After almost three years the first volume of Stranger Things 4 finally dropped this weekend and left a large crater of wows.
The season kicks off where season three ended, the Hopper cliffhanger. This probably isn’t a spoiler, but he’s alive and “working” in Russia. The rest of the gang is also trying to get back to normal after the mall incident in the previous season.
Will and Eleven are trying to settle into their new life in California. Mike and the rest of the gang are now in high school and some of them grew apart over the course of the year. Joyce is still trying to find Hopper, hoping he’s still alive.
So there you have it, a spoiler-free synopsis of the new season. Does it live up to the hype? Well it’s been a long time since we last saw these characters, so it’s going to take some time to catch up. I almost completely forgot what happened to the gang the last time I saw them.
The time between the seasons is probably my biggest issues, since some of the kids are legally adults now and they’re playing young teenagers. But I’m going to ignore that and focus on the story and characters.
The story takes a few exciting turns, some elements feel like their rehashing previous seasons. The upside down is back, there’s a new Dungeons and Dragons villain and they’re looking for a missing person. While the new villain is exciting, it would have been fun to see the upside down a little more, to explore what else can come from it.
The characters are fun as usual. The show also introduces a few new classmates for the kids and some Russian adversaries. Old characters return and we take a deeper dive into Eleven’s past, plus we get a look at some of the other kids she grew up with.
This certainly isn’t the best season of Stranger Things, but it’s been so long and I’m still totally in love with it. I also quickly grew attached to some of the new characters, which probably isn’t a smart thing. The episodes are also a lot longer than most shows, so it feels like you’re being dragged along on a really long trip, but it does pay off.
The show is definitely worth watching and I can’t wait to see how they continue the story in the second volume, although I already have a few theories.
It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.
My Verdict
Stranger Things remain one of my all-time favourite TV shows and this season just adds to the lore we’ve grown to love. Season four is very story driven and doesn’t really add much to the character, except for El, but it’s still awesome. So I definitely recommend binging it right away, ‘cause the spoilers are already pouring in.
My Rating: 8 out of 10 – Really Good
