Stranger Things 4 Vol. 1 (Spoiler-Free Review)

Netflix takes us back to the Upside Down as our favorite teens are met with yet another monster that does not only threaten the residents of Hawkins but the human race itself. Stranger Things finally returns with its anticipated 4th season but this time in 2 volumes with episodes 1 through 7 are streaming now while 8 and 9 are left for July 1st, to amp up anticipation. Audiences may wonder why it was decided to split the episodes and it is most definitely because of their runtimes. Each episode runs for more than an hour. The shortest one happens to an hour and 3 minutes and it has been announced that the season finale, which is, unfortunately, a month from now, will run for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Essentially, this season slogs more like a 6-part movie. 

The reason why these episodes are so long is because of the amount of narrative that is being portrayed this season. With four separate storylines coinciding with one another, it only makes sense for these episodes to be the behemoths they are and luckily, it is all for good reason leading to big payoffs. Due to many storylines also come different locations ergo, the ensemble are not all together this season. Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Max (Sadie Sink), Steve (Joe Keery), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), and Robin (Maya Hawke) are dealing with yet another gruesome mystery in Hawkins; Mike (Finn Wolfhard) wants to spend Spring Break with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Will (Noah Schnapp), and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) since the Byers moved there due to the events of Season 3 but Eleven leads her own story midway as the other three attempt to get her back; while Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Murray (Brett Gelman) go on a bumpy adventure to save Hopper (David Harbour) who was kidnapped and taken to Russia.  

It is easy to consider this season or at least this first volume, as the Game of Thrones or Infinity War-like season. Like the aforementioned fan-dedicated franchises, their particular storylines take place within different locations amongst different characters which will ultimately lead to them eventually meeting up for the climax. And as promised that the next will be the final season, season 4 definitely feels like the penultimate journey that should ready viewers for the end. Living up to its penultimate status, this new season happens to be scarier and provides more shock value than previous seasons. As the cast they grow older, the themes presented get more mature and uncomfortable. With that, each episode happens to also redefine the rules of binging, breaking the mold for streaming platforms as it exceeds the scale for long-winded quality storylines to how much money studios could spend for sets and VFX for successful properties. 

Despite the episodes being longer than life itself, they are fast-paced, and dramatic, and leave viewers wanting more as each episode ends which is no surprise there considering  Stranger Thing's ability-to-binge reputation. There are no filler episodes and no storylines worth skipping. Each storyline (except the one centering around Hawkins) has its moments where it takes a little too long to get where it needs to be but each storyline takes turns being exciting, insightful, or making space for character development. Unlike season 3 which spends most of its time being a loud summer blockbuster, viewers will finally have answers to the questions we have been aching for since we were introduced to the show. It's surprising how much will be revealed despite the season barely being over let alone the show as a whole.

It is clear that in this season that the Duffer Brothers and the rest of the writers had it all planned since the beginning and they have been working towards an endgame all this time which is something a lot of franchises, let alone long-running TV shows, always lacked or struggled with. However, it might be disappointing for some fans who found a particular forgotten episode to be left forgotten. They do reference it but it just doesn't feel canon anymore. Moreover, many may not realize the jarring plothole left behind that should mess with the fan's perspective of the timeline that I hope is explained at least by volume 2. 

The cast is just as talented as always even if most of them are going through a lot emotionally or mentally tenfold compared to previous seasons but like most TV shows, The Duffer Brothers are still finding ways to focus on characters or pairs that we haven't seen but with how large this season is,  this takes a toll on some of the other characters, who are left stagnant to where we last saw them. 

A perfect example would be Joyce Byers who is the only parent of the four boys who knows about what has been at the center of it what's been going on making her play the role of the hysterical mother for two seasons. Unfortunately, her best arc is in season 3 where she had to be Hopper's voice of reason. Joyce's only character trait is apparently to motivate (scream at other adult characters) to save another character who happens to be important to her. Joyce needs to be a better player in the game than just a grief-stricken woman. Get her fighting a Demogorgon or something. 

Another example would be Steve Harrington. He was merely just the jealous boyfriend in season 1 but grew to be a good friend to Dustin, accepted Robin for who she is, and became a vital member of the ensemble. His character seems very much lost this season as he is not in college, he is still making sure the kids don't get into more trouble but fails to do so because nobody ever listens to him, and annoying as it is, he is still obsessed with finding love in the midst of trying to get over Nancy, something we have seen him struggle with since season 2. 

In both the Hawkins and California storylines, you find that the new characters introduced are the real highlight performances with Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson and Eduardo Franco as Argyle respectively. They steal the show and overpower our favorite alums who just bring about similar amounts of drama and tension we expect from them with every season. However, amongst the main cast, Sadie Sink proves herself, this time around, the breakthrough star in the ensemble and this is especially seen in episode 4. Millie Bobby Brown's portrayal of Eleven continues to be the anchor of the narrative not only due to her talent but also her intriguing story progression. It has never been worth debating whether this show mostly revolved around on Eleven and her mysterious past. This season in particular proves how vital she is and there is no point avoiding it no matter how hard you try.  

The first few episodes are known to be the introductory chapters with every season but this season takes a different route the with its first and second episodes as it not only starts by revisiting our favorite characters but also by readying viewers for the number of jump-scares and gore that awaits in the episodes after that. Without giving much away, when viewers will likely be terrified anytime Vecna is onscreen, marking him as the best antagonist of the show thus far. 

The episodes should really look forward to are episodes 4 and 7. 'Dear Billy' is the episode where SHIT GETS REAL. Not only do we see the best arc ever taken up by Max but also provides one step closer to the mysteries that we have been boiling over for the last 6 years. 'The Massacre at Hawkins Lab' is the game-changer, being the longest episode in volume 1 that also gets viewers amp for the final 2 episodes as revelations and twists are made to get you on the edge of your seat. The similarity of these two episodes is that they both thread their plotlines directly from memorable past episodes and possibly forgotten subplots. It is seen throughout this volume of episodes but primarily in 4 and 7. 

The only problems I think viewers will have with this new season are the runtimes and the wait between volumes 1 and 2. Many people may start comparing split of into volumes to when they started splitting the final books of a series like Twilight or Hunger Games into two parts when it was unnecessary. To those who haven't had the time to catch the new season just yet, you could consider trying to fill up the anticipation by watching two episodes per night or per week before the two-episode finale on July 1st. Then again, to do that you would have to go above and beyond to avoid spoilers. Or you could just spend one of these days or the next weekend binging it all and suffer like the rest of us. 

In a nutshell, Stranger Things 4 is a solid season that should be consumed gradually instead of all at once, even if it was the easier and more doable choice with the previous seasons. Netflix could have released the episodes on a weekly basis 1) to avoid the spoilers 2) for a better experience amongst viewers anticipating the next episode every week and 3) as a way to save the streaming service after the recent subscription and share issues.