Season 5 Just Gave Stranger Things Its Highest-Rated Episode Ever on IMDb

Stranger Things season 5 is not just back — it is spiking the IMDb charts and dropping a finale twist that actually earns the gasp. Quick spoiler heads-up: I am about to talk about the Volume 1 ending.

Over on IMDb, the crowd is very into it. As of right now, around 13,000 users have rated the new four-episode batch, and the Volume 1 capper, Sorcerer, is sitting at a 9.8. That is higher than season 4’s big guns, Massacre at Hawkins Lab and Dear Billy, which is no small feat given how loudly those episodes were celebrated.

So what is Sorcerer doing that is hitting this hard? The episode leans into the mythology and then flips the table. Vecna lays out the master plan: reshape the world with kids as his "perfect vessels." He even needles Will Byers — specifically for how easily he cracked back in season 1 — like he is reliving old victories. And then comes the curveball: Will taps into his own powers and wipes out the Demogorgons bearing down on the group. It is a cliffhanger, yes, but one that moves the chessboard in a real way.

"If anyone was going to be the key to ending Vecna, it needed to be Will," co-creator Matt Duffer told Netflix's Tudum.

Ross Duffer added: "One of the earliest ideas in Season 5 is, 'What if Will were able to harness this connection and use it against our villains?'"

Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin) put it simply: Will’s reveal changes how Volume 2 — and whatever follows — has to play out. It is the kind of story decision that, frankly, makes the back half a lot more interesting.

What to know right now

• IMDb momentum: About 13,000 user votes so far, with Sorcerer at a 9.8 — outpacing season 4 favorites Massacre at Hawkins Lab and Dear Billy.
• Volume 1 size: Four episodes, with Sorcerer as the finale.
• The big swing: Vecna wants to reshape the world using kids as "perfect vessels," but Will reveals powers of his own and takes out the Demogorgons attacking his friends.
• Creator insight: The Duffers always planned for Will to flip his connection to the Upside Down into a weapon.
• What’s next: Volume 2 hits Netflix on Christmas Day. The oversized finale lands on Netflix — and in select theaters — on New Year’s Eve.
• Viewing tip: The co-creators have also suggested viewers tweak their TV settings before diving into the new episodes.

If Sorcerer holds that rating, season 5 may go down as the show’s most crowd-pleasing run yet — and with Will finally stepping into the spotlight, it feels like the story the series has been quietly setting up since day one.