We’ve seen the first six episodes of Stranger Things season 4 – here’s our spoiler-free review.
There’s plenty riding on Stranger Things season 4. A lot has happened in the nearly three-year gap between the wildly popular Netflix show’s previous and latest installments, with Netflix experiencing increasing competition from its rivals and, more recently, negative press amid the company’s numerous financial and subscriber-based issues. Stranger Things’ return, then, might provide some respite for the troubled streaming giant. The 80s-inspired sci-fi horror series is arguably Netflix’s biggest show ever (Squid Game may argue against that) so the arrival of its fourth season should deliver some much-needed positivity for the beleaguered company. Unsurprising as it’ll sound (to diehard fans, at least), Stranger Things season 4 is another triumphant and absorbing entry in the Duffer brothers-created franchise. Its combination of expansive world-building, revelations about the series’ lore, sparkling cast additions, emotional and heart-wrenching story beats, and an injection of even more horrifying and haunting elements will please hardcore and casual fans alike. There are a couple of missteps – mainly with its multi-narrative format – that prevent Stranger Things season 4 from becoming the series’ most definitive season yet. But, by and large, Stranger Things 4 gets a lot more right than wrong, delivering a highly satisfying season full of thrills, spills, and some very gory kills. Set six months after The Battle of Starcourt Mall, i.e. the season 3 finale, Stranger Things 4 finds our heroes truly separated for the first time. The Byers family – with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in tow – have relocated to California. Meanwhile, the rest of the Hawkins gang remains in the fictional Indiana-based town; the youngest members of the group enroll in Hawkins High School. Detective Jim Hopper (David Harbour), presumed dead following the climactic events at Starcourt Mall, finds himself alone and imprisoned somewhere in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Despite being thousands of miles apart, each group struggles to deal with the fallout of their traumatic showdown with The Mind Flayer. Throw in the complexities of trying to fit in at high school, forced labor in freezing Siberian conditions, and the death of their loved ones, and season 4 is laced with hardships for our heroes. It just so happens that, with the group divided and at their most vulnerable, a new and terrifying supernatural threat emerges from the Upside Down with ambitions of conquering the world on the fourth try. As the authorities struggle to get to grips with the terrifying events that unfold, it’s up to Eleven and company to reunite, solve another mystery – this time involving the infamous Creel House – and try to destroy the Upside Down once and for all. With season 3 released in July 2019, and the slightly convoluted nature of the plot synopsis above, there may be some trepidation among viewers about how they’ll fully re-immerse themselves in Stranger Things’ world. Pleasingly, the show’s fourth season does a stellar job of getting us up to speed on its major players (and what they’ve been up to) in the gap between seasons 3 and 4. Episode one provides some well-executed exposition that reacquaints audiences with each character, dispensing with any unnecessary plot minutiae to allow season 4 to get to the good stuff – namely, its foreboding and mysterious storylines, character development, and thrilling action – sooner than you think. It’s a welcome creative decision on the Duffer brothers’ part and one that makes for a seamless transition back into the franchise after its Covid-induced hiatus. Satisfying as this reintroduction is, it takes some time for the show’s multi-narrative format to really hit its stride.
