Season 4. Episode 4.
Dear Billy is an episode of conclusions. This is an odd thing to write about a season that is only four episodes old, but it is also true. The Hopper escape arc comes to a brutal end as the friendly Russian guard Dmitri is sold out by the not-so-friendly Russian lunatic Yuri leading to the Hopper’s last stand, the capture of Joyce and Murray and presumably the execution of Dmitiri. Bad times in the motherland.
Another thread that is finally resolved is the curious case of Victor Creel. As previously stated, the teasing of this character has been masterful and his final reveal does not disappoint. The homage to Silence of the Lambs that sees Robyn and Nancy’s slow walk to the final cell is chilling, if a little too on the nose – I half expected Multiple Miggs to appear from the shadows armed with an unspeakable substance. As expected, Robert Englund is wonderful as Creel, and it’s genuinely heart-warming to see the horror legend appear in such a successful show – especially as he’s almost certainly already made his final appearance on Elm Street.
Finally, the fate of Max appears to have been concluded also. The revelation that the power of music can bring someone back from the upside down is potentially a crucial one. And that particular scene was absolutely classic Stranger Things. Beautifully rendered, imaginatively shot and packed full of tension, Max’s survival is up there with the fake death of Will Byers in season one and the fake death of Hopper in season three as the show’s most emotionally affecting moments. Imagine how it will feel when a main character actually does die (with respect to Bob and Barbara).