Stranger Things 4, Vol.1 - Spoiler Review!

[@natedoggcata]

Sadie Sink is the MVP of this season. Dear Billy may be the best episode of the entire series

[@laxmanp5822]

episode 7 is good

[@VerrücktYT]

@@laxmanp5822 i agree episode 7 is crazy

[@englishtea9163]

Episode 7 is the best!

[@niulangurung5705]

Omg I couldn’t agree more

[@sebimeier1]

Absolutly agree! She's been amazing this Season ❤️‍🔥 And she carried episode 4!

[@cliffbeavers6158]

The girl who plays Max really stood out in this season. Her character is really great in this.

[@cable7152]

She shined in this season, amazing performance.

[@AwesomePOG]

Sadie Sink

[@jl.7739]

The cast ist really good in general, but she really recommended herself for an Award or something.

[@notsurewhat2put]

Yes her acting is on point!

[@MikeTaffet]

The whole ending of E4 had me on the edge of my seat. That sequence really stands out to me as one of the best of the whole show

[@andybishop4436]

I agree with everything you said about the unpleasantness of Eleven's situation in California, and I think that's totally the point. I don't think the roller skate scene was supposed to be a fist pump moment. It was supposed to be an instant regret moment that plays into the overall arc where Eleven realizes that acting on rage is a hurt to her, not a help.

[@kbg12ila]

Of course..which is why the reaction afterwards was one of guilt and fear from her and the others.

[@gonaye1]

Great thought!

[@srewsmurf]

It IS Impotent bc it's filled with a lot of easter eggs and adaptions on classics. It's the carry moment they play with and want us to believe as long as possible that she did that and could again..

[@cliffbeavers6158]

I thought she straight up murdered her at first and was relieved that she didn't. That would have been too dark.

[@j----y]

I absolutely pumped my fist at that moment.

[@hazardsigns]

I'm laughing that you didn't immediately get that all those kids were Suzie's siblings 🤣 It was so evident to me. The older kids forced to look after their younger siblings. That dad. The chaos of a large family. I think they did a fantastic job of showing, not telling, in those scenes 👌🏻

[@itrurelig1on759]

Yeah they got loads of kids siblings and also the pizza 🍕 dude gets the older sister stoned and bunked her in the old VW van classic

[@jessrl8025]

You can tell that some people did not grow up around Mormons cause that is 100% a Mormon household, lots of kids and pure chaos.

[@Pico141]

Yeah I'm from Poland and there's like no mormons here, so it was slightly confusing

[@hazardsigns]

@@Pico141 I'm from Scotland, but big families are big families wherever they are. Mormon or not 🤷‍♀️

[@Dirty_Davos]

@@hazardsigns amen xD what the fuck

[@roblovvorn8564]

I actually liked the twist with 001 and Vecna. 1. It holds a dark mirror up to Eleven to see what she could become, the monster not the superhero. You can even see from him where she learned some of the violence she uses in season 1 against the Hawkins lab people. Same gestures with same results 2. It personalizes some stakes to the upside down, not just random monsters from a random dimension that happens to connect to Hawkins 3. Dustin could still be right. Vecna is just the general for the mind flayer, him being 001 doesn’t negate that 4. To me it wasn’t quite a Palpatine face lightning scene, cause at the end he still didn’t look like Vecna. Think he’s more like gollum. The time spent in the upside down and doing the twisted things he does is what changes his appearance, can even see at the lab he looks different after all the murders

[@danielsliwa1045]

The twist was great, although I think part of the genius of it was covering the reveal with Phillip Glass’ composing. That music gives you chills no matter what 😍

[@greeniegreens7737]

Also it added to 11 being a hero. Throughout the season we thought 11 killed all the other kids but she didn’t. We had to accept that she was a monster that just so happened to be helping out the good guys. But no. She’s good through and through

[@mullaoslo]

If eleven doesn't go out a full blow villain I'll be super disappointed.. Are we supposed to root for her? She's killed tons of people.. No matter what trauma shes suffered how many orphan kids exist because of her?? I seriously can't figure out why the show keeps pushing her as a hero. She rejected 001 but she's definitely going down a similar path

[@alexanderklepp]

Agreed. I loved the usage of Phillip Glass' music in the last season. It was so chilling.

[@angelods417]

@@mullaoslo A hero doesnt need to have squeaky clean hands. It's the intent. Capt. America, Wolverine, Maximus from Gladiator are all killers.

[@CamPopplestone]

I dont think the idea of splitting the cast was a bad one. There's so many of them it actually makes sense. I just think the problem is the California crew in particular didn't have enough to do. And the Russian story was too drawn out. But the stuff in Hawkins was great, and I actually think if there was like 5 more characters in it, it would have been a bit too crowded. But they couldn't fill the time with the other groups.

[@acf5980]

Eh the only scene outside of Hawkins that was needed was Elevens journey the rest were all filler or could have “been said on an email” I would hate to be Will & Mike demoted to extras after their strong arcs in the first 3 seasons

[@czar24productions94]

I agree with this - the CA and RU crews. California is there for filler and to remind us that they’re there. I think (re: hope) they’ll show up and play a large part in the finale. That seems to be this show’s MO. For Russia, that whole story could have been much more condensed, but I think they drew it out to have that emotional reunion at the end of ep 7. Hawkins was the best part. I’m glad they found a way to bring Erica back into the fold bc I was missing her.

[@sanethoughtspreader]

@@acf5980 yes definitely agree it could have been an email. I skipped several of the Russia scenes in the last episode. They were just not interesting for me. No stakes either. They're not going to kill hopper after doing a fake out last season. I honestly think they should have killed him. He's a great actor and character but they need to have realistic and human limitations and weaknesses otherwise there are no consequences and I'm not going to be able to invest in them as much.

[@Birdmansanders]

I agree I thought season 3 had a couple of scenes that were too crowded and I’m hoping they make up for it by giving the California crew a lot to do in the last 2 episodes

[@rysing-alexhd5078]

@@acf5980 No not the bullying of el that was good to see her struggle without her powers

[@Existentialprophet]

The people confused about Susie’s storyline have never met a Mormon family IRL or been to their house. My jaw dropped at how true to life this was to my experience visiting my Mormon friends house for the first time in high school. Even more so than Catholics, Mormons don’t use birth control and believe in having an insane amount of kids, like, as many as possible till the body gives out, which leads to an incredibly eclectic mix of kids forged out of this insane discipline that brought them together.

[@RobbieHaskell24]

100% agree, but, luckily most mormons use and believe in birth control today and those types of surprises are less common LOL

[@Tyler_W]

Honestly, this is just emblematic of a big family in general. Totally true about Mormons and Catholics, but this level of hyper activity and older kids helping to babysit their younger siblings when the parents aren't available is absolutely true to a large family dynamic.

[@bubblehulk7647]

I like how they haven’t gone over the top with making all the Russians evil in this show with everything going on in the world. The prison guard helping Hop is a sympathetic character, and he and Hopper actually connect over their families and realizing they’re both human. That’s the only way of getting two sides to come together during a crisis.

[@MrFusion]

Yeah it was nice to see Russians who weren't depicted as pure evil, I hope Enzo survives

[@bubblehulk7647]

@Mary Bell on point for them though. “Enhanced interrogation techniques.”

[@admiralseabass8993]

They are depicted as Russians would have been depicted in the 1980s. They seem pretty dang evil to me and all the characters talk about the “commies” all the time.

[@HighsideOfJupiter]

I liked the guard controlling the doors to the arena area; he was obviously afraid for his life, but was willing to die so that the Demogorgon* didn’t get loose.

[@solutionboytv]

I couldn’t figure out Hoppers ankle either, then I realised that what was happening is that he asked the Russian guy to hit the ring round his ankle, to keep squashing it. That way, part of it would be eventually be wide enough to slide over his heel. It would also still be solid enough to pass the guards shake test. Unfortunately, it also meant his ankle took some secondary damage, but not the full on smashed broken bones I first thought. He wasn’t actually hitting his ankle directly.

[@Tyler_W]

Excellent observation. I was wondering about that as well.

