SERIES REVIEW – With Vecna’s identity revealed at the end of the “first half” of season four, “El” (Millie Bobby Brown) prepares to take her newfound powers to the limit as Mike (Finn Wolfhard), and Will (Noah Schnapp) continue their search. The rest of the gang is on the warpath as well, and they devise a plan to get back to the Above and rescue Hