Review: "Stranger Things 4"

The streaming giant that is Netflix has become known for many of its Original shows, but none seem to reach the heights of popularity such as Stranger Things. What once began as a show that echoed the same feel of the 80’s films that Spielberg gave us has now evolved into a much darker affair with its fourth season so far. Due to the three-year hiatus between seasons three and four, the season is much bigger in scope and runtime as well as what it is dealing with in terms of trauma and loss. They even decided to break up the season into volumes, the final two episodes of the season will come out on July 1st, and yet even with the season not over, it feels like a more complete season than previous years. With the actors being more mature, it has allowed the writers to get more creative and daring with the content which they definitely did. Right out of the gate, the show proves to the audience that it is much more dark and terrifying. Thankfully, the show has aged with its cast and fan base. To an extent, this season echoes some of the same themes as Nightmare on Elm Street, a popular film series that debuted in the 80s.

The plot follows a few different groups with the main plot centering around a new villain coming out from the Upside Down terrorizing random kids in Hawkins yet again. Eleven and the Byers family had moved to California after the events of the Starcourt Mall incident in an attempt to be rid of the abnormal events that transpire in Hawkins. Eleven is struggling to adapt to a life without her powers on top of being bullied by the children in her classes leading her to believe things will never change for her. Joyce (Winona Ryder), gets a package from Russia telling her that Hopper (David Harbour) is still alive forcing her on a rescue mission to save him alongside Murray Goldman (Brett Gelman). Meanwhile, in Hawkins, the town believes local pariah Eddie Munson (Joe Quinn), to be the brutal serial killer unleashing chaos. Bodies of the children of Hawkins keep on showing up disfigured and missing eyes leading the townspeople to go on a witch hunt with Eddie being the focus of it. Dustin, Max, Steve, and the rest of the kids of Hawkins try to keep him safe as well as hunt down the true monster committing these murders.

The young stars of the show have become true actors as Sadie Sink, Millie Bobby Brown and Maya Hawke all demonstrate and bring something new to their characters that really help make this season stand tall over previous seasons. Again, most of that can also be attributed to the writers giving them all much more adult themes to pull upon. Sadie Sink’s Max had a lot of trauma to deal with following the sacrifice of her brother Billy in the previous season. None other than episode four really showcases this and puts Max in the spotlight in a big way, and it delivers quite possibly one of the best scenes of the show. Eleven’s plight is also largely internal as she is suffering from a loss of herself and going through a bit of an identity crisis as she feels like a lesser person without the comfort of the Scooby Gang, and her powers. Beyond that, she worries that she herself isn’t much different from the monsters that she has slain and that deep down it will always keep her from being able to experience true love. It is also a bit surprising to see in the beginning that Eleven is so devoid of any real personality, but it echoes more importantly just how lost she is. Maya Hawke continues to impress as a new actress with her turn as Robin who has great comedic timing.

One of the weaker plots of the season would be the one that takes place in Russia as Joyce and Murray try to save Hopper out of a hidden prison. In itself, it isn’t a bad plot but in comparison to what is going on in Hawkins with the new villain and Eleven’s plight, it makes for a less intriguing watch. Thankfully, David Harbour gives a great performance as a man at the end of his rope who believes he is cursed to bring suffering to whoever gets close to him. Of course, Hopper finds new hope to keep the fight going but in the scenes where he breaks down, Harbour really does a phenomenal job. Joyce and Murray’s attempts to rescue him surprisingly lead to a good bit of comedic relief from a rather dour season. The weakest plot is for sure that of Mike and Will trying to help Eleven while running from the government that believes she is responsible for the deaths of the children in Hawkins. The government finds it much easier to believe that Doctor Brenner’s lab rat is a nuke rather than an other-dimensional nuclear deterrent. Mike and Will in this plot point don’t have much to do other than Will making long leering looks at his good friend which has surely begun to make fans ask the question if there is more there.

The most terrifying part of the season without a doubt belongs to its villain, who is for sure the best villain the Duffer Brothers have given its fans. Vecna is the most fleshed-out (pun not intended) villain the series has ever seen as well as the most visceral. The way he takes out his victims will certainly make people think of Freddy Kruger as he feeds on the suffering of his victims and their inner greatest fears. The backstory that is given to Vecna is also another strong point of the season. Previous villains were always mindless monsters that seemed to have a deep hatred of Eleven, but now, that hatred is understood as it has seemingly always come from that Vecna and his personal relationship with her. In one fell swoop, with the origins of Vecna, the show managed to make the previous seasons even better.

While the season is not over until the final two episodes arrive in July, what we have so far is vastly improved upon the previous seasons all the while making the show more fleshed out. It isn’t without its own flaws, however, as the increased runtime per episode and multiple characters, and plot points, it is a bit much to take in. Not to mention, some revelations in this season bring about bigger questions from previous seasons. While it isn’t perfect, it is for sure one of the best things on the streaming service and a definite improvement over previous seasons which is a big win for the series. The darker and more mature tone is a welcome addition that has helped create a show with real consequences.