Directed by :
Matt Duffer/Ross Duffer (5 episodes each, 2022)
Shawn Levy (2 episodes, 2022)
Nimrod Antal (2 episodes, 2022)
Season4
You see, humans are a unique type of pest, multiplying and poisoning our world, all while enforcing a structure of their own. A deeply unnatural structure.
Spoilers ahead...
If the 3rd season showcased how tough it is to beat the monster, this season goes a step ahead in that direction. The story is now set in 2 places, one is Hawkins ofcourse, while other is Lenora where Will and Eleven/Jane study in the High School, a place Dr Owens chose so they could live peacefully. But when a teenager dies from Hawkins School and its learnt the monster is someone named Vecna, one can't help but feel Vecna has a link with Demogorgan/MindFlayer.
All episodes are 1 hour long (the finale is a massive 2hr40 mins long episode) and yet I never felt bored, very engaged and I would say most of them were way too good. Some hiccups are there, its the ones where you can understand what the writers were trying, for instance how the whole bullying act of Eleven at Lenora reconnects later to how she had a history of it at Hawkins Lab. I didn't mind Eleven smashing the skate at that bullying girl. Also, the entire Lucas wanting to be popular plot I didn't want to happen but good thing is its really a very tiny screentime before he joins back the gang where he belongs.
I felt disappointed with what they did to Jonathan's character, apart from the scene where he comforts Will, he's actually not doing anything in this whole season. That brings me to Nancy-Steve possible re-unite angle which is hinted numerous times and I feel its little forced. They did however listen to my demand as we got the Nancy-Robin pairing, that entire Asylum sequence was so terrific. Also, I love how Nancy is the boss when it comes to the final showdown, though frankly she's been the leader always in the past of all the heroic acts she's been part of.
There are some characters that you start to love instantly, Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) is one of them. Even with his odd behavior in the first scene, I knew I would want more of him throughout the season. And I like how they equate him with Steve or his bonding with Dustin specially with that scene 'Never change'. One of my fav moment is when Eddie shouts at Robin 'This is Music' as she doesn't consider his taste of music good. Argyle (Eduardo Franco) on the other hand provides some good comic relief specially when he shouts 'Nina Nina' or his comment on 'St Mary', and the reactions he gives to everything Eleven does in the final episode will make you laugh.
Two episodes totally standout, and are probably among the best of the series, 'Dear Billy' and 'The Massacre at the Hawkins Lab'. The former keeps building towards possible death of Max, and the absolutely unforgettable scene involving Kate Bush's track 'Running Up The Hill' which you will keep humming for weeks atleast (months in my case). The latter is brilliant for firstly the Hopper-Joyce re-union happening, and then how the mystery regarding Vecna is solved with a reveal that some might have seen coming, I personally couldn't so it worked perfectly.
Even the penultimate episode is very good. Much early in the season, Eleven outbursts at Mike for never saying how much he loves her, which makes sense because Mike's behavior has been very odd ...more on that later. In this episode too, Eleven has a much longer outburst, this time at Papa/Dr Brenner and again she talks sense letting Papa know he is the monster and also a reveal that Papa was all the time sending her to look for One and not any Soviet Union Projects. Also, it finally ends Eleven's dilemma she's been having since S1 that what if 'she is the monster'. I also enjoyed how the episode ends on a high with the use of 'Seperate Ways' track, its pretty short but the way they edit it over Henry's house gives a very chilling effect.
It's impossible to turn blind eye towards all the flaws the finale has, even though it still has so many highs which you frankly expect with a 2 hr 40 mins long episode. Eddie's death was a given because the moment his name was given out by police, it looked impossible for him to prove his innocence. But the execution was just terrible, he dies doing something that was un-necessary, there was no way Nancy-Steve-Robin needed any help when it was clearly told to not be a hero and get 1-2 mins of bats distraction which Eddie-Dustin had done. This just felt like one of those countless times you see a character do a total stupid act in a bad horror movie. Just compare it with what Billy did in S3, that death didn't go waste, and felt he was doing it for a good cause, but here this was plain stupidity and poor writing.
Then that '2 days later' felt like a total copout, even if you don't have to show everything, here it just seemed like a way to get out of this entire scene. This does give the writing team a chance to either bring back Eddie (possibly negative role by being a part of Vecna) or there's something Dustin and rest knows which is why they didn't look that sad later on.
Even the final ending scene felt odd to me, the way everyone slowly walks to the garden and notice half flowers are Vecnaed, just lacked that 'Wow' feel all previous seasons ending scenes had.