[@KennM12]

I love that they're connecting everything in the upside down. The show feels well thoughtout and planned. Not like they're just throwing a bunch of stuff together

[@cable7152]

I absolutely loved this half of season 4

[@dr.j7542]

@@cable7152 my favourite half of any of the 4 seasons so far

[@cable7152]

@@dr.j7542 same, 100%

[@maxjackson9864]

Will Byers this season. (By no means a bad season though, best one so far 0_0)

[@GabesEdtiz]

@@dr.j7542 I wouldn’t say my favorite, but if this season does end strongly then this will probably be my favorite season behind S1. And I already think highly of this season compared to the last 2

[@McMerlin11]

I honestly thought the reveal that Vecna, One, and Victor’s son were the same person all along was mind-blowing and awesome. One complaint I do have is: wtf is One now? He’s obviously not human, but how did that happen? The lightning couldn’t have done that.

[@guilhermesousa3369]

The lightning of a weird and supernatural dimension couldn't have done that?? 😅

[@McMerlin11]

@@guilhermesousa3369 you right 😂 but still, that would be kinda cheap

[@ambiewoo5388]

Maybe from having to survive in the upside down it literally consumed his physical form? Or if he developed the upside down he too morphed. Idk but they can make anything up it’s the upside down.

[@elhammo7478]

I think that the Upside Down is the creation of One's mind, the expression of his consciousness, which survived the death of his body. I think he contained so much psychic, supernatural power that when he died and it was released, it created an entirely new universe. Think about how something large and powerful like a massive star, upon exploding in a supernova, creates something new - a black hole - which devours anything that approaches it and which some have theorized to be portals to other universes (not much evidence for this, but still, the idea is out there). I think the same comparison could be drawn the power of One's mind.

[@kdragon4046]

@@elhammo7478 oooo I like it!

[@KrazyKobold]

I wish they had only released 1-4, ending Part 1 on "Dear Billy" and we could dwell on that portion of the story and speculate etc for 2 weeks, then hit us with Episodes 5, 6, & 7 -- then on July 1st hit us with the Epic Conclusion of Season 4. Also Sadie Sink as Max would be THE talk I think then and well deserved at that.

[@Maximo_ari]

That’s actually a really good idea. Would’ve helped since each episode ended on a cliffhanger. And they kinda did it with Fear Street as well.

[@platform14]

I bet this was the original plan. Isn't that also the Robert Englund episode? It has an emotional cathartic ending they love doing so much. The rest of the eps have more of a cliffbait ending

[@KrazyKobold]

@@platform14 it was, and yeah -- it was an "ending" without as much of the clear "click next episode RIGHT NOW!

[@Dirty_Davos]

We needed one week for every episode tbh. Just for the transition 6 to 7. I would have gone crazy with the thought that steve probablys going to die. I would have love that desperation xD

[@KrazyKobold]

@@Dirty_Davos I'd have been fine with that -- I have "gotten used to it" and learned to enjoy that weekly release -- I think it's different than "traditional television" still because it's so much shorter -- once a week for 6 or 7 weeks isn't the same as "22 episodes spread out over a full year of programing

[@sebimeier1]

Sadie Sink is an amazing actress, but in season 2 and 3 she stood in Milly's shadow as the star of the show I'm happy she gets the screentime she deserves in Season 4! ❤️‍🔥

[@cable7152]

That girl is a star

[@Ductos]

"Upside Downton Abbey" My God, Dan...I had to pause the video because of laughing :D That had so much old school Honest Trailer spirit. Bravo!

[@mikeybeats1618]

is nobody else wondering where 008 is? like she clearly wasn't in hawkins lab in 1979 because all of the kids were killed, so she must've somehow escaped the lab before then but thats seemingly impossible and theres no explanation as to where she is. It's like the writers are trying to forget about that whole plot line in season 2.

[@dgm66]

I was wondering, too. It is painfully obvious they don’t want to revisit the character. 008 should have been brought back to help Eleven with losing her powers.

[@stb55555]

The scene that 11 uses as her "anger" moment is when Mama comes into the room with 8 and 11, so she was in the facility before the Vecna scene. Therefore she must have left the facility between those 2 points in time.

[@MalMagLog]

At some point in season 4 it was mentioned that 008 left two years ago in the past/memory scenes

[@mikeybeats1618]

@@MalMagLog when? i dont remember that at all

[@leahpea5613]

I asked the same damn question about her absence

[@greeniegreens7737]

I’m thinking the reason the Steve and Nancy relationship is being explored is they are going to kill Steve. The writers have yet to kill anyone in the main cast so it’s due.

[@natedoggcata]

Yeah I think Steve is done for that reason you mentioned. Also this dude is running around the upside down with no shirt and no shoes getting all these action hero moments. I think they are giving him as many badass moments as they can before he bites the big one.

[@annikabar606]

Or they kill Nancy and have the 2 guys grieving and maybe bonding over that...

[@philbox3productions]

I was thinking Nancy was going to be the one who dies simply because she's too competent that having her around gives the gang an edge intelligence wise against 001 and the upside down so killing her off would give this season the Empire strikes back vibe and even the odds before El returns for the final showdown in season 5.

[@greeniegreens7737]

@@philbox3productions see that’s why I think they get rid of Steve. He always ends up being the hero/meat shield for the crew. Also, they have a replacement no with Eddie.

[@dzd2371]

I absolutely thought the same thing.

[@gonaye1]

The Hawkins lab massacre had some great clues! A big clue that Vecna was involved was how many of the lab victims looked grotesquely contorted (just like the cheerleader would be in episode 1 and the kid reporter would be in episode 2). Also you can clearly see the recently created (and immediately sealed) Upside Down crack in the wall right behind Young Eleven (visible in the ‘what have you done’ scene right at the end of the massacre).

[@Lupin788]

The main cast is quite large so I didn't mind them being split off into several groups. However, I do agree the California group didn't seem to have much to do till the government goons stormed the Byers' home. The Hopper in Russia story line did drag a bit but I enjoyed Murray's role. He turned out to be an actual badass.

[@Hellohellonada]

I love love love the addition of Eddie, I was worried initially it was a replacement Billy but he just seems like someone I would have hung out with in high school. His character just felt so damn real. Super worried about part 2 now due to the satanic panic bull$hit

[@joelsanchez6720]

I lived thru the satanic panic. And it didn't only affected USA, it affected latin america, still does, just not that prominently. I remember burning of music records, tapes, movies books and toys, and then people saying they saw demons and shit in the flames... And I swear, it's starting again in the States.

[@Hellohellonada]

@@joelsanchez6720 it most certainly feels like it. When I say BS I mean that literally. I think it’s puritanical bullsssssshit

[@signeaarejrgensen61]

Yes. He's pretty great. I was hoping for more of the relationship development between him and Chrissy in the beginning...but then she died😵‍💫 They just had really good chemistry. I was really surprised to find out he's English 😊

[@Hellohellonada]

@@signeaarejrgensen61 I agree it felt like the beginnings of Nancy/Jonathan 2.0

[@may.k_me]

I feel like they are putting this weird focus on Nancy and Steve because one of them is definitely going to die I personally think this is really sad because Steve is my favorite character. I actually also really like Nancy. She's definitely more important in each season as opposed to Jonathan, who IMO is very disposable and I would not bat an eye if that character gets killed off. However if the writers want to deliver a gut punch, Steve is the person to kill.

[@extraplain2412]

I can see it being Nancy. Even with the friendship between her and Robin and dangling the will they/won't they with Steve and then Johnathans whole not giving a shit phase. Kind of makes sense that she'll be the one to die.

[@ethanjobson3817]

The love triangle definitely tells me one of Steve or Jonathan is going to die.

[@extraplain2412]

@@ethanjobson3817 Would anyone really care if Johnathan died though? Not as much as Steve but I think it's too obvious and all that comes from it is Nancy and Johnathan maybe resenting eachother. If Nancy dies that would shake up a lot. Steve and Johnathan would probably even hate eachother and themselves for it.

