There’s an interesting dissonance in the tone of Stranger Things 4 Pt. 1. On one hand, it seems to mature with its characters. The cute, lovable kids from Season 1 are now approaching their twenties in real life. This is reflected in many aspects of Season 4. It’s a lot more horror-focused, with some scenes that feel straight out of a Stephen King book. There are elements of body horror, PTSD, and creepiness that were not previously major story aspects. These are, in my opinion, welcome changes. On the other hand, the narrative still seems unable to shake off its juvenile energy, especially in the first few episodes. The first season had similar themes, but with a younger primary cast, it felt cute. Now, watching a late-teen Millie Bobby Brown (playing Eleven) pretend to get bullied by a stereotypical mean girl treads the line of being cringe-worthy. This early tonal whiplash may make this season hard to digest for some. Fortunately, as the plot gets going, Stranger Things is actually at its best since Season 1. As someone who has been disillusioned with the series since the start of Season 2, I am happy to see Stranger Things back in fighting form.
Season 1 of Stranger Things is damn close to perfect—a Lovecraftian mystery featuring likable characters, a nostalgic setting, and the perfect integration of classic ‘80s music into the plot (which I believe is the secret ingredient to its success). The following two seasons seemed to ride on that success without truly innovating. The mystery lost its luster, the horror was significantly weaker than in the first season, and the story seemed to be retreading old ground. The Duffer Brothers captured lightning in a bottle in the first season and seemed to figure it would be easy to do it again by recreating the first season. To be fair, Stranger Things has remained popular for its entire run, so perhaps my complaints mean nothing to the general fanbase. However, the second and third seasons had me convinced the story should have ended after the first season—a one-and-done classic that needed no follow-up. Yet my mind has been changed by Season 4, which has made it clear that there are still new directions to expand the story, even if it’s not perfect and doesn’t capture Season 1’s magic.
At this point, Stranger Things has accumulated quite an ensemble of characters, the vast majority of which are quite likable. I’d argue that the cast is the show’s greatest strength and the new additions this season are excellent. However, it means having quite a few concurrent plot lines, with each seeming only tangential to the others. This is not inherently a flaw; Sex Education and early Game of Thrones are excellent examples of ensemble shows that don’t feel cluttered. Stranger Things 4 is a mixed bag in this regard. Certain plotlines are fascinating, and new character dynamics such as Nancy and Robin’s friendship have become among the best in the show. Others are not so interesting, however. Eleven’s storyline was a drag, and Mike and Will’s plot, despite starting strong, ended up having little impact on the overarching plot, leading me to question why the show spent so much time on it. In all fairness, it is possible that this will all become worth it when the final two episodes premiere July 1. However, this leads to another problem I have with the show: it’s too long. Earlier seasons had episodes that would rarely pass the hour mark, but in Season 4 the shortest runtime is 65 minutes, with others approaching or even passing the 90-minute mark. Netflix has also released the runtimes for the final two episodes, the second of which is a staggering two hours and thirty minutes. Individual scenes are paced well, but the amount of content here makes it difficult to consume when individual episodes become feature-length. If an entire third of a single episode is dedicated to Eleven, I expect progression in that plotline, a progression I often did not receive. On top of that, there are a lot of characters who seem to have exhausted their purpose and seem to only be in scenes out of obligation, such as Jonathan and Will, neither of whom seem to have the same agency they did previously.
As far as production value, Stranger Things 4 is the best the series has ever been, without seeming overproduced. The CGI is inoffensive outside of one scene (you’ll know the one). Many aspects remain practical despite the massive budget, and in a first for the series as far as I can remember, there are multiple long-take scenes that were extremely impressive. One of them seemed practical as far as I could tell, with many moving parts. It features some excellent action, over a dozen actors, and complex camera movements that must have taken a herculean effort to put together. It shows serious passion and commitment, especially since it easily could have been a low-effort choppy mess that you see in some modern shows. The horror is also well put together and, while there are a few jump scares, they aren’t cheap and are usually earned.
It’s also good to see that music remains a central theme of the show, more directly now than ever. It plays into the nostalgia factor that hooked so many on the show in the first place. One scene in particular revolves around the song “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush that was outstanding, one of the best in the show thus far. It’s the payoff to an extended sequence that I expect from a show of this caliber and budget. I wouldn’t be surprised if the last two entries to the season leaned into this aspect even more. Overall, Stranger Things 4 Pt. 1 is a return to form that, despite some unnecessary bloat and some hit-or-miss storylines, is well worth your time, even if you’ve become a bit disillusioned with the show like I had been. All that’s left now is to wait for the second half of the season. The Duffer Brothers have mentioned that the end of this season will set up the fifth and final season, so keep your eyes open for hints of the future once it drops. Until then, add Stranger Things 4 to your Watch List and let your friends know what you think about it on BingeRoom!
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