Stranger Things, Season 4 (Netflix)
Thanks to COVID-19, it’s been a while since we were in Hawkins, Indiana.
Who knew if Stranger Things’ appeal would endure after its imposed hiatus? After all, it wouldn’t be the first show to struggle to find its footing in the post-pandemic world.
Alas, fears have been allayed by the excellent first half of season four of the Duffer brothers’ monster hit (no pun intended).
What really works well about these opening spate of episodes is that the oft-used ‘get out of jail free’ card that was Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has been negated by the fact that the supernatural teen has (temporarily) lost her powers.
This is particularly fitting given that this season ushers in a new villain, Vecna, that is arguably the show’s best yet – and that’s before his shocking origin story is revealed in the mid-season finale. If you thought the Mind Flayer’s way of disposing with dead teenagers was grim, wait until you cop a load of this guy. He is GRUESOME.
The decision at the end of season three to split up the show’s protagonists also pays off well, as it changes a dynamic that, though tried and tested, was running the risk of becoming formulaic. It’ll be a thrill when the gang finally gets back together now, whereas I suspect many viewers would have grown tired of their shtick had they duked things out together.
Aside from the series’ big bad, there are a few other intriguing characters added to the fold this time around. Of those, Jamie Campbell Bower’s role is sure to attract the most interest (for reasons that cannot be disclosed because, you know, spoilers) but I personally enjoyed Tom Wlaschiha’s corrupt Russian police officer the most.
Whether the side-story he is embroiled in was as entertaining is a topic for debate though. That’s mostly because it features arguably the most unsurprising character return of any show ever, but also because I’ve never really found the whole Soviet arc all that interesting. It just feels a little cliched and out of keeping with the rest of the show’s oeuvre.
Still, this is ultimately a fine return for a show that could have easily meandered after an enforced leave of absence. The finale sets things up nicely for the second half of the series and it’s fascinating to contemplate how things might conclude in the impending fifth and final season, which I guess constitutes a job well done by all involved.