[@TelloMarcus]

Well, Nancy is next on Vecna’s list. And she is still stuck in the trance. If you listen closely, the scene after she tells Steve “See you on the other side”, as soon as she starts going up, you can hear Steve say Nancy in a very nervous way. I almost feel Steve will sacrifice himself to save her or something

[@acf5980]

@@extraplain2412 nobody cares that Jonathan dies coz the writers/director don’t care if Jonathan dies…he was one of the best things in season 1 imho and they completely ruined his character just to make everything “Fit”

[@Truth04ful]

I'm not so sure that One is actually just a General. Dustin could have been mistaken, and the way it was revealed how she opened the portal kind of made it seem like it was the first one that had ever been opened. Leaving him as the first individual in the upside down. He could have actually created everything and Eleven is the cause of it all. She unleashed her evil counterpart in a world in which he is trying to get revenge. That's how I took it, at least as a possibility.

[@carnek]

Since there is a Season 5 is definitely "only" a general we need a bigger bad guy next.

[@Dirty_Davos]

I interpreted it the same way. Also the information that the upside down got basically created by her and that only that one day got "transferred" to the upside down, on that specific date.

[@akai1up]

@@Dirty_Davos yeah I was glad they explained when the upsidedown took a "snapshot" of the real world to replicate since its not like it constantly updates when a new building is created or objects are moved in the real world. Also they explained how Will could interact with the lights in the first season. At first I thought that was a plot hole since you can't see the real world in the upsidedown. Sorta explained how the lights work but not how Will could've seen the letters Joyce put on the wall since that wouldn't have updated in the upsidedown.

[@Wolfman7870]

I definitely think the upside down existed already, kinda like the place where negative emotions come from and all human beings are subconsciously linked to. One simply twisted it. However his obsession with black widow spiders might be a clue that he created the the mind flayer and gave the upside down it's nature. Can't wait to find out what's really going on.

[@Dirty_Davos]

@@akai1up its Still kinda a plothole since will wouldn't had to be able to see the letters joyce wrote at the wall AFTER the snapshot was token by the upside down. You can solve it tho when we assume that will found a way cause hes smart. But yeah I'm fine with these small things.

[@louisberry4403]

This is fantastic. Jaime and Sadie deserve Emmy nominations. Dear Billy and The Massacre of Hawkins Lab are next level. If they nail the final two episodes, This will be the best season.

[@BlahBlah-dx1sp]

To me the greatest strength of this show is introducing/developing new characters and integrating them with the older cast. Max was a natural fit to add in S2 and really took off this season. Same with Robin last season. Murray was also a really good addition to the cast. He's complete chaos and over the top, but the actor's performance with that type of character is awesome. It feels like Eddie will be that character this season that gets integrated in going forward (unless they kill him off in the finale as they did with Sean Astin's character). They also still circled around for some really good stuff with Lucas' character this year. Thought this was by far the best they've utilized his character (I disagree with Dan that it wasn't developed enough, I thought that plotline of him wavering between two friend groups was earned). I also thought the high school captain cliché character was done pretty well. There was enough there that he wasn't just some A-hole, a scene like the one he had with Lucas before they went on the chase and told him there was no judgement if he didn't want to helped flesh him out. I also thought the backseat Mike took this season was completely fine. To me, he's been the star of the show thus far, so I thought it was a necessary thing to fade into the background for a bit to help flesh out other characters. Same with Dustin, it felt like just the right amount for him so far, even if it's largely just comedic relief. Will still stands out as the main one that they have no idea what to do with. It kind of is what it is at this point, I'm not like asking for any more or less with him, he's just kind of there. I agree that the plotline with his sexuality just seems to be there just to hold it over the audience for whatever reason. They also seemed to drop that after the first episode anyways (girl looking at him in class, and 11 mentioning she thought he liked a girl in her letter to Mike). I do think there's way too much put into 11's character every season. I know that's not a popular opinion, but I feel like there's only so much you can do with her character being a fish out of water in the real world, and then either building up or regaining her powers as the driving force each season. I also don't see the acting chops others do with her, although it may just be the delivery with the character she has to play. I think Mike/Dustin/Max/Steve stand out as the strongest actors/most interesting characters among the kids/young adults, not just for this season, but overall.

[@twincast2005]

They didn't drop Will's sexuality plot at all. They've only been slightly less overt. He keeps carrying around that painting. And half his dialog lines with Mike are dripping with subtext.

[@hasan_1888]

I agree what most of what you said. It was good that max and lucas got some more focus. Max was the MVP of the season. I hope i see some more max lucas scenes However I disagree that Mike has been star of the show thus far. He was only a star in s1. After that, he has been mostly the "boyfriend" of eleven. Outside of that, he has not had any growth or evolution. This season i am not surprised WILL took a backseat coz for him its only been about his love for eleven. Among the kids, its dustin that has been the star of the show thus far. His amazing chemistry with Steve (another star of the show among the teens) and his smart intelligence is what i love about him so much. The issue with Will is that he was just the plot device in the first 2 seasons. He was the person that everyone needed to save. So now that he is free, the writers seem to have no clue what to do with him. Among all the characters/cast, its John that has been treated unfairly. He was one of the main stars in s1. His love story with nancy also made him popular. But even since s1, he has given less and less screen time. I understand steve has become main star since s2, but I wished john was given more to do. Its also unfair to John that the writers seem to be going back to nancyXsteve.

[@Suzanne_sf]

@@hasan_1888 I like John too, and I do agree with other commenters that either Nancy or Steve will die.

[@colinmatzkows5839]

Season 3 kept Steve and Dustin separated from the main group as well as Hopper and Joyce. They all didn't come together until the last 1-2 episodes. As long as they all join together in the last 2 episodes for a epic moment, I think it'll be alright.

[@garrybrown2627]

They definitely will join up in the finale and each have moments together.. I hope Mike,Will,Dustin and Lucas have a scene together get the original 4 together ha.. a big reunion for Hopper and Eleven too.. I wonder if there will be any deaths. This season has been so big,epic and ambitious I wonder how the 5th and final season will be.

[@BlahBlah-dx1sp]

I think breaking characters up and pairing different characters up at different times is the main way this show has been able to keep their characters and character dynamics fresh, along with seamlessly integrating in new characters. I really don't know why this is a criticism, it's the main strength of the show IMO.

[@ethanjobson3817]

@@BlahBlah-dx1sp Every season people complain about this as if it was a new thing that season.

[@shanzoni1200]

@@ethanjobson3817 I don’t think it’s the splitting up per se but sometimes the split up is tied to B plots that end up feeling arbitrary and just a place holder. I didn’t mind the split ups in previous seasons cause the first 2 eps or so had most of the characters together then they split. I don’t know how to explain it. I kinda understand what Dan is saying.

[@-Seaheart-]

You are the first reviewer to kinda give it a meh/okay-ish impression of this season, but I always enjoy your reviews even when I disagree with some stuff. Personally I agree with some criticism but I still think this was the best season yet. About the whole splitting everyone, yes they may have very strong chemistry together but if you think the show was already struggling with giving further development to some characters imagine doing that with everyone bunched together…I really think they did the right choice splitting storylines because it makes interactions between characters more dynamic and manageable specially since there are several new characters (and the show itself never really felt dragged for long because it was switching through several storylines all the time). I also actually felt the Vecna reveal worked, it explains the hive mind of the creatures and why the upside down looks like Hawkins and yet the upside down was simply shaped (or partly shaped) by 001 he didn’t really created it so there could still be big bads besides him in other parts of the upsidedown (native ones) so it’s kinda like a “you can have your cake and eat it too” deal for the writers

[@RabbiJoeInJerusalem]

I'm seriously in awe at the Duffer Brothers and their whole cast and crew. They manage to thread the needle between indulging in nostalgia and subverting it. At first, the pacing seemed off with these supersized episodes, but I think it actually works as the season progresses. For many people, Stranger Things was the first thing worth seeing on Netflix, and it may end being the last too. And forget James, Dave and Tom, Eduardo is my favorite Franco brother. And the best at playing a stoner.

[@Artofcarissa]

Lmao, Dan that’s so adorable you thought she lived in a daycare facility. Susie’s from a Mormon family and Mormons are basically encouraged to have as many kids as possible, so her parents likely didn’t use birth control and had a fuck ton of kids and expected the older ones to take care of the younger ones (aka parentification)

[@DanMurrellMovies]

I was mostly kidding - but I also didn’t want to make a blanket assumption about a presumptively Mormon family

[@hexyearhexyear]

@@DanMurrellMovies She has BYU flags in her room also, they definitely are saying it without saying it.

[@Maialeen]

That's the thing I despise the most about these highly religious families from any religion. The way they treat, their female children especially, as replacement parents for the other million kids. It ruins their childhood and it's incredibly unfair. If you want your kids estranged from you when they become adults, that's how you do it.

[@Artofcarissa]

@@DanMurrellMovies didn’t she have a BYU flag in her room, talked about praying to Jesus and was also in Utah?

[@moviereedviews]

They mentioned in season 3 her family is LDS (a.k.a. "Mormon").

[@kflowers8276]

Respectfully disagree with you on the Sinclair siblings. I think you should use Erica sparingly, as a little goes a long way. And the longer Lucas stuck with the popular (crazy) crew, the harder it would become to bail despite the crazy stuff they are doing. Peer pressure is a b!@#h.

[@papermelon]

Finally someone said it. Introduce one decent side character and EVERYONE demands that characters be used 24/7 until we’re sick of them. I personally don’t like Erica, but even if I did, I wouldn’t want more of her. Or else it becomes the “minions” effect. Taking an effective side character and putting them in the spotlight and making them overstay their welcome to where nobody likes them anymore.

[@CatinthehatG]

@paper melon WE GET IT you don’t like Erica,saying it several times under ppls comments isn’t going to make ppl like her more or less damn

[@kflowers8276]

@@CatinthehatG While I do read a lot of comments before responding, I didn't see THAT many that made my specific comment before I wrote it. A lot saying no Erica or more Erica. Sorry, you just couldn't take reading this ONE. 🙄

[@EleventhCubFan]

Episode 4’s ending was amazing! Easily the best moment of the season. I hope Sadie Sink gets an Emmy nomination.

[@Justjames283]

Truly amazing! I can't stop thinking about it

[@bye-ray-2389]

I agree about Will's character and the points you made about baiting . I'm hoping they'll do more with him in part 2 of season 4 and in season 5 but going by the last two seasons probably not... and I find that a damn shame, the actor is one of the better child actors too

[@scrungful]

Is there gonna be a season 5?

[@NotMorganFreeman.]

@@scrungful I thought I read that 4 was the last one.

[@LordLOC]

@@NotMorganFreeman. No Season 5 will be the last, it's already been renewed for the final 5th season.

[@twincast2005]

They had one specific scene plus some overall vibes in seasons one and three each, and really nothing of note in season two. His whole personal arc in season four (aside from the road trip of the whole group) has been about giving Mike that painting with at least half a dozen scenes pointing flashlights at his being gay. There will be payoff this time. I'd say there's a 15% chance Mike subsequently starts reexamining his respective feelings for Will and El, an 80% chance Will gets a meet-cute with Levon Thurman-Hawke's punk character (whom I'd picked as a potential love interest for Will since the casting announcement, which is why I immediately recognized him on screen, yet so far his first acting gig has consisted only of walking into the video rental in the background right before they find out Reefer Rick's address - side note, since Maya Hawke's Robin didn't react to it, I assume they aren't siblings in this universe, which is a bit odd considering how strikingly similar they look, but it doesn't really matter, after all), most likely at the band performance to which Eddie had invited Chrissy, and a 5% chance of neither of the two happening. Whichever may be the case, I'm certain of two things: 1) We'll get a coming-out moment of some sort this season. And 2) Will will finally have a boyfriend next season (whether this ends up either of the aforementioned two or somebody else).

[@PetersonSilva]

Yeeah I feel like Will didn't have much to do in season 3 and 4 (so far), but I disagree with Dan that this was always the case after 1 - he was central to season 2 and his performance was G R E A T. I recall in particular the way he played the mind flayer trying to pass as him in the hospital and then they ask him who Joyce was, and he's like "of course I know you, you're... you're MOM". The way the MOM rolled out his tongue, like something both mechanical and desecreated, it was just WOW. Love season 2.

[@C_M_R]

(9:00) the kids in Dustin's girlfriend's house are all her siblings. It is mentioned that the family is extremely religious, hence all the children due to no birth control .

[@hutchhound3788]

16:35 I wouldn't say it's an obscure song. Kate Bush is highly regarded as one of the most influential female artists of all time. It's probably her most famous song alongside Wuthering Heights.

[@kdragon4046]

I think she might not have been as popular in the US as she was in the UK.

[@michaelbush1374]

She's definitely not as big in the US as she is in the UK. I discovered Kate Bush sometime in the past year and I'm 30. I also grew up with parents who loved 80's music and Kate Bush never came up in my childhood. I also am big into music in general. I became a big Kate Bush fan just 7 months ago so I got really pumped when Running Up That Hill was featured in the show. But when I started getting into Kate Bush the only song of hers that I recognized was This Woman's Work. And that wasn't because I remembered the song, it was because I remembered that I watched the movie She's Having a Baby like 10 years ago. So yea, I would say Kate Bush isn't as popular in the US.

[@Suzanne_sf]

@@kdragon4046 I'm in the US and I remember when the video came out. It was just as haunting back then as it is now and I would never call it an obscure song for anyone listening to the radio or watching Mtv at that time.

[@Suzanne_sf]

I'm not familiar with Wuthering Heights, but I remember Running Up That Hill, and Cloudbusting (I remembered that video, had to look up the song title.)

[@SageForsaken]

I was born in 1980. I would not have been able to name the artist or song.

[@papermelon]

Genuinely don’t understand the complaint about Vecna being connected to the previous seasons. Up until now things have started to feel random and disjointed from the upside down. I was getting really tired of different creatures popping up each season, just for the kids to finally find a way of destroying it, then a bigger badder creature to pop up the next season. It was forced, redundant, and too unbelievable. Vecna finally gave us answers as to why everything keeps happening in Hawkins, to Eleven, and to the main kids gang. Before going into this season, I told my wife that in order for this season to even be considered as good, it NEEDS to start explaining and justifying it’s existence. And Vecna FINALLY did that. Also, unpopular opinion; but no, we absolutely don’t need more Erica. She’s absolutely intolerable to watch and she demands every scene she’s in in the worst way.

[@CatinthehatG]

Nah we definitely need more Erica and I hope they up get character just so weirdos like you can continue to be upset about it

[@papermelon]

@@CatinthehatG lol looks like I have a stalker. Kind of creepy, but I’ll take the compliment. Thanks for following my comments around buddy.

[@ThatGuyThai]

Agree with most but Erica albeit annoying serves her annoying sister role well. She can come off as too intelligent but that can go for any of the kids really.

[@MichaelJaeYT]

Very nice review I enjoyed it

[@greeniegreens7737]

The fact that Dan thinks that the home in Utah was a daycare is cute.

[@staceyann1180]

Sooooo cute!!!!! I guess Utah isn't enough of a tipoff for the unfamiliar!

[@NilsLange]

They only showed the father. Not the 7 moms . Kind of a downer

[@dzd2371]

It really was.

[@tendibee]

I thought they were introducing One because El was going to need his and Eight's help in taking down Vecna. I did not make the Vecna-One connection either😭

[@storyofm6820]

I thought they were showing the massacre of the other kids because of how much a large part of the audience hated the storyline with 008... so just like a "ok people didn't like this let's just say all the other kids are dead." but then they kind of double down on storyline involving the other kids with 001 now being the reason for pretty much everything.

[@mreditor.9141]

but it was a great twist, and then everything was connected crazy 🤯

[@Memehuskie]

To be honest I felt like it was weird for the Byers moved to Cali, it made things more complicated of the friendships of will and his friends.

[@nathanmiller9918]

I don't think there's any retcon, just explanation. It explains the gates, and their link to Hawkins. Vecna has been there, biding his time until Eleven left and was weakened. What was retconned?

[@czar24productions94]

Imo they kind of retconned the upside down - the lack of monsters other than the demobats was odd to me, but the real kicker was that it’s been frozen since the day Will was abducted. That means he shouldn’t have been able to communicate with Joyce via the Christmas lights bc he wouldn’t be able to see them since Joyce put them up after he disappeared, right? That’s how I interpreted it at least

[@BrayOfTheDonkey]

@@czar24productions94 Also the other thing that bugged me: When the four of them were in the upside down and it was 3 years in the past. Where was all the other infrastructure, houses, vehicles etc.? Considering Nancy was able to look through her diary entries/books and they were able to find bikes! Just seemed too convenient for the plot when they needed things while leaving out other reality bits aye

[@riggs671]

Completely agree with everything. Will is just so on the side all the time. He’s a great actor and they don’t use him. Love the villain as well and I looove max. The 4 episode is the best. She stole the whole season. The whole thing with hopper in Russia is annoying. Just end that already.

[@Mic-Mak]

Agreed. I always thought the signs of Will being gay were extremely weak. Billy was far stronger candidate, and the one I backed. The way he over performed his masculinity, combined with the fact that he was in your face with other boys, was super popular with girls but never appeared to date any of them...That's why I was so pissed when the show killed him. I guess I don't mind if Will turns out to be gay, but the execution is so poor, his character is so underused, and to have him defined by his sexuality is so lame. That said, i still enjoyed this season, but I agree with Dan, this show is ultimately about the relationship between the characters, and we're not getting much of it. The first 2 seasons remain the best for me, with the first one being the strongest. Lastly, whatever happens with Nancy and Jonathan, I do not, under any circumstances, support her and Steve getting back together. Love the character, but NO.

[@dog4941]

Idk if it's just me but I'm actually more invested in hopper being in Russia thing

[@elpolloesfuego]

@@Mic-Mak I agree with everything and to add on they probably should’ve just not done anything for wills sexuality and kept it quiet, maybe made him ace

[@hasan_1888]

@@dog4941 NO its not u. i also liked the russian stuff. its the 11 stuff that i found boring.

[@hasan_1888]

@@Mic-Mak I dont think its all about relationships. it about personal growth and evolution as well. max was the mvp of the show coz the trauma story of what happened with bill. I liked mike a lot in s1 but now with him its "eleven eleven eleven". well you need to rewatch s3 where wills sexuality was focused as well. when the other boys had girfriends, he only wanted spend time with mike. he was uncomfortable with girls. when you have a lot of characters, its not easy giving all of the focus at the same time. Jonathan once again had to given less screen time.

[@may.k_me]

I actually liked that the group was split up. The cast is way too large as it is right now, and so it is necessary to split them up. I don't particularly care for Jonathan, Will and Mike. So I was glad that those characters were sidelined. The sad thing is, like you said Noah Schnapp is a good actor, as seen in season 2. But the show doesn't give him much to do. So I hope there is a gay reveal, because it seems they were hinting at that this season, but maybe I was reading too much into it.

[@LordLOC]

They are definitely hinting that he might have feelings for Mike. Whether they actually pull the trigger on it or not, who knows. Obviously, Mike is in love with El, so that's unlikely to change, but Will coming out to Mike that way would be an interesting change and dynamic to have going into S5.

[@malkav81]

'It must have been a toothless Demogorgon.' Now I need a how to train your Demogorgon spinoff.

[@butchjohnson9736]

When I watched it, I couldn't help but think about how creative and interesting this season is and why Star Wars can't quite get there with Kenobi because Star Wars plays so much to nostalgia although Stranger Things actually is nostalgia, but focuses on stories.

[@AgentGreyFox]

The ankle thing threw me too. I think the impact was mainly on the chain to bend circular lock around his ankle, so it was easier to twist off. So it wasn't broken... But still far fetched. He should be in much more pain

[@edwardmercer2163]

I loved the storyline’s being split I can’t wait for them all to come together in the finale it’ll be such a good build up

[@BlahBlah-dx1sp]

I thought the worst part of the season was the entire 11 plotline in California. The bully character was just completely absurd. Like I get that Strangers Things likes to feed into clichés and stereotypes, of which a character like that would fit into for an 80s show/movie villain, but holy hell Angela and her group were just way too on the nose.

[@extraplain2412]

Angela was actually pretty spot on as a bully. Aside from the skate ring incident she's exactly what people were like in my high school.

[@heatheraggus7501]

I found it over the top Carrie-esque vibes and didn't dislike it.

[@brendanoriega9903]

Not really…this is how bullies are actually lmao

[@extraplain2412]

@@brendanoriega9903 This is how you can tell who was actually bullied in school 😆

[@josesarango3408]

some people imagine school is all safe and lame like in the crappy MCU Spiderman movies

[@Hicks64]

Agreed with a lot Dan mentions. The Russia and California crews felt like a lot of preaching their emotions and wheel spinning. Luckily the previous seasons have me invested in these characters to see things through.

[@rayh.8222]

I like this season more than 2 and 3.

[@drakemalice]

What a great review. This is what you do best, and I appreciate every minute of it.

[@benevolentconcepts]

Love, love, love this season so far! With the length of the episodes, I’m surprised it went so fast! I agree with some who have said that a weekly release would have simply made it more fun to digest a bit at a time. I’m not totally disappointed that they went with the 2 parts, but this show deserves to be savored. I like that 001 is tied to Vecna is tied to 011. It sort of explains why 008 and her band of misfits don’t seem to have any investment in the Upside Down or saving Hawkins/The World from its creatures, and yet 011 has been intimately tied to it since even before she met the AV Club when they were out looking for Will in S1. My fingers are crossed that the Duffer Brothers can stick the landing in S5, whenever that comes out. If they can, it pretty much guarantees that Stranger Things will be watched and re-watched again and again, and we will all get to pour over the delicious details ad nauseam until the end of time….. or 1983, whichever comes first 😝.

[@wilderfox2]

I really didn’t like what they did to Jonathan’s character, reducing him to just a pot head, I hope he comes into more of a focus again soon, and please don’t break him and Nancy up, they put so much work into bringing them together, it would feel so cheap

[@Suzanne_sf]

I felt like Jonathan and Nancy should have had *some* actual communication with each other this season. When they were shown together, they actually cared for each other. I think it will be a moot point because as others have said, either Nancy or Steve will die, but this whole triangle business is weak.

[@acf5980]

Yes they definitely ruined Jonathan’s character what a waste of an investment of all that time with Nancy/Jonathan

[@waywardmind]

The "stoner loser" change with Jonathan felt like whiplash for sure. I hope they correct course.

[@Kathrine-sw7tw]

Jonathan was so good in the first season, acting as substitute father for Will and being too mature for his age because of it (taking an extra shift at his job to help his mom out). I don't mind him changing and kinda giving up but I think they could have done a better job of showing why.

[@chrisjovanovic2321]

Agree 100%. That's been my only complaint about this otherwise fantastic season

[@00tensonam]

less Erica.

[@filmscorn1105]

Yes!!! Will is by far one of my favorite characters and he needs more to do!!!

[@travisrutters4198]

Upside Downton Abbey might be the greatest name / description ever!

[@torspomedia5861]

I felt this ("half" of season) was a little bit more dialogues and character-building than jumpscares and monsters, and I'm all for that. Everything seems to be well thought out and I can't wait for how they tie all these "crews" together back again in the remainder of this season and/or the final, fifth season.

[@lizzayliz84]

The actor that played Billy. His cameo was frightening this season. He did a great job.

[@DrellKing]

The same problem I had with season 3 is still very much alive and well in this season, which is too many god damned characters. Robin, the weed guy and Lucas' little sister are so pointless in this season and they could've focus more on the main cast(the original kids and a couple of characters from season 2). Especially Robin. She hogs a LOT of screen time and her character arc is that she's into chicks. That's it. It's such a shame because characters such as Lucas and Will desperately need a buff in the storyline. Lucas FINALLY has something interesting going on but for some fucked up reason, they decided to make him a secondary character in his OWN story arc. I feel the Duffer brothers should really chill with adding new characters and focus more on fleshing out the already existing ones.

