Stranger Things Season Four, Volume Two (Spoiler-Filled) Review

Well, I think we can all agree that there was absolutely no reason either of those episodes of Stranger Things: Season Four, Volume Two needed to be that long. I counted at least three places in episode nine where the episode could have ended and been split into two or even three episodes. And sure, complaining about the run times of this season of Stranger Things has become the popular thing to do for critics (and some viewers), but it gets to the heart of the major issue with the season as a whole: Bloated run times end up hurting the flow of the show’s best story arcs.

When you pad an episode of TV with unnecessary filler (be it spending far too much time in the USSR story, a bit too much time wandering in the western deserts in a pizza van, or a touch too long revving Eleven up for her big showdown), you pull the audience focus away from the central narrative that is driving the story. Did we need to spend any time with Hopper in the USSR? Ultimately, nope. Nothing that happened within that side of the story impacted the main action in Hawkins (yes, killing the demodogs/Demogorgon was fun, but it didn’t really matter in the big battle save for distracting Vecna for a brief moment – and that could have been achieved in a number of ways without that entire arc). And the trip in the pizza van ultimately mattered in that it got El into position, but we spent heaps of time in that arc when we could have simply cut things shorter and gotten to the point faster. Once again, in these final two episodes, the series only churned at a brisk pace when things were happening in Hawkins. Thankfully, the gang’s all back where they belong (minus a couple of key members), so hopefully the final season allows the show to get back to its roots in a real way.

But now that my complaining is done, onto the things that worked incredibly well in these final two episodes. First and foremost, it’s always key for the heroes to have a gut-punch of a loss as they head into a story’s final chapter. Think Empire Strikes Back: Max is down – and possibly out – and the crew wasn’t able to seal up the Upside Down for the first time in the series’ three seasons. Much like Luke and Leia, forlornly standing out the window of their ship after the loss of Han, ending on a tableau of Eleven striding into the death and destruction of the encroaching Upside Down while her staunchest allies stand behind her is a powerful image to button up the season on. While it would have been a stronger ending if the series had actually had the guts to formally kill Max (and I say this as someone whose favorite characters in season four were Max and Eddie – both Sadie Sink and Joseph Quinn were easily the season’s MVPs), leaving her to perhaps be a sort of guide for El in the Upside Down – or on some other plane of existence – could work depending on what the Duffers try to do in the final season. And, considering Sink has a bustling career outside of the series, I wasn’t shocked to see her placed in reserve for the final episodes, especially after allowing her a truly excellent showcase this season.

Another brilliant move – and one that was hindered a bit by the sprawling story – was the intense focus on the Max and Eleven friendship in the final hour or so of the season. One of the highlights of season three was the series allowing the two girls within a squad of boys to find a deep friendship with each other. It was disappointing to see El so isolated out in California, and while Max still had her core friends, she too was far too isolated in Hawkins (which, yes, was essential for the Vecna of it all, but still, it would have been nice for her to have her friend around, even if she didn’t confide in her completely). Having the duo unite in the end, and for Eleven’s driving desire being to save her friend, well, it just worked so well. Having Eleven make the choice to try and save her life was also an interesting decision on the part of the writers – I’ve complained a lot that the show’s central characters are buried under so much plot armor that it takes away a lot of the stakes within the series (at least until next year, which as the final season means all bets are finally off), and this season was ultimately no different. Yes, Eddie sacrificed himself, but as with Bob and Alexei, the series loves to kill off their charismatic and quickly beloved new characters after only a season. Killing Max and then bringing her back but without her mind in place is a new one for the series, and something that sets up a complex conundrum for Eleven. She saved her friend, but her friend is now just a body without a consciousness. What kind of guilt comes with that? Is there a way to truly bring her back? Does killing Vecna save her? Is she still trapped in the Upside Down? As I mentioned above, the series understands the talent it has in Sadie Sink, so I suspect they will do everything they can to get her back in some way for the final season. But the Max situation might just be more intriguing than the impending battle for Hawkins (which, let’s face it, is something we know the gang will ultimately win – we just don’t know who makes it out alive).

And that brings me to the last point I wanted to raise: What this all means moving forward. When it comes to epic sci-fi showdowns, everyone knows that the good guys almost always come away victorious but bruised and battered. So, one assumes much of the same will be the case here. Things are growing pretty dire in Hawkins – the Upside Down is encroaching on more and more land as time goes on, which means the final battle should start up relatively quickly (although, knowing the Duffers, we’ll probably spend six hours in rising action and then another six in the battle, over the course of a mere six episodes). We have a number of dangling plot points that will have to be addressed – especially if the series wants to fully up the stakes for the deaths that will be coming our way in this last fight between the children of Papa, the deranged scientist.

Now, I could watch Robin and Steve or Steve and Dustin banter for a solid hour. I love the commitment of the series to exploring Will’s emerging realization that he might not be like other guys his age (whether that leads to him coming out or not, who knows, but the groundwork was laid in a great way this season for that – or for opting not to make it the main text of the story), they just better not have him sacrifice himself in the end, because boy, that would be a poor choice on a number of levels. But most importantly, I am hoping for a streamlined season that understands the story it needs to tell and tells it in a narratively successful way. That means no massive run times (just pay the kids for more episodes if you’re convinced you need them). It means focusing on the characters and allowing them to fully drive the plot (again, no random diversions to the USSR for relatively pointless long arcs that could have been handled in a single episode). And it means knowing how to effectively use the skills of your cast to get the story where it needs to be (some of the cast is decidedly stronger than others – lean on the right ones and don’t be afraid to kill off characters, even if it will hurt the fanbase). I suspect the final season will be a mixed bag – Stranger Things, frankly, always is – but the show is finally in a place where it can knock it out of the park for one final go-round.