I’ve loved Stranger Things from the beginning. I always thought it was cute, but also had a great layer of mystery and horror that made it work well with the Dungeons and Dragons references and Sci-Fi elements. Really, it’s the entire combination that makes it a hit. It wouldn’t work without that balance, as we have seen in some seasons since. While there were times it seemed like they might have lost what made Stranger Things compelling, I think this season they might have found it. We are only getting the first 5 episodes on May 27th. The other half of the Season 4 will drop in July. So far, the first half reminds us why we love Stranger things.
This season we see all of our favorite characters again, trying to move on with their lives and find some normalcy. Whether it’s Eleven trying to be comfortable as plain Jane or Lucas trying to fit in with the jocks, there is plenty of “square hole, round peg” to go around. The only question is will it work and how does their past come back to bite them in the ass. We all know it will. The cinematography and direction are the same as in previous seasons. But it definitely feels more like the first season than seasons 2 and 3. The frames and placement reminded me of how things started, which I’m sure is by design. In the first half of the season, the characters are in separate places as they face off against a new threat or the same threat that has been there all along. It seems that there has been one big threat from the beginning and now these characters have to face it. Probably the most important part of season 4 is seeing what happened to Jim Hopper. As you have seen on the trailer, he is in a Russian prison, and the first half will focus on how he gets home. Probably the best part of the first half was Joyce and Murry working together to get hopper home. Winona Ryder is fantastic as always…Joyce and Murry should have a spinoff show!
The acting is the same as always, though the situations are new. There are some moments that I didn’t think it was good, but sometimes you have to remind yourself they are playing kids and all the actors are young. The first half of the season does move a little slow as it build up the finale. However, The color palette and mood manipulation are a little darker and more neutral, again bringing it back to the beginning season. Of course, it went well with the show and even accentuated memories and flashbacks. Overall, I would say that the first half of the season is great. I think so far, it’s definitely worth checking out. Even if you didn’t like other seasons, this might help get them back on the track they were on before. There are a lot of questions answered and some new ones that arise. We could tell you more, but no spoilers, you will just have to watch! Stranger Things makes for a great adventure and It’s one I am ready for including how it all wraps up in the final four episodes. So far, I give it an eight, but only because we don’t do “halvesies” and I’m not sure if it feels like a nine to me.