[@roguechevelle]

I agree they didn't need to add any more characters to flesh out and focused on the core group members who have been sidelined before like Will and Lucas. I wasn't really a big fan of season 3 there was elements I liked and elements I just hated honestly. With season 1 and 2 I seemed to enjoy almost everything.

[@NotMorganFreeman.]

On point

[@The_MEMEphis]

​@@roguechevelle season 3 was way better than season 2

[@brandonreed09]

On the run plot makes no sense. Did the military only read reports from season 1 and just skip over season 2 and 3's reports? They assume Eleven is the only supernatural entity that could kill in such away but it should be clear that there are many supernatural possible explanations in Hawkins. Not only that but they are trying to blame Eleven for something she has never actually done before, remote killing. Eleven never actually achieved remote killing. Every kill was within line of sight. How exactly is she killing people from thousands of miles away? I guess they also never got the memo that Eleven lost her powers either.

[@nishma]

I really liked actually how both storylines came together... The season was undecided for me until that moment but then I was sold

[@smalls4119]

I understand the confusion about Susie’s home. I interpreted it to be a foster home.

[@JackDManheim]

I’m sorry, but S03 Erica Sinclair was one the most irritating characters ever encountered. They used her the perfect amount thus far in S04.

[@athenajaxon2397]

agree she was used so much in s3

[@CasiInteresante]

Also agree... I'm really not a fan of little sister bullies, and Erica is a particularly over-the-top version of that...

[@DiscClub6]

i haven't seen your channel since you left. i didn't realize how much i missed your analysis and passion for film and TV

[@christianaayodele]

No to Erica

[@boeinglancer2802]

I love Dan, but... I do NOT love Erica

[@Jokercard2009]

I’m really glad you shared all of my concerns. I thought I was alone in the upside down.

[@ikexbankai]

Dustin’s Girlfriend doesn’t live in a Daycare center. It’s character appropriate that she has that many brothers and sisters because they are Mormons in the 80s and thus don’t believe in birth control

[@staceyann1180]

Yeah, it was heavily coded as a mormon household, but if you're unfamiliar with BYU and other Mormon clues, I can see how it would be confusing. I thought it was a daycare until the BYU fliers and the "no swearing" policy!

[@polen7455]

The questions I had in mind was, is this an orphanage or is it because they're just mormons lol

[@ronyYTube]

I'm currently watching Under the Banner of Heaven and when they got to the house I totally understood it was a Mormon House. I don't think I would have cought it otherwise

[@kdragon4046]

It was SUCH a long monolog. I kept sceptically telling the screen, "Okay..... Alright..... Okay.... I guess..."

[@Moreinius]

I think it's good in this case to separate the casts, because when you do a head count, there's like a least 20 people, you can't possibly write a coherent story and have everyone have chemistry with 20 people on screen at the same time. My only complain is that it was way too convenient to use music as a temporary "cure", but then they never really utilize it fully. I also was bothered by the fact at the end of episode 7, it felt more like 001's father (Victor) gained back consciousness because 001 lost consciousness, not because of the music he was hearing conveniently.

[@andrews.2980]

Well he regained consciousness because the person (his son) who was putting him into that trance state lost consciousness, therefore breaking the trance he was putting him in. Seemed pretty straightforward and reasonable to me.

[@adventuresinAI1982]

Casting a bunch of 30 year olds as teenager was a staple of the 1980s and into the 90s, so I found that pretty easy to overlook.

[@DanMurrellMovies]

I get it when an older actor is cast initially. My main point was that they started as kids, and have gotten WAY older in real time than time has passed in the show.

[@AfrikanCaesar]

Sometimes, with you guys doing these reviews, I feel like you can have the tendency to overthink things. I get some of the complaints you had, but they weren't enough to bother me or impede my ability to enjoy the show.

[@farmansiddiqui9279]

One thing I’m unsure of is, how did 001 get his powers? Was he born with them or experimented on as a child?

[@IamNaaiil]

I do kinda wish Vecna would've just been a monster rather than 001, but this is an interesting story line to play with. Its a little bit of the Marvel same vs same, as 011 and 001 are gearing up to be the big face off. What I'm curious/confused about is it being implied that 011 made the upside down? The houses and everything are from the day the portal was created. If it always existed I dont understand why thats the point everything was either replicated or stopped in time.

[@roblovvorn8564]

It could be that when she opened the gate it was kinda like a software update for the upside down, not necessarily that she created it. it existed in 1979 when she sent 001 there so she couldn’t have created it in 1983 I don’t think, but there’s still so much we don’t know yet

[@The_MEMEphis]

they said after season 5 we are getting a spin off going into the lore of the upside down but season 5 will touch more on the orgins of the upside down

[@twincast2005]

There ought to be some general chaotic dimension (into which 011 had cast 001), but yes, the specific plane of existence we've seen so far was created by El on the day Will got abducted. Which fixes an until then apparent logic hole of objects in this supposed mirror dimension not moving when they do in the real world.

[@The_MEMEphis]

@@twincast2005 it doesn't update really time, Hawkins mirror world is stuck in 1983, its not clear how the upside down works yet

[@asdabir]

I like your balanced review. You are not gushing over it yet giving it the benefit of doubt and not just dragging it

[@Metaphorically7]

*spoilers* - Loved the twist that 001 turned out to be Vecna personally. 001’s motivations are identical to Vecna’s in retrospect. Makes things way more personal. Plus gives an “upside down” dark mirror version of Eleven that they’re going up against. And it re-contextualizes all the previous seasons. As far as there maybe being more of a reason or explanation behind why things were happening, if Vecna has been pulling some strings behind the scenes all this time.

[@richardgallon6528]

Stranger Things has attained its dream where that meme of “what Hollywood thought teenagers were in the 1908s”, they can now use a still from season four of this show.

[@The_RedVIII]

The whole Eleven storyline bored me immensely until maybe the very last episode where it finally got interesting by connecting it to the overall plot. Also, I hate the Nancy Steve rekindling romance? Why do we need this. We've already been there and Steve was a douche to her in the first season. She should be with Jonathan, end of story.

[@C_M_R]

(16:37) "Running Up That Hill" is not obscure as it was a hit song (UK and US) in the 1980s. People are (re)discovering a classic song from Kate Bush's catalog.

[@ir0ngamer393]

The only complaint I have with this season besides the splitting of the group making the story feel kind of disjointed (which I can forgive as long as they bring the groups back together for a good amount of volume 2) is that eleven left Angela alive, I honestly felt like pausing the show and clapping when el hit Angela with the skate, it’s a sort of anger you can only fully understand if you have been bullied yourself

[@shantanuudasi4668]

Saying that keeping the original group separate hurt this season is like saying infinity war was not great because the original avengers were separated. The new group dynamics are actually more interesting.

[@DanMurrellMovies]

I wasn’t a fan of most of the combinations - maybe that amplified the effect of splitting them up.

[@shantanuudasi4668]

@@DanMurrellMovies wow dude! This is the first comment I have made on your channel and you replied that too in such a civilized manner. I respect you alot and always imagined how it would be to discuss films with you , I think this was a good taste of it. Keep up the good work man! Subscriber from day 1!

[@tonycooper4437]

I definitely agree out of all things they should of had a bigger time jump. 1988 would of been fine. They could of made Beetlejuice references. But for real, I laughed when Eleven said it's been less than a year since season 3.

[@-Seaheart-]

I think the problem with a bigger time jump would be to have to explain why Vecna took so long to act again, while the way they did it they can fill in a reasonable explanation that something that happened throughout the past seasons finally enabled Vecna to act in a more direct way.

[@twincast2005]

@@-Seaheart- As Vecna's murders didn't immediately follow any of the prior events, any amount of time that it took him to establish his mental web or whatever would've been equally arbitrary. The real problem I see is the separation between Indiana and California in an 1980s world. The dynamics of any sort of visit would've been wildly different. Of course the pandemic added another year (and on the plus side definitely improved the polish of the writing), but with the actors'/characters' ages in mind, they simply should've set down to write it straight after season three. On that note, setting ST3 so soon after ST2 was the real headscratcher. Unlike Will barfing up slugs between seasons one and two, there was no immediately pressing threat to consider. And in terms of "normal stuff", I would've much rather seen Jane Hopper attend Hawkins High (as set up at the end of ST2) instead of El being forced to hide in the cabin because reasons until she can't stand it anymore. Never mind that I hate that whole huge - yet ridiculously easy to infiltrate - underground base of Russians in USSR army uniforms at the gate ludicrousness as well as the creepy body snatcher threat literally dissolving into a nondescript goo monster.

[@youssef8196]

I liked the tie in because in previous seasons I never really understood why or how the villains are aware of Eleven and targeting her, so now that we have a clear connection I think it's interesting... Like you though I really disliked the Russia and most of California, almost to the point of skipping a few scenes which is always a bad sign

[@Anu32148]

I feel like since there r so many characters, it's hard to give character development to them individually...only those with solo arcs have character development like El and Max in the beginning, most of the characters have become static...that's my main complain of the show Other than that everything was perfect for me.. I feel like the Hawkins crew was my fav, steve nancy robin...had get chemistry with each other, and I hope eddie sticks with this grp even after they defeat Vecna

[@platform14]

It's weird we just spent like 9 hours with them and so many of them are static to episode 1. It felt like a drag there were so many groups. I felt myself groaning when the momentum dropped out because of all the location surfing.

[@platform14]

@Anthony Hernandez Without Hawkins uniting them into one plot though, it's harder to care. Hopper escaping Russia and Joyce helping? We know that's going to happen, so why do we have to keep checking in on it every episode? The California crew, we know they're going to El and Hawkins the long way round, did we really need a Susie's-dad-took-her-computer episode and for them to basically drop out of the series for the vol1 finale? Ugh it's so frustrating

[@7ars471]

@@platform14 i couldn't agree more. seemed to me as if i was watching game of thrones. thing is in game of thrones the time span is way bigger so it's not really an issue if you skip out on certain character arcs for a few episodes because they could be just travelling for days without anything to show. but because this st season is happening in a matter of days it seemed like it started to get inconsistent especially with the whole football team plot that literally just came into play when it was convenient but never really tied into the story or posed any real threats to for example lucas or dustin eventho they were apparently so eager to find them

[@longjohnsilvergroghan6630]

“He doesn’t even have a limp” *shows clip of him limping

[@mnlifer6141]

Absolutely amazing season. Fun topics for me would be I actually really liked Hopper's story in Russia. I was not expecting him to be caught a 2nd time after hiding out in the church! 001's story was super cool and now really helps tie the upside down world's connection with Hawkins. I think they're setting up Mike and Will to be gay couple too. 11 was complaining about his lack of "love Mike" on his letter's to her, and obviously Will has feelings for Mike that are more than best friends. Volume 2 teaser looked just sick too, I can't wait!! This is easily up there with the absolute best I've ever seen.

[@lockofmetal8894]

Not just having the ankle smashed to pieces. He also runs BAREFOOT in snow. How the fuck that foot wasn't black & needed to be amputated, we'll never know.

[@Mj783980]

Also I think Vecna's transformation was too fast and didn't make sense imo. Portals to the upside down are mirrors of their initial earth location, yet Vecna, sent to the upside down from a lab, ends up God knows how high in the sky on the upside down falling in a lightning storm??? A lightning storm that instantly transforms him into Vecna with an eerily similar Freddy hand??? He should have appeared in the upside-down in the lab and his transformation should have taken the span of years sense being sent there, hence why he would just be appearing this season.

[@twincast2005]

They've explicitly established that the Upside Down as we know it was created on the day Will got abducted, meaning that back then there was just a dimension of endless chaos.

[@Mj783980]

@@twincast2005 I think you're forgetting that literally the moment 11 made contact with the, already existing demogorgon, is the moment, we thought, the first gate was created. The fact the demogorgon already exist, because it is a biological thing that eats food, suggest it existed somewhere ( _not a voidless chaos dimension_ )

[@xperiment07]

@@Mj783980 I don't think the screen time of his transformation necessarily translates to how long it took. Maybe we will get a clarification on that when 001 and 011 reunites. When it comes to the upside down I do agree with the comment above. My understanding is that the upside down has existed for a long time and the upside down version of Hawkins was created by Vecna/001 so he could keep preying on the weak and tormented (like the spider). About the demogorgons, who knows.. They do feed and get stronger, at least in our world, but maybe it's not a necessity for their survival. Especially in the upside down world where laws of physics and others things clearly differs from "our" world.

[@Mj783980]

@@xperiment07 Do you remember what the demogorgon was doing the first time 11 met it? It was feeding. _As Eleven psychically approached the Monster, she could see it feeding off an otherworldly egg. With great hesitancy, she made contact. In that exact moment, a gate to the Monster's dimension cracked open in the wall of the tank room, allowing the creature to pass through_

[@xperiment07]

@@Mj783980 You are right about that, I totally forgot about it. However I don't think it disproves the theory of Vecna creating the Hawkins upside down

[@9998thegrimeater]

Honestly maybe my favorite moment of this season is when hopper is talking about his past to the Russian guard. It encapsulates everything I love about the season. I couldn't take it seriously at all, not to say the series is bad, but this is just how I enjoy it. It was so extremely overdramatic and at the end when he repeats the opening line "I used to think I was cursed" I was genuinely talking to my TV saying "I am the curse!! I am the curse! come man stick the landing!" and when he did I was just so happy. There can be something amazing about predictable/cheesy lines. I feel like the duffer brothers intentionally tapped into this.

[@rsrocha1984]

I think the upside down didnt have the form that it has in the present when Eleven open the portal. When One is send thru the portal, the world on the other side is very diferent. The fact that Nacy shows that everything is in the shape that it was when El first open the portal, to me, shows that, the upside down actually kind "took a picture" of our world when the portal was open for the first time and try to mimic, but before that it was diferent and kind shapeless.

[@JairoBros]

Yeah, it is implied that the Upside Down only took form when Eleven accidentaly threw One there. What I don't understand is: where are the "Upside Down People"? If it is a mirror of our reality, every being should exist there too, don't they?

[@Suzanne_sf]

So you're saying it wasn't 1 who made the Hawkins in the Upside Down, but the Upside Down itself. Cool idea.

[@circamagic]

I had a blast watching this. Love the idea of #001 being an arch nemesis of sorts and I really dug the balance of multiple story-lines.

[@bryanlefebvre9543]

I thought the first couple episodes felt like an entirely different show and were kinda sluggish, like ok, we get it, Jonathan's a stoner now... fine... but somewhere towards the end of the third and from then on it was pretty freaking excellent. Max's and Nancy's stories were standout great. And lets give it up for Robert Englund! When his name came up in the credits I screamed "I KNEW IT!"

[@uydukuvita-man4696]

Pretty sure they've had the group separated only to triumphantly reunite them towards the end of every season, so not sure why it's such an issue here

[@vitzky636]

Strongly disagree with the Erica part, she is my least favorite part of the show but overall it’s a fantastic season

[@papermelon]

THANK YOU for saying this. I’m getting sick of people raving about her. She grinds my teeth and I can’t stand her character. I was really concerned that they would continue to use her as a main character in this season, so I’m glad to see that even they didn’t like her much apparently lol.

[@alethiawilliams3153]

While watching this season, I had a realization. I think Hopper is to Stranger Things, as Archie is to Riverdale. They're both just these dudes who refuse to die in stupidly complicated situations that would destroy any normal human

[@onesweetangel1017]

I think when they return to Hawkins Will gets cursed by Vecna so he’s definitely going to have more to do in volume 2. I also hope the entire sexuality plot line gets closure and he finally comes out. They’re definitely waiting for the right time to do it.

[@violetcathey5478]

I honestly think vecnas going to use his sexuality against him. I mean he does seem very scared of that and he was traumatized by the mind flayer. I just think he may use that to his advantage to curse will.

[@quillheart877]

I don't even watch Stranger Things, but I love listening to Dan's reviews so here I am

[@tylerr.5676]

I really enjoyed it. They're leaning more into the horror vibes of the 1st season. I do think the last 2 episodes have some pacing issues and I thought that 001's monologue was way too long (most people have already figured out the reveal by the time he gets around to explaining it) but those are my only real complaints. I'm really curious to see how they wrap things up in a few weeks.

[@nerevarchthn6860]

Well people couldnt have known by the time whether he is vecna or the mind flayer both was possible the same way

[@Adamrussell2001]

I don’t think it’s a real life chemistry thing with Jonathan and Nancy as they’ve been in a relationship in real life

[@marikotrue3488]

I binged season 4 volume 1 (7 episodes). While there was a disclaimer about the level of violence, it did startle me somewhat. That being said, I only had a few nitpicks, like Hopper's seemingly rapid healing (well except for facial cuts) along with the almost cartoonish level of the bullies who went about their bullying business seemingly unchecked. Another nitpick was the trust that Joyce and Murray had with Yuri ( I yelled at them not to drink the coffee, seemed rather obvious to me). Did anyone think that Joseph Quinn (as Eddie) was eerily similar to a young Robert Downey Jr. in voice, acting and appearance?

[@420simpson]

I think all the kids at Susie’s house in Utah was a joke about Mormons having lots of kids. Those were all her siblings. Utah has lots of Mormons and her parents are religious

[@twincast2005]

0:50 The ending of ST3 already set them up being split into three places (Hawkins, California, Russia). El temporarily splintered off separately, but that made perfect sense, and clearly the one group that's been absent for episodes 7 will pick her up in episode 8 before everybody reuniting in episode 9. Filming restrictions might have led to filming for the last ep(s) getting delayed, but as I understand it, it's mainly that they need additional time for VFX. And frankly, it should've been weekly appointment television to begin with. 3:50 Will had focal parts in the first two seasons. Mostly passive ones, safe for some particularly intense scenes, sure, but still. Taking a notable back seat in seasons three and four regarding the supernatural main story is disappointing, yes, but it doesn't take away the previous. And what else is the solution? Keep traumatizing the kid? Make him into a second "superhero"? Neither is ideal. 4:45 Mike came up with every single step on their road trip. (The pen and Suzie.) And being primarily a foil for El and Will isn't too bad. 8:00 I agree that they've frustratingly been dragging out Will's sexuality for too long, but he'll clearly be giving Mike that painting he keeps carrying around by the end of this season. Even if he doesn't say anything (although I sure hope he will), El will definitely connect the dots, and Mike will, too, if he remembers (or rereads) El's letter. On a side note, we've only seen Levon Thurman-Hawke's punk character once in the background entering the video rental (whom I'd picked as a potential love interest for Will since the casting announcement, which is why I recognized him), so Will still may well get a meet-cute. Maybe they all attend Eddie's band's performance after Vecna's defeat (and Owens's faction has his name cleared, as Dustin's plan can't help at all)? 9:05 It's a very religious family (i.e. no contraception and thus a lot of children), which was established in season two and they reminded us of when they arrived there. It did serve a purpose (as a phone just outright telling the location of a secret facility would be really dumb, the female agent most likely wouldn't be carrying a cell phone in 1986, and they can't trust anyone else), and I enjoyed the comic relief after so much suspense. The real problem is that we haven't seen them since. I think it would've flown better if they'd delayed attack/departure by one episode. 10:05 Mike has never been afraid of El's abilities (which she doesn't even have at that point, anyway). If anything, an argument could be made that he's actually been in love with them, not her. 11:10 If Steve dies, it's for story reasons. (Virtually everyone trying to get them back together - as well as the demobat bites plus mentions of rabies - is really raising some death flags.) If he doesn't die, it's for chemistry reasons. And they weren't shy about how Steve was supposed to be your archetypal jock douche, but then he developed into an actual hero and they felt really bad for needing to break up him and Nancy for nice guy Jonathan's sake. 14:55 Well, of course the heart of the series has always been in Hawkins. Almost every scene in the first three seasons (safe for a couple of road trips and some bibs and bobs) has been set there and all the major events had been set there. 16:35 Obscure? Over here at least it'd felt like a classic mainstay for about twenty years, so everyone other than gen Z ought to have known it. Really must've been different in the US if it peaked at no. 30, though. 29:50 Actually they did plant everything in this season. The orderly was clearly One. Henry Creel had clearly survived. Applying a little bit of genre savviness, it was more likely than not that Henry Creel was One, meaning he must've had powers, which in turn made him a suspect for the murders of his mother and sister. I thought that Vecna had manipulated Henry, as it hadn't occured to me that Vecna may be a fairly recent being, but that's on me. It all fits. And nothing openly conflicts with the prior seasons. They even finally explained why in a parallel dimension that perfectly mirrors the real world (except for monsters and creepy tendrils instead of living organisms and water) the objects don't "update" when they're moved/changed in the real world. And after season three needlessly dragged up a mindflayer goo monster instead of moving on, it really would've felt out of place for the last two seasons to suddenly go in an unrelated direction instead of tying everything into a neat bundle. Eleven created this particular plane of existence, so she must destroy it as well. Doesn't preclude similar (and other paranormal stuff) existing elsewhere. It may have originally been conceived as an anthology series, but that's what the spinoffs are now for, which I'm fine with.

[@maxxverstappenn8367]

Say less

[@twincast2005]

@@maxxverstappenn8367 Nobody forced you to read it.

[@hasan_1888]

@@twincast2005 great points well done. the only one i disagree is with mike. yes he had a few moments. But for me personally i am just tired of the writers using him as the "boyfriend" of 11. initually i liked that we were getting some sort of plot where lucas and mike breakup. but as soon as mike went to see 11, i was off. The whole 11-mike love story is getting a bit annoying for him.

[@papermelon]

Finally a comment I agree with. I wasn’t in the mood to discuss everything I explicitly disagreed with in this review, because it was too much. Most of what was said made little to no sense, and while I definitely have complaints about the season, the ones he pointed out were super odd. You described why well. Thanks.

[@Suzanne_sf]

How I understand it, 11 sent 1 to a dimension that already existed but once 1 went to the dimension, the dimension changed 1 to match his spirit and 1 started to make his own Hawkins in the Upside Down, but the Mindflayer, Demigorgons, demonbats, and geography not reflecting Hawkins were already there. Also, anyone in that generation in the US who listened to alternative music on the radio and/or watched videos on Mtv heard Running Up That Hill. It was just as haunting back then as it is now.

[@nubianfx]

Minor note.. what i got from the Suzzy family situation ie Utah, large family, very religious... is that she is mormon. Hopper survived because he was under the dumpster duh. lol Ps as an 80s baby who rediscovered kate bush in adulthood when i could truly appreciate her genius im delighted that stranger things is doing for kate bush what rick rolling did for rick astley lol

[@yuhser9820]

Yeah obviously

[@tylerjackson1806]

Dan you can’t have all the characters together all the time. With there being a lot of characters you have to split them up. That’s how most if not all tv shows work. You’re going to have different group dynamics.

[@xaoc6084]

Exactly like in Season 3 with the Scoops Ahoy crew, etc. The whole point is that they are seperate threads that interweave in the last episodes to create the climax and ultimately tie the narrative together with each of the different individual threads.

[@JaquesBonjour]

I love this season so far. Haven't watched Vol. 2 yet. One thing in Vol. 1 really took me out of the story, even if it was a cool visual. So far we've always seen the Upsidedown literally as an upside down image of our world. For example that great scene when they are all on their bikes and the camera switches to the Upsidedown. But following that logic or physics, the scene in Eddies trailor with the sheets/robe is wrong. Why are they seeing each other when looking up into the gate? If we use the same images as before they all should see, well, the sky. Because they are mirrored from the ground and not from above. Like until the trailor scene Hawkins and the Upsidedown were one playing card, each side on the other ones back. But the trailor scene is more like two cards facing each other. I still enjoyed this scene very much, but took me out of the story for quite a while cause I was trying to figure out the "proper" physics here. Maybe I'm not getting it and it does actually make sense - if so, could someone please explain it to me?

[@cimalasheffield5908]

I think the bicycling scene was simply an artistic choice.