love their relationship, it felt like a necessary step to what happens in Episode 6. Because Dustin has finally cracked. All that pain that he was hiding came pouring out of him and he was met with the understanding and care that he needed.
Everything that Dustin has been doing has been grounded in fear. No, I’m not the happiest that it happened in the way it did. But grief isn’t linear and doesn’t happen in a perfect little manner. That’s why even though Steve and Dustin have been angry and kind of rude to each other to the point of driving me up the way, when it counts, they’re there for each other. You could see it in the way that Steve was worried about Dustin when he was on the ground in the stairwell. You could also see it in the way that Dustin desperately pulled Steve back from that near-death experience.
As much as Steve likes to think that he’s different from Eddie when it comes to the heroics, he’s not. If anything he’s worse. This is why Dustin was so scared and why he’s been pushing Steve away. Because yes, Dustin wanted to fight to feel something after Eddie’s death. But a part of him, that knew this wasn’t the right way to protect himself, decided that he had to push Steve away to protect him. And in “Escape From Camazotz” he couldn’t pretend anymore. Steve is his family and that’s why he desperately clung to him, making Steve worried and absolutely breaking us as viewers.
The Love Triangle is Over
From the very start of Stranger Things, there has been this sort of love triangle between Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve. And even myself in previous reviews for Season 5, I felt like that love triangle had been run to the ground. “Escape From Camazotz” proved that the writers didn’t need to make Nancy choose between Jonathan or Steve to end the love triangle. Because that love triangle has been done for a while. And the only person that really thought it was still going was Jonathan, proving that he and Nancy aren’t on the same page.
Oftentimes when you see moments like this, where the two lovers are about to die, they make big romantic declarations that they’ll try better and how they’re sorry for how things went. That didn’t happen here in Episode 6, making it one of the most refreshing breakups that I’ve seen in years. Instead of choosing to stay together in the face of uncertainty and very likely death, they decided to be honest with each other. Brutally honest. And in a way, that in itself is them honoring each other more than they ever have in their entire relationship.
Outside of the break up and the destruction of this love triangle, I would like to say that I did not expect to cry over a Nancy and Jonathan scene. But here I am, crying over how raw yet delicate this near death experience was. They were so brave in that moment, after being utterly stupid shooting a random thing in the sky over the Hawkins lab. (Love Nancy, but let’s not just assume that shooting everything can fix it, especially invisible science stuff.)
But back to Nancy and Jonathan almost dying.
If anything, the scene between Nancy and Jonathan makes me feel a little robbed by Stranger Things. You mean to tell me that I could have had this version of Jonathan all along? But I guess… he needed all of this to happen to get there. Sure….
I Thought Will Was Cooked
As soon as Vecna said that he would use Will to spy on his friends one last time, I was worried. I thought that Vecna was going to be inside of Will’s body and he was just going to destroy everybody at the radio station. But he didn’t. Instead Vecna once again underestimated Will and the rest of the gang. He used Will to locate Max’s body and discarded him again. And it goes to show you how Vecna might have his grandmaster plan that he’s working on, but he’s still kind of incompetent because he underestimates his own creations.
I’d also like to point out that when Vecna held Will hostage, I got the creeps. Because as much as we just see Vecna as this evil dude in a sci-fi show, men like this exist. Men who manipulate, abuse, and then revictimize those they’ve hurt. I saw that when Vecna was talking to Will and saying that he was going to use his body again. It’s revictimizing Will all over again and making him a passenger in his own body. That’s why it creeped me the F out.
What keeps me going when it comes to Will is the knowledge Vecna keeps underestimating him. He’s just walking around The Upside Down like no one can hurt him. And that’s going to be Vecna’s downfall. Hubris like that always destroys. So go ahead and continue building your little wormhole destroyer. You are alone in this with the other children you manipulated and kidnapped, Vecna. And the rest of our heroes? They have each other. Will has them, making him stronger than Vecna ever will be.
Max Finding Her Way Home
Everything about Max’s journey in Stranger Things Season 5 has had me in a chokehold. She’s a survivor who hasn’t been crushed by this world of Henry’s. In fact she uses that pain to propel herself forward and help those around her, mainly Holly. That kind of strength isn’t something you’re born with. That’s something that’s forged. And I’m continuously surprised with how gentle she is with Holly. Because Max hasn’t had as many gentle people in her life, besides Lucas, the gang, and oddly enough Steve. And these gentle people, alongside the pain she’s experienced, have helped mold her into the young woman she is today.
Hopefully where Max is next is awake and with Lucas. Because time after time that young man fights but also lives for her. And I hope that their reunion is sweet, gentle, and that they make it out of this crazy thing intact. Because they both deserve a chance to explore what a life outside of Hawkins is at each other’s side. But first they have to destroy Vecna and get Holly, something that I don’t doubt they’ll do because of how determined our party is and how Max and her speech was the one thing that helped Holly unlock her path home. These are good kids/young adults here. And I feel like a proud mother seeing them become these heroes.
Before I end this review for Episode 6, I did want to point out that the women of Stranger Things Season 5 have been giving some of the best speeches. Firstly we had Robin in Episode 4 talking about accepting yourself and feeling like you can fly. And now we have Max’s speech to Holly right before they run to find their way home. They both faced some really uncomfortable moments with Henry, including his past that I’m not sure Stranger Things will go into as much as I want them to. But Max took a moment to give Holly the reassurance she needed. Why? Cuz it’s not wasted time for Max to reassure Holly and protect her. That’s what heroes do after all.
Additional thoughts about Stranger Things “Escape From Camazotz”:
- I’ve come to realize that I’ve never loved Eleven as a character. Like, I sat down to write this review thinking about what I can write about Eleven. And I couldn’t think of anything to discuss that deserved its own whole section.
- That doesn’t mean that Eleven isn’t trying. She is. So much.
- But without the rest of the cast, I truly don’t think Eleven would’ve been that interesting.
- Sorry not sorry
- While I disagree with Kali, especially when it comes to a possible happy ending, I do think it’s refreshing to have her perspective. Because she is who Eleven will be or could be if she loses everybody. So her perspective is important.
- Joyce once again gives me the feeling that she’s going to be the one to bite the bullet in Season 5. Especially after that conversation with Hopper…
- Also shout out to the design department. That melting building was super cool.
- But mega shout out from the rooftops to Karen Wheeler. I don’t know how that woman got to the basement after being torn up like that, but she did. Absolute mother. 10 out of 10.
- Also now I know why they didn’t write Stranger Things in a way where Karen Wheeler knew about The Upside Down and all the madness. Because it would be fixed two seasons ago.
- All of it.
Stranger Things Season 5 Episodes 1 through 7 are now available on Netflix.
