Stranger Things (S4)
Stranger Things, Season Four, is streaming on Netflix at the time of writing.
Television programs are typically reviewed after the first two or three episodes. This report card does not cover the entire season. It may contain MINOR spoilers for the first few episodes.
SCREENPLAY: C-
There’s a lot happening. A war is brewing between the jocks and the D&D squad with Lucas caught in the middle. Max is still reeling from her brother’s death. Eleven, Will and Johnathan are trying to figure out how to survive sunny, 1980’s California. Joyce and Murray are searching for Hopper. And a new (completely random?) demon is carrying on the long tradition of teen slaughter in Hawkins.
It’s too much. There’s not enough time to give any one of the potentially thrilling threads the attention it deserves, despite each episode’s long runtime. The funniest storyline - Murray and Joyce trying to find Hopper - lands the best. Comedy doesn’t always require layers of storytelling to give it any depth. Funny is funny.
ACTING: C+
Most of the crew remains reliable. Sadie Sink sizzles as Max. Caleb McLaughlin lifts Lucas to new, angst-ridden, conflicted heights. Gaten Matarazzo still cracks us up, as do Joe Keery and Maya Hawke.
Brett Gelman is having an absolute blast playing Murray. You can’t stop him; you can only hope to contain him. And newcomer Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson is electric. I am officially filing a complaint with the Duffer Brothers: Why did it take so long to introduce us to this Hawkins legend? It seems like he should have been hanging out around the mall or the arcade for at least a couple seasons already.
Yet for all these fun and impressive performances, the overall acting still feels weak. As I previously said, there’s too much happening. It’s difficult to pinpoint the reason for the lack of acting awesomeness. Is it due to people not bringing the heat? Or is it due to certain people not getting enough time to cook in the kitchen?
CRAFT: B+
The new monster may not look as cool as the others, but it’s still unbelievably well designed. This grade went up even further once I learned that it’s all practical effects. Little to no CGI was used for it. And that fact is sort of amazing.
Keep your eye on the cuts this season. They use the motion of the characters, props, and the camera itself to flow smoothly from one scene to the next. And not just once in a while. The technique’s frequent use keeps the pace popping at a fast and fun clip.
WONDER (Elective Class): F
Season One of this show contained so much wonder. For example: I wonder what this Upside Down thing is? I wonder what happened to Barb? I wonder where Will is? - close enough to light the Xmas lights yet so far away. What is going on in this town?
These questions made me excited for every episode. Everything was so new. This season has very big “Here We Go Again” vibes to it. The creature feels completely random. Two episodes in and I’m already impatient for more scoop. Very little this year has been fun, and fun is a very necessary ingredient in Stranger Things’s recipe.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Everything that’s happening this season feels like eating a pizza before it’s properly cooled. You take a bite. The long line of cheese stretches between your mouth and your hand. You wait impatiently for the thin string to snap. When it finally does, the pizza’s kind of a mess. You’re looking forward to the next bite but not as much as you were before.
Nothing in this season bites cleanly. Nothing leaves you satisfied and excited for the next bite.
But even below average pizza is a good hang. The same can be said for Stranger Things. If the horror was your favorite part of the first three seasons, this season is your jam. If not, you may want to just let this season cool for a while.
*** I want to thank whoever placed the warning at the start of Episode One. After the horrific events that happened at Uvalde, TX this week, it was the correct move. It’s an example of the sort of responsibility we need from the people who create and distribute entertainment. Thank you for choosing a route of compassion and empathy.