The fourth and penultimate season of “Stranger Things” has ended in a bloated, but ultimately satisfying and destruction-filled fashion.
Note: Spoilers ahead.
The two oversized episodes that capped off Season 4 (now airing on Netflix) should have been split into shorter segments. There is simply no reason for an episode of a TV series to be longer than a feature film (two hours and thirty minutes) and these could easily have been shortened.
But the events that transpired wrapped up the season well enough and left “Stranger Things” with enough of a story for Season 5.
As fans know, the the characters have been separated to the remotest corners of the earth. Now, in the final stretch, Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) finally leave their isolated history in Russia and return to their children in Hawkins (while also cementing that their “they will or won’t” relationship is one). chance).
Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) reunites with the rest of the California gang: Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), who remains the most useless character. They, in turn, meet the Hawkins team that includes Steve (Joe Keery), Robin (Maya Hawke), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Max (Sadie sink) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin). the Kate Bush Song “Running Up That Hill” play again for emotional impact.
But it’s hardly sunshine and rainbows, even with all the gatherings.
Eddie (Joseph Quinn), the big-hearted nerd who was just introduced this season, has been killed en route and Max is in a coma from which he may not wake up. (The show also removed Matthew Modine’s “Papa” and interpreted it as an emotional moment, but it’s hard to feel sad about a man who experimented on children.)
On the one hand, this turn of events is a relief to longtime viewers who would hate to lose a beloved character like Steve. It’s also nice that “Stranger Things” feels quite unique among genre shows in that it has danger, horror, and dire circumstances without leaving out its main characters. Post-“Game of Thrones” shows seem to compete to have the most shocking deaths, and it feels novel that “Stranger Things” can go full steam ahead without playing that game.
But on the other hand, it’s becoming predictable and repetitive that the person who dies each season is a relatively new supporting character, like Eddie, Billy (Dacre Montgomery), and poor old Bob (Sean Astin) from past seasons. It’s hard to feel like this show has too much at stake if it refuses to cast its main cast.
However, there was plenty to enjoy in these two oversized episodes.
“Stranger Things” has always been good at building a well-deserved emotional moment like a hug between friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time (and have suffered harrowing circumstances while apart).
These episodes showcase that particularly well, whether it’s Hopper and Joyce sharing a kiss, Dustin and Mike sharing a joyful hug, or Hopper and Eleven finally reuniting as father and daughter and teasing each other. “Stranger Things” also finds time for a moment where Steve smiles supportively while Robin flirts with a girl. The show doesn’t lose sight of the small gestures between these characters in the midst of the chaos, and the human element makes the action even more exciting.
And there sure is a lot of chaos. Although most of the gang survives, Hawkins is in ruins and mostly destroyed by supernatural events that the news calls an “earthquake”. A long line of cars flees the town and plumes of smoke can be seen as the sky rains ash.
It all looks very apocalyptic and very much like Mordor from “The Lord of the Rings.” Going into the fifth and final season, almost everyone may still be on their feet, but things are more dire than ever.
‘ celebrity.land ‘
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