Easily would had been the best perfect season, if not for all the inconsistencies of finale. Other than that, Mike's character is on decline.. just consider him in S1 and S2, how enthusiastic and eager he would be, now some would say love changes person but in his case the change feels very odd, even the attitude he shows towards Eleven when they meet at airport or his reaction at her chosen place to hangout feels like he is just not interested. Yes, he has got this feeling that he isn't special like Eleven is and she would dump him but that's not strong reason enough to ignore friends way he does, can't even notice Will crying next to him, and when Eleven has to save Max, thats the wierdest time he chooses to tell what he's been feeling off-late, I felt really pissed off watching him or for that matter the whole Mike-Eleven story.
On the other hand, Lucas and Max pair was lot more enjoyable, that lovely card writing moment they share which could possibly their last happy memory together, or when Lucas asks her if he is part of the happiest memory she is going to go to deceive Vecna. Infact among all the old characters, it was Max who very much stole the show this season. Also, great to see Joyce and Hopper together, I just hope none of them dies in final season, they both I feel have suffered the most due to Upside Down. And Joyce is probably the smartest of all the grown-ups in entire series. Two fav moments would be, one where Hopper is talking about how he feels he is the curse, and other when Joyce has a recap of Bob in her mind when Hopper is about to risk his life fighting a Demogorgan.
Jamie Campbell Bower (One/Vecna/Henry) was simply exceptional, from the very first scene I was glued even though I wasn't aware who he was at that point. Love that moment when he wishfully asks Eleven to join him or how he dismisses Humans narrating their time on this planet should be over.
The monster in this season was much more likeable and not gross, one minor issue I had was his constant breathing noise which sounded like 'hmmm' a lot. His killing method very much felt like reference or homage to 'IT' movie where the evil targets the teens bad life memories/events.
Mason Dye (Jason), was a character that like everyone else I enjoyed watching die in the manner he does, yet in some ways I had sympathy for him because he didn't knew Upside Down Monsters exist so the conclusion of Satan cult and Eddie being main part of it wasn't really wrong. What did make it hard to support him was way he and his friends started treating firstly Eddie's friends (all that beating) and later on Erica too. Tom Wlaschiha (Dmitri Antonov/Enzo) was another great addition, his Russian dialect was very good and also his habit of bringing odds into situation (team up with Dustin maybe in S5?). Andrey Ivchenko (Grigori) despite all his funny laughters and jokes including the Katinka scene, won't have worked for me if not for his U-turn in the end thanks to the talk from Enzo that hits him hard.
I like how they work out Martin Brenner's character, season starts with him leaving us in a mystery if Eleven is actually the monster (for a brief moment I did bought that idea). Later, how Martin brings her powers back but the reveal of how he was always looking to find One through Eleven was a good one. And I love how Eleven simply says Goodbye to Papa who in his dyeing moments too doesn't admit how abusive he always was.
Will much like S3 has so less to offer here, and at this point I don't even know where the writers can take his character. They could go the emotional route by killing him, or he could help everything get better.. either way it feels like he will much like S1 and S2 be the main character of the final season.
Love the choice of music in the entire season, one of my favs was 'You spin me round like a record' (heard it in Dark previously). Apart from the tracks I have already mentioned, there's one that can't be left out without talking on it, Metallica's 'Master of Puppets', that guitar performance of Eddie, the parallel edit showing Max trying her best to defeat Vecna and those final moments where the music piece ends with Max back to the SnowBall event of S2, simply masterful editing and among best moment of entire season.
Talking of the background themes, little disappointed to see no use of 'Upside Down' theme this time. I did love how they use 'Planck's Constant' over Eddie trying to run away in boat. My personal fav was 'Portal Drill' which was used before in S3 but here you could listen it much more properly and it almost feels like a theme of Vecna in a way, I particularly enjoyed how the happy memory 'Snowball' of Max gets Vecnaed with this theme running alongside.
Some other fav moments include all the sarcastic talks Steve and Dustin have, the funny lines Murray says while fighting Grigori inside the plane or way he reacts to Joyce in the plane about her worry regarding kids and also the funny reference to a 1 year old child. Erica's reply to Eddie at their first meet, Max learning how she is next possible victim of Vecna and Eleven when she blows up the helicopter with that loud scream felt really bad-ass.
Special Mention to that monster sound addition to the Tudum in all the episodes.
With the makers saying there will be no new additions in final season (if they are saying truth) then you can hope they will correct some mistakes and also not spoil anything with un-necessary circle acts, please I dont want Nancy-Steve together even if I love them both a lot. Rather give me a Nancy-Robin love angle.
Stranger Things for me is one of those comfort shows (very much like Money Heist) that I can watch again and again, despite the fact that it's not my top3 favourite show because I just cannot ignore the flaws or issues it has. The main reason is that the show has the sci-fi fantasy elements with backdrop of horror/creatures and lots of 80's nostalgic references, its just impossible not to enjoy. Hoping for a very good conclusion in Final Season.
My Rating : 8/10
