Quick (Spoiler-Free) Review on “Stranger Things” Season 4
Written by Victor DeBonis
I loved this season, and I legitimately feel that I am now a big fan of this show, too. The development with characters, particularly Max and Dustin, was great and well-handled. I love how this season comes across as a series of solid 70’s/80’s horror movies and is developing from the show’s start from where it was paying homage to 80’s kid films (although that was nicely done, too). Everyone’s acting is, as always, excellent, and the chemistry that flows from each other as friends and as a team feels natural. These characters have both funny and emotionally moving interactions, and that plays a big part into encouraging the audience to greatly care about how they overcome these dangers and nasty opponents.
I also appreciate that, this time around, this season scaled back on the nostalgia Easter eggs. Some people enjoyed them, but, with reference after reference from something that came from this era, I could occasionally find it a little wearisome. In my opinion, this show did a smart move by not devoting a ton of time to the references and, instead, allowing more of the drama to continue without halts.
Joseph Quinn is amazing as Eddie Munson. Within five minutes of his first presence on screen, I was invested and rooting for his character. It also made me very happy as a rock nerd to see a rock nerd/outcast on this show. And, since others see it in the trailer, the guitar scene with him in it caused me to have the biggest grin that I’d had watching a show in a while. By the way, I read that it really is Quinn playing on that guitar, and it caused this moment to heighten to another level of amazing because he shreds to the tune of the incredible song that the writers chose him to play.
Sadie Sink easily does some of her best work with specific moments as Max for this season. That letter scene from Episode 4 still resonates with me, and it might be one of my favorite things that I’ve seen this year. That episode and the last 10 to 15 minutes of it probably elevated me from being a casual fan to loving this show. It means a bunch to me on a personal level as I’m working on trying to overcome difficult feelings from the harshness of the past few years and some personal events within them, and Max’s journey at this point, in general, has helped me a little with dealing with some of the harder feelings of mine from this time.
Winona Ryder is once again great as Joyce. I grew up watching “Beetlejuice” and enjoying other movies from that era and some from the 90’s with her in it, and I’m beyond happy to see her conveying all of the insanity, passion, and gentleness that one would hope to see from a character as hers is. And, David Harbour still rocks as Hopper. Some scenes happen where we take a greater look into what led him to the place that he is now, both personally and emotionally, and they’re effectively handled while still making him a ton of fun to watch fight his way and handle some of the potentially fatal situations that he gets in.
I find award shows to be more and more foolish, but I hope that some Emmy nods come from this season for writing for the finale and from, again, the acting, at least.
I will say that, as others have pointed out, the episodes are longer than they need to be. There are certain times in the episodes, particularly during the California storylines, that I feel the time stall a little bit, and I’m eager to see what happens outside of them. I understand that the series comes from a big company, but making the episodes over an hour long and, sometimes, two hours can consume more time than one would hope to spend with something that’s meant to be more of a streaming show.
Without diving into specific information, there is maybe one moment that I still feel a little mixed about from the finale. I can see what this moment is going for, and I respect how it turns out for the fans and, maybe, in preparation for the final season, but a part of me still wonders: “Oof, imagine if this part had been another way…”
On a side note, I also feel that the show, as much as I love it, is a little overexposed, and I wish that Netflix would promote some of its other great shows half as much as they have for this one over the years.
Aside from that, I love how the series got darker and took more serious chances this time around. I love how this show continues to stand proudly as one big, sincere love letter to 80’s movies but, beyond that, takes its writing and its characters several steps further and shows them evolving and connecting more.
And, another factor that has helped me to grow to love this show may be one that I don’t know if others see it as I do: I admire how this show has shown itself to be an homage of sorts to those who are outcast, in general. The title is “Stranger Things” and those “strange” souls are more than likely referring to those who feel isolated or outcast or seen as different from others in a big way. As someone who has always felt different and odd in many ways, I have a bunch of respect for the respect and sympathy that this series takes with honoring those who are strange and different in their own ways.
This season was great. This show is great. And, I look forward to what is going on in the final season, whenever it may be.
A-