One Show, Two Takes: Stranger Things

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It’s only fair I start with a confession: I love Stranger Things. I’ve been a fan since the series kicked off in 2016, well, except maybe of season two, famously billed as a hot mess.

For this new turn, set eight months after the traumatic events of the previous season, Eleven and the rest of the Hawkins gang find themselves separated geographically and trying to move on with life. That is until a new, frightening adventure begins (cue decade-appropriate synth sounds).

Two of the big drawcards of the Stranger Things realm are its shameless nostalgia and pop culture references. Season four is no different. Set in 1986, it’s an ode to synth music, hairspray, roller-disco and teen angst. It is also littered with cultural nods to filmic masterpieces of the decade, including buddy adventures The Goonies and Stand by Me. But as the young heroes of the show have grown up, so has the series, and this season is modelled on spooky classics like Nightmare on Elm Street and IT. It’s macabrely marvellous. 

Another plus for the nostalgia junkies is the killer soundtrack, featuring California Dreamin’ by The Mamas & The Papas, Fever by The Cramps and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Up Around the Bend. Undoubtedly, the hit of it all is Kate Bush’s 1985 classic Running Up That Hill. 

Season four is packed with twists, turns and reveals but the plot gets thick and complicated quickly, so you need to have watched previous seasons before delving into this one.

The nine episodes offer a brilliant ensemble cast but this is also its first hurdle. Every season, the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, have added another character and here we are introduced to a plethora of new faces. A delectable smorgasbord of curious characters adds variety but it also means there just isn’t time for well-rounded development.

And if there’s one thing Stranger Things can teach us, it’s adults are largely ineffectual. No thanks to the bumbling cops and useless parents, the fate of the world is once again in the hands of a ragtag bunch of teenagers. The only grownups who bring anything to the party are Jim Hopper (spoiler, yes, he is back), conspiracy nut Murray and Joyce Byers. The latter is, of course, played by the queen of the dark 1980s teen movie Winona Ryder.

Despite a few shortcomings, this season nails it with crazy action, cool characters, and a killer finale. It has also received 13 Emmy nominations but I feel the brilliant young actors have been snubbed, especially Caleb McLaughlin, Joseph Quinn and Sadie Sink.

If you are looking for some escapist fun, Stranger Things season four delivers it in spades. So much so, I’m here waiting excitedly for season five with my teased hair, shoulder pads and parachute pants. 

— Jo Buitendach

The first few minutes of season one, episode  one serve up déjà vu vibes. It feels like watching an 1980s movie about a bunch of intelligent kids with problems much bigger than themselves. The series takes a while to kick off — it’s confusing. But should you make it to episode three, you’re hooked. 

Based in 1983, in Indiana in the US, Stranger Things begins with 12-year-old friends Will, Mike, Dustin and Lucas playing Dungeons and Dragons. Soon after, Will disappears and the search for him — and answers — begins. The mystery thickens as friends and family get drawn into a complex web of top-secret government experiments, paranormal forces and the sudden appearance of a girl with supernatural powers. 

The series has some fascinatingly creepy moments, with threads that are a combination of fantasy and sci-fi. 

The cast is breathtaking. Millie Bobby Brown is one of the best casts in her role as psychokinetic Eleven, who is both vulnerable and potentially dangerous. A series with kids as the main characters might sound a little childish for the typical adult but Stranger Things is worth every moment. Seeing the relationships between the characters grow is part of what makes the series. 

Following an excellent seasons one, two and three, season four feels confusing and overwhelming. 

If you’re avoiding season four spoilers, stop reading now. 

The several subplots make it hard to follow the story. In this season, Eleven, Will, Joyce and Jonathan move to California for a fresh start. Without her psychokinetic powers, we see Eleven struggling to adjust to her “weaker” self as she is bullied at school. 

While the kids adjust to a new school, their hometown, Hawkins, is terrorised by Vecna, an entity from the Upside Down (a different dimension). Eleven is again pulled into the mix. This is where the season comes together well. The storyline comes to life, and you’re reassured the writers have not run out of ideas. 

The last two episodes show how the multiple narratives come together in one last fight. You might wonder why it couldn’t be a straight-up fight between Vecna and Eleven. Why did it have to include several humans? While not everyone is involved in the physical fight against Vecna, it’s clear that everyone stands united. 

Vecna overpowers Eleven and brings her to the Upside Down. Eleven is fuelled to fight back and defeats Vecna — or does she? Vecna might have lost the fight but scores one significant victory. Is Vecna really gone? Season five will have the answers. — Dimpho Masopha