The Beginning of the End
Stranger Things has always earned a reputation for defying formulas and pushing the boundaries. Whether that is in the interest of nostalgia, shock, comedy, or pure entertainment, creators/directors The Duffer Brothers have never played things safe. The streaming schedule of Season 4 proved to be no exception. Instead of releasing the entire season, Netflix released seven episodes. Only the penultimate episode and the finale would remain tucked away to drum up suspense.
The formula worked. Part Two of Season Four broke plenty of viewership records. It dropped on the Friday of the long (U.S.-based, anyway) holiday weekend for Independence Day. The story even paused at an appropriate point. Viewers had just discovered the origin of Vecna, the season’s primary villain. The heroes were on their way to be reunited. The only thing left was to come up with a plan to stop Vecna, save Hawkins, and rid the world of demons and Russian power mongers once and for all.
The pacing of the final two episodes is masterful. Episode eight has its share of drama. Eleven is trying to escape custody so that she can stop Vecna. Mike, Will, Johnathon and Argyle are racing back to Hawkins to help save their friends. The rest of the crew have just escaped the Upside Down and are arming themselves for one last charge into the breach.
All of this setup makes Episode eight feel like a normal episode of streaming TV, despite a runtime of over an hour and a half. It’s the finale that feels like a major epic motion picture. The episode lasts nearly 2 ½ hours and it uses all of that time to tie up a wild number of story arcs, and to create the showdown between Vecna and the Hawkins’ heroes.
The long monologue about the villain’s backstory is done. The weapons are issued. The stakes have been explained. All that matters now is the heroes’ plan and their ability to execute it. This season began with lots of viewer speculation on who might not make it out of Season 4. Several characters give the ultimate sacrifice. Some come frighteningly close.
One of the episode’s highlights is a Metallica-themed action sequence that has already had the Internet in an uproar since the night it aired. Another is one of the Hawkins’ High School crew accepting herself, putting aside the guilt that had previously defined her (and put her square on Vecna’s radar), and stepping up to face the big bad.
With only mild spoilers, we’ll include two statements. We believe that the Russian storyline is (finally) over and the viewers collectively can breathe a sigh of relief. Also, things don’t get wrapped up and tied with a nice bow. If they did, Season 5 would be the start of a brand new journey.
Stranger Things accomplished more in Season 4 than any of its previous outings. Despite a growing cast, everyone felt represented and invested over the course of nine marathon episodes. The show has the best villain it has ever put on screen. This season offered up plenty of death, but it feels like the heroes got just the slightest bit of a reprieve. Season 5 will probably not be as forgiving.
All 4 seasons of Stranger Things are now airing on Netflix.
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