‘You might call them brave, but there’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity…’
I will begin by stating that no matter how high the quality of the TV show, a four year plus gap between seasons is absolutely absurd. I thoroughly enjoyed season four of Stranger Things, but it is impossibly to maintain any kind of anticipation on a four year timeline. If Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files can knock out 22 episodes a year for a decade, this lot can move things on a bit. Anyway, let’s get into it…
Despite the fact that all the actors have seemingly aged by a decade, not much has changed in Hawkins at the start of this last season. Max is still in a coma. El is still in hiding. Steve Harrington is still by far the most compelling character. And Vecna, the cheeky little scamp, is licking his wounds somewhere in the upside down. The inciting incident here is the taking of Holly Wheeler. That genuinely shocking moment at the end of episode two proves to be the catalyst for everything that comes after. Perhaps the most exciting addition here, however, is master director Frank Darabont who comes on board for episodes three and five, and sure enough, delivers the goods. It’s also satisfying to see Linda Hamilton back on our screens as the unscrupulous successor to Matthew Modine’s Dr Brenner.
Despite the nagging feeling that this is dragging on a little now, the show’s pivot into full blown cosmic horror continues to be a delight, with Vecna and his army of Demogorgons tearing through Hawkins at regular intervals. Less enjoyable is the fact that, as with Game of Thrones, some of these competent child actors have grown up to be distinctly average adult actors (*cough* Millie Bobby Brown *cough*). Luckily, that is where the comparisons to Game of Thrones end. Rather than finishing with a whimper as that show absolutely did, Stranger Things appears to be building to something very special indeed. Whether it can stick the landing remains to be seen, but the big reveal at the end of episode five is genuinely stirring and exciting. Roll on Christmas Day.
