Stranger Things — Series 5: Chapter 4 — Sorcerer — A Review

27th February, 2026: “The Turnbow Trap”.

An Introduction.

It’s Friday.

Which means several things.

Mostly that I’ll be eating dinner, soon: it’s that time on a Friday.

I also have something of a confession.

I’ve downloaded Apple’s Creator Studio: as a cheap way to get hold of Final Cut Pro, Apple’s pro level video editing suite.

So, hopefully, I’ll be using it to edit and export my reviews.

The one thing that HAS surprised me?

Is that the suite comes with an app called Compressor, that lets you scale videos up or down.

Including up to 8k resolution.

I don’t think I’ll be using it on a regular basis: I’ve just upscaled a two and a half test video — dummy footage in a dummy project, that’s the basis of my Daily Teaser videos — and it’s taken some ten minutes … 

And left my sixteen gigabyte, M4 Mac mini hot enough to boil tea!

I’ll probably make more use of it … when I get a new machine, with more RAM … !

~≈🐙≈~

At any rate, it’s still Friday, and dinner is still cooking.

Once that’s done?

I’ll wash up: then watch the fourth episode of Stranger Things 5: “Sorcerer” will hopefully maintain the quality of the series, thus far.

And let us know what’s happening with Max!

~≈🐙≈~

Part One.

The Summary.

Chapter 4 — “Sorcerer” — opens with with the face of Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), as she tries to calm Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly).

Derek … ?   Has been kidnapped, and struggling to get of the ropes that hold him to a barn wall.

All whilst Joyce is trying to calm him down, tell him what’s happening, and reassure him that the people surrounding him aren’t monsters.

And that Mr Whatsit isn’t how he says he is.

However, when Derek is untied … ?

He has to be held down: as he immediately tries to escape … to the hay-loft.

It’s only when Joyce defends the gang — Derek, herself, Will, Robin and Erica (Noah Schnapp, Maya Hawke, and Priah Ferguson) — from a Demogorgon, one that’s eventually run over by Steve (Joe Keery), and his team, that Derek comes to realise one thing.

That the slobbering thing Joyce has just axed was sent by Mr Whatsit …

~≈🐙≈~

28th February, 2026.

Part Two.

Thoughts.

So what did I make of this episode … ?

I have to admit, I had some interference to my internet connection, whilst watching “Sorcerer”.

Interference that made the episode something of a chore: interference caused by lord knows what..

So … ?

The first twenty minutes or so were difficult to watch: and many need me to re-watch the episode, at some point.

So it’s something I feel will affect this review: so I ask you to factor that in, when reading this written version: or watching the video version.

Next … ?

I said that “The Turnbow Trap”, the third episode, reminded me of a heist movie: there’s an explanation of the plan, which gets started … then slowly goes wrong.

I mentioned that because “Sorcerer” is another one, another heist episode.

It’s a heist that opens with the recovery from last week’s episode, reintroduces the team, and comes with a much needed explanation from Max (Sadie Sink) of what’s she’s been doing and where she and Holly (Nell Fisher), are hiding.

It’s a heist that sees Derek sneaking into the military base in the Upside Down, to rescue other children targeted by Vecna … only to be foiled by a leaking pipe.

And it’s a heist that — if anything — more dangerous then “The Turnbow Trap” ever was.

“Paul”, I hear you ask, “is a repeated formula a good thing, or a bad thing?”

In this case, I think it’s a good thing: the show’s producers have found a formula, a structure, for “The Turnbow Trap” and “Sorcerer” … and get out a pair of episodes that are, by turns, funny, dramatic, tense … and have twists in the tales.

~≈🐙≈~

Part Three.

Other Thoughts.

Yes: both “The Turnbow Trap”, and “Sorcerer”, had twists in the tail.

“The Turnbow Trap” finished with a big reveal: and shows us Holly being rescued by Max.

It’s something “Sorcerer” repeats: as one of the last scenes we see is Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Hop (David Harbour) sneaking into the Hawkins lab … and finding Kali/Eight, from series two, trapped at the lab’s centre, and imprisoned in a machine that’s doing who knows what.

The episodes so far?

Have shown us parts of the impenetrable Wall, one Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) has correctly guessed is circular and centred on the Lab.

I’m guessing that wall has something to do with Kali’s presence.

But don’t know what, as yet.

I’m guessing we find out over the next few episodes.

~≈🐙≈~

There’s other things mixed into “Sorcerer”s cauldron.

I mentioned how, towards the end of the episode, Eleven and Hop find Kali.

That’s not the climax of the story: just the end of their part of the story.

