Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 Review
LET'S REVIEW THE AWAITED FINAL TWO EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS SEASON 4.
Stranger Things continues to keep trending all over the world on social media. Now that the second volume of the fourth season is out, there are several aspects to review. Warning for season four spoilers ahead.
Performances
Even though Vecna/One (Jamie Campbell Bower) is meant to be the main antagonist, he is the most complex character in the whole show. The first volume presents Vecna’s strong hate towards humankind and their made-up society and environment. The second volume got to show viewers that by Vecna using his powers to his full advantage, he can eventually merge Hawkins and the Upside Down into one world.
Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) continues to keep the viewers at the edge of their seats through her dramatic and heartbreaking facial expressions. El had to relive her worst nightmare by digging into her memories — in the worst way possible — to figure out that Vecna is the true assailant of mastering the Upside Down and bringing his non-human entities into Hawkins. Then she escapes from the headquarters of Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine) one last time with the help of Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), and Argyle (Eduardo Franco). But before leaving, she says her final goodbye to Dr. Brenner after enduring many years of abuse and trauma at his hands.
Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) is an instant fan favorite, especially when all odds were against him. He got to play a rocking tribute of Master of Puppets by Metallica for Chrissy Cunningham (Grace Van Dien) in the Upside Down to stall for his friends in Hawkins as they approached with their best attempts at stopping Vecna. Unfortunately, he went from a running fugitive to a hero and dying victim of Vecna's demobats. Eddie will forever be in the hearts of his fanbase!
Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin brought a lot of character development and physicality for Max Mayfield and Lucas Sinclair this season. Thanks to the utter insanity and stupidity of Jason Carver (Mason Dye) — who destroyed Max's cassette player while fighting Lucas — she officially became Vecna's fourth and final victim to carry out his plan. It was already bad enough that Max struggled to grieve Billy's (Dacre Montgomery) death in season three. She wakes up blind from her trance in Lucas's arms as he cries for help. No other amount of physical, emotional, and mental agony could have topped what Max and Lucas had to go through.
Will Byers got less screen time once again. However, he still brought raw emotion with minor dialogue. He has romantic feelings for Mike, but the show continues to dance around it.
The rest of the ensemble cast helped pull everything from the four separate plot points to one grand plot point. Despite the best efforts of the Hawkins teenagers to kill Vecna, they ultimately lost the battle.
Fashion
The fashion statements speak for themselves! Most of the characters wore outfits to match either the bright or old-fashioned aesthetic of the 80s. Except for solid-colored outfits worn by One, Dr. Brenner, and Jim Hopper (David Harbour).
Music
Stranger Things adds some memorable 80s music favorites. Such as Master of Puppets by Metallica, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)by Kate Bush, and Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey. According to Pitchfork, Bush’s Running Up That Hilland Metallica’s Master of Puppets shot to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Pop culture can never go wrong with the classics!
Final Thoughts
The cliffhanger of the season four finale sets up unanswered questions for the fifth season. Meanwhile, Hawkins is undergoing safety precautions from a supposed earthquake, Vecna is injured, Max is on life support, and the gang is finally back together. In conclusion, season four is the best season by far. However, the only issue is the underwhelming feeling from the hype around potential character deaths. Now it’s up to the fifth season to determine who will die next. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things will come out in 2024!