The global phenomenon of Stranger Things has had fans in dire straits waiting for season 4 for three years. It’s still a huge deal, though. After the first half of this season aired, my shifts at Hot Topic were filled with people practically begging for a Hellfire Club shirt that some of the protagonists wore in the first episodes. The episodes reportedly cost $30 million, and with eight episodes to air, that’s more than the majority of all movies on the market. Is it still worth the hype after more than half a decade?

At the core of every season of Stranger Things comes the companionship of the wide cast of characters. That is as intact as ever in Stranger Things 4. Each member of the crew oozes love for each other, while willing to dish out tough love when needed. Some become role models/heroes for the others, and some detest each other for periods. In the end, viewers will be cheering some on while dreading others appearing on the screen for a while. This back-and-forth makes the show as binge-worthy as it was in season one.

At this point, though, there’s a lot of romance going around. Between Max and Lucas going splitsville, Nancy and Jonathan/Mike and Eleven going long distance, Joyce going to great lengths for Hopper, and more than one instance of will-they-won’t-they/love triangle tropes, this layer of tension comes into play in each episode. Developments come readily, even referencing seasons past through flashbacks. It’s rewarding to have been caught up with the series to this point, which the long gap in seasons provided.

Past our favorite friend group, the “big bad” of Stranger Things 4 is dubbed Vecna: a supernatural foe with powers that rival Eleven’s. Revealing the backstory for this enemy took a while, but showcased the tragic backstory in great detail and led up to one of the biggest twists in Stranger Things yet. The intimidating aura of this villain hasn’t been matched in the show yet, and the makeup/sound design props Vecna up as a threat that the teens might not be able to vanquish.

From episode 1 to episode 8, the production value is through the roof thanks to the show’s budget. Thankfully, it was used appropriately, with excellent choices in the soundtrack adding depth to the most intense scenes in the season. Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” has positively exploded in popularity, no small feat for a track that is nearing forty years old. No visual effect or sound design choice felt cheap, which keeps diehards invested from start to finish.

In its final, movie-length episode, Stranger Things 4 had me tearing up a full handful of times thanks to long-deserved reunions, emotional climaxes, and the strong hearts of the heroes. There were points in the middle of the season where I wasn’t immersed in the show as it took its sweet time to unravel the mystique. However, everything wrapped up so perfectly that it was worth pushing through. With one season left, what evils will the town of Hawkins, Indiana face next?

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Stranger Things 4

0.00

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Fantastic Character Development
• Horrifying Villain
• Seriously Tense Moments
• Masterful Soundtrack

Cons

• Too Slow a Slow Burn
• Predictable at Points