Earlier in the episode, when the team are sneaking some kidnapped children out of the Military base, Robin and Will are hanging back: as Robin wants to talk to Will.

After all, the pair are the only two gay characters in the series: and, this being small town, ’80s, America?

Are both aware there’s only so much understanding they’ll get from their sympathetic, but decidedly straight, friends.

So … ?

Robin wants Will to know she’s sympathetic and helpful: and gives him some very good advice about how she’s dealt with fear. and how he can do so, too.

The speech is something that resonates with Will: and, during the episode’s climax, during Will’s confrontation with the Demogorgons, is something we see echoing through Will’s mind … 

Along side Will’s memories of his childhood.

Both Robin’s speech, and the episode’s climax, are beautifully done: and the ending makes for a rousing finish to the season’s first half.

~≈🐙≈~

1st March, 2026.

Part Four.

Release.

Hang on, hang on … 

“The season’s first half?” I hear you ask … ?

Yes.

I’ve watched these first four episodes sometimes after their original release in November, of last year.

They were released on 26th November, with chapters five, six and seven being released on 25th December, and chapter eight released on 31st December, 2025.

It’s the Netflix version of what gets called a mid-season hiatus, where a channel broadcasts the first half of a series, leaves a gap for a few weeks, then resumes the season, and it’s usually done to boost advertising revenue.

A channel can charge more for advertising time, when a show resumes.

As I recall?   It was something the BBC tried for Matt Smith’s last two series of Dr Who: was something that was tried and something that got backlash.

Dr Who’s UK fans saw it as pandering to US TV stations.

I was one of those fans who objected: again, I felt it pandered the show’s US distributers.

But I also felt it interrupted the flow of the series.

The net result of that … ?

Was that I’m not enamoured of the idea: and didn’t like Netflix airing series four, and five, in this way.

It’s still not something I like.

But, at least, it’s something I could remedy in the way I am: by watching one episode a week, some time after the original broadcast.

Picky?

Yes.

But it’s something I feel strongly about.

~≈🐙≈~

Part Five.

Length.

We’ve talked about the release of the series, haven’t we?

So now is possibly a good time to mention the episode’s length.

As “Sorcerer” is the mid-season climax, it’s some ninety minutes or so: to include an ending that meant viewers would be tempted back to watch the last four episodes.

Yes: I had buffering issues, watching this episode.

And, yes, its length is normally something that would give me issues: I’d have trouble paying attention.

But?

The pacing of “Sorcerer” is very well done.

For me, the length was not the issue the buffering was: the episode had me glued to my chair.

~≈🐙≈~

Part Six.

An Observation … .

About that title … ?

“Sorcerer”?

Unsurprisingly, the title comes from Dungeons & Dragons.

Apparently, it’s a type of magic user, one distinct from wizards, and one whose powers are innate, rather than drawn from a spell-book.

I think I’ve spotted a flaw, there.

As far as I can tell, the sorcerer character class is drawn from the third edition of the game: which wasn’t published until 2000, some thirteen years after this series is set.

I’ve not found out if the class featured in the second edition of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: but that would present issues, as well, as second edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons was published in 1989.

Two years after this episode’s 1987 setting.

I’d also wondered if the show’s writers had lifted the idea from Terry Pratchett’s Sourcery: the central character is a sourcerer, a powerful wizard who, again, is a source of magical energy.

But, again: the writers would have made a mistake, if they did.

Sir Terry’s fifth book was published in 1988: the year after the series is set, and the year before the 2nd edition of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.

My point … ?

I don’t know that I have one: beyond telling you I’ve spotted a potential mistake, and wanted to share it.

~≈🐙≈~

Part Seven.

And Finally.

So … what did I make of “Sorcerer”?

Of an episode that has a mistake that seemed obvious: and that could possibly be argued is too long … ?

I loved it!

Yes: I had issues, watching “Sorcerer”.

Yes: I think there’s an error in its title.

And yes: there’s arguments to be made about the episode’s length.

But?

“Sorcerer” is a fun episode whose problematic length is overcome by beautiful pacing: and whose moments of high drama are balanced nicely with light comedy.

Frankly?

It’s a well made episode, indeed.

“Sorcerer”.

★★★★⁺

~≈🐙≈~

Part Eight.

Last Words.

Right, then: that is where I’m going to leave things.

But I will thank you for reading this post: or watched the video version, if that’s what you’ve done.

Before I go, I’ll tell you one last thing.

I’m going to be watching the fourth episode of Stranger Things Five, “Shock Jock” by Saturday, 7th March, and will have my written and video reviews, up by next Monday: at the very latest.

Feel free to have a look at the rest of my content, to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and follow Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar.

I’ll see you next time.