Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
It’s been nearly three years since viewers last visited Hawkins. The first three seasons ofStrangerThingsintroduced audiences to some pretty intense ideas. Telepathy. Demogorgons. The Upside Down. All of it comes full circle in the final season of the hit Netflix series.Stranger Things 4is split into two volumes. Volume one consists of the first seven episodes, while volume two consists of the final two episodes. This review is for volume one, and based on these first seven episodes, I can’t even begin to imagine what volume two has in store. The Duffer Brothers have delivered a final season that keeps the heart and soul of the series, while taking the story in a frightening new direction.Eleven (Center), Mike Wheeler (Left) and Noah Schnapp (Right) in Stranger Things Season 4.
The children ofStranger Thingsare nearly all grown up. Characters that started this journey as twelve year old’s are now in high school. Their priorities have shifted from riding bikes and playing dungeons and dragons, to things like dating and being popular. It’s a normal transition from child to young adult. But we knownothingis “normal” in Hawkins. Not by a long shot.Stranger Things 4adheres to the motto of “go big, or go home” for their final season. The entire experience feels bigger. More cinematic in every way. With each episode holding a runtime equivalent to a feature length film, the series has the necessary time to tell a compelling story. It never feels rushed, and the conclusion of each episode left me eager to hit play on the next one.
A series likeStranger Thingsis only as good as its villain. Demogorgons and the otherworldly beings of the Upside Down are iconic elements of the show. But by the time you reach a fourth season, fans are going to expectmore.And that can be a difficult task to achieve without jumping the shark and entering the realm of absurd. Enter Vecna. This terrifying new villain will torment the residents of Hawkins in ways that they’ve never seen. Vecna is a visual nightmare. An intelligent, humanoid being with unmatched powers and capabilities. Through the use of mostly practical effects,Stranger Thingsraises the stakes with this powerful new entity, bringing their final season to new heights of terror.
Stranger Things 4is the most mature, and graphic season of the series we’ve seen. And not by a small margin. As the children of the show have aged, so too has their target demographic. Parents and young children be warned, there are someintensemoments. Remember, this season has raised the stakes, and that is almost entirely thanks to Vecna and his unhinged thirst for blood and violence.
Netflix has had their fair share of successes.Squid Gamescomes to mind as a recent example. ButStranger Thingsfeels like their most iconic series. Since its premier in 2016, the world of the Upside Down has drawn viewers in. We’ve connected with the characters. Related to them. Watched them grow up before our very eyes. In that way,Stranger Things 4is bitter sweet. We’re saying goodbye to characters we’ve come to care about. Saying goodbye to a story that we’ve become invested in. Butifit must end, at least it ends on a high note and delivers the best season of the show that fans have ever experienced. 9/10
Follow us for more entertainment coverage onFacebook,Twitter,Instagram, andYouTube.
Joshua Ryan
Lead Film & TV Critics Editor
Articles Published :322
Born and raised in Central Florida, Joshua Ryan has harbored a love for cinema since the earliest years of his childhood. Through endless hours of watching Turner Classic Movies, especially the works of Alfred Hitchcock, his passion for film and film criticism grew. As an adult, he channeled that passion into a career as the editor and lead critic of FandomWire’s film and television department.
More from Joshua Ryan
Americana Review – Heart, Humor, Bloodshed, and Grit
Peacemaker Season 2 Review – A Wild Ride of Violence and Vulnerability
Night Always Comes Review – A Thrilling Descent into Darkness
Recommended
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Cast Revealed - From Returning Icons to New Faces
The Indiana Jones Effect: 6 Anime MCs That Barely Mattered In Their Own Story
Meet Suzie Yeung: The English Voice Behind Hinako in Silent Hill f
Will There Be a ‘Peacemaker’ Season 3? James Gunn Gives a Hopeful 1-Word Response
Love Is Blind UK Season 2: Who Are the Engaged Couples? Possible Breakups Explored
World of Tanks 2.0, Explained: Will It Be a Free Update for Players?
Netflixstranger things 4streaming
