"Stranger Things," Year Four (With Spoilers)

Spoilers for the full series ahead.

                                       

As much as I might complain about weaker plotting or too many characters getting too little time, the Duffers have consistently figured out how to keep "Stranger Things" very engaging and very exciting to watch.  The basic mechanics of scrappy kids fighting monsters has always been rock solid, and there were multiple moments during this year where I got to cheer for the heroes and hiss at the villains in a way that I genuinely haven't in ages.  Not everything pays off, but when something does, it's usually immensely satisfying.  The big Vecna reveal with Nancy was great.  Eleven confronting Bremmer and blowing up the helicopter was great.  Hopper going after demodogs with a sword, and Murray with a flamethrower were great.  Everybody got a little moment to shine, even if it was something as simple as Erica getting to clobber a jock, or Robin talking her way into the sanitarium.  I understand the frustration with certain plotlines getting dragged out, but when those things finally pay off in Season Five, I expect it'll be worth the wait too.

Jamie Campbell Bower is one of the season's MVPs, because he was apparently in that full body Vecna suit during many important scenes.  His introduction as 001/Henry feels a little overdue, and some of the series mythology has clearly been retconned to accommodate him.  However, a Freddy Krueger style villain operating on the same level as Eleven is such a nice change of pace from the demogorgons and mindflayers and assorted moist blobs.  Vecna's confrontation scene with Max was the clear highlight of the year.  I've always appreciated "Stranger Things" for embracing the kind of squishy, tactile, Cronenbergian horror that I grew up on, and not relying so much on CGI.  When the show does use CGI, however, it's perfect.  It took me a while to catch on that the flashbacks to the original Hawkins lab featured a de-aged Millie Bobby Brown, because it's been so long since the first season.  It absolutely blows everything I've seen from the latest Marvel and "Star Wars" shows out of the water, though it's probably not fair to be comparing very different kinds of shows.  

There's been some chatter that the oversized cast should have been pruned down this year, but the Duffers have made it clear that "Stranger Things" is not "Game of Thrones" and we should not be holding our breaths for a high body count.  It's a little disturbing that the fandoms for these franchises have an element that's been so bloodthirsty.  I like all of these characters enough that I don't want to see anybody die.  I like that the Duffers have staunchly refused to give up on the John Hughes elements of the show, and there were significant chunks of the screen time devoted to Robin pining after Vickie (Amybeth McNulty), Steve and Nancy getting closer, and setting up how Eddie and Chrissy (Grace Van Dien) were developing a connection.  And then you have Will failing to confess to Mike and being supported by Jonathan.  And Dustin and Eddie becoming best bros, and Dustin having to break the news to Eddie's uncle.  Max became a lot of people's favorite character this year, because there were real stakes to her story, and "Dear Billy" was this long, intense build-up to her presumed demise - that I hope we all realized that we didn't want to see happen.  

Most of my real complaints about this season come down to the Duffers being given too much leeway and refusing to kill some of their darlings.  The 150 minute finale really was too much of everything, and I can't help wondering if they re-edited the climax to add Kate Bush in response to "Running Up That Hill" going viral.  The downbeat epilogue really should have been a separate episode, given how different the pacing was, and frankly this season could have easily been twelve or thirteen episodes instead of nine.  Several characters and storylines could have used more closure, such as Eleven's bullies, the other basketball guys, Dr. Owen, the military, and Enzo (Tom Wlaschiha).  At least there was proper setup for the fifth season, and we've got plenty of cliffhangers to chew over until it gets here.  I really hope it doesn't take another three years, but if that's what the Duffers need to make a good season of "Stranger Things," I say let them have it.

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