The penultimate volume of Stranger Things has left critics without a dry eye as they hail its twists and turns ‘amazing’ and fans finally find out what the Upside Down is.

The sci-fi series returned to screens earlier this month for its fifth and last series, and the second volume aired before the grande two-hour final episode set to launch on New Year’s Day.

The Upside Down was believed to be a parallel universe, but the latest episodes reveal it is in fact a wormhole which connects the real world to the realm where villain Vecna has been hiding.

‘Everything we have ever assumed about the upside down, has been dead wrong,’ says Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), in a revelation.

Receiving a slew of four and three star reviews, the episodes have been hailed as ‘amazing’ and ‘phenomenal’ as the long-running Netflix hit is due to come to a close. 

The penultimate volume of Stranger Things – released on Boxing day, have been branded ‘amazing’ and ‘phenomenal’ by fans as they finally found out what the Upside Down really is  (Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown)

The sci-fi series returned to screens earlier this month for its fifth and last series, and the second volume aired before the grande finale (Sadie Sink and Max Mayfield)

The residents of fictional Hawkins are still living in lockdown as the military hunts for Eleven and investigates the Upside Down rift. 

The penultimate episodes build up to the final battle with Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).

Stranger Things has had a lot of hype to live up to and now critics have given their take on the latest episodes.

The Guardian’s Stuart Heritage gave the second volume three stars, but still dubbed it ‘amazing’.

‘Stranger Things is one of those shows that, when it gets everything rolling in the right direction, absolutely slaps. 

‘It’s a grand, pedal-to-the-metal spectacle where everything is maxed out to the nth degree. The action sequences are beautifully choreographed. 

‘The nostalgia remains extremely effective. The emotion rarely drops below operatic. On a second-by-second basis, Stranger Things is amazing.’

Michael Walsh from Nerdlist wrote: ‘It gets to the fireworks factory in its first episode. When it arrives, it puts on a capital “S” show. The end of Stranger Things’ Volume 2’s “Chapter 5” is phenomenal. It’s as exciting and terrifying and exhilarating as Hawkins and the Upside Down get.’

Fans finally learned what the infamous Upside Down is after it was believed to be a parallel universe (Millie and David seen in the newest episodes)

It is in fact a wormhole which connects the real world to the realm where villain Vecna has been hiding (pictured, played by Jamie Campbell Bower)

L-R: Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Steve (Joe Kerry) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo)

Ed Potton from The Times lauded the emotional components of the episodes as ‘gold’.

‘In terms of emotion the saga has hit a golden seam, with a massive revelation or blockbusting heart-to-heart seemingly arriving every 20 minutes. 

‘The big reason why Stranger Things has become such a colossus is not the monsters or the magic or the Eighties references, as compelling they are. It’s the bonds: Hopper and El, Joyce and Will, Nancy and Jonathan, Dustin and Steve.

‘The care with which the Duffer Brothers, the creators of the show, have developed these relationships is really paying off now.’

The Telegraph’s Ed Power gave the episodes four stars, writing: ‘The increasingly bombastic, end-of-days Stranger Things is still great fun – if largely lacking the smaller moments between Eleven, Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), and the rest, that made the series an instant sensation in 2016.’

He added: ‘If you’re here strictly for the Eighties references and the special effects, these scenes will feel like speed bumps that slow everything down. 

‘But those who care deeply about the friendship between Steve and Dustin or Will’s struggles with his sexuality may shed a tear or three.’

Leila Latif from Empire also gave four stars, she wrote: ‘If there is a dry eye in the house by the conclusion of Volume 2, then an optometrist should be urgently consulted. 

Dustin and Steve team up and vow to each other: ‘If you die, I die’

‘Its pre-final act is more concerned with setting up a big splashy battle, but after a build-up this long, to do anything else would be a disservice to this puzzle. Some solutions should be savoured, and so far, this one is delicious.’

Meanwhile Shirley Li from the Atlantic was much less generous and said the show had ‘stalled’.

‘In the fifth and final season, Stranger Things has stalled. This time around, as the gang tries to stop Vecna from ending the world, the show seems uninterested in furthering anything other than its already complicated plot. 

‘The cast has expanded several times over, to the point that most scenes look like a crowd awkwardly playing human.’

And Vicky Jessop had mixed thoughts in her review for The Standard, awarding it three stars.

‘Sadie Sink manages to imbue Max’s quest for escape with real heart, and the start of episode seven still managed to bring a lump to my dry, cynical throat.

‘No doubt the finale will be worth it. But with so many loose ends to tie up, characters who simply refuse to die, and a plot that’s rapidly staggering under the weight of its own convoluted logic, the road to the summit has never felt so long, or slow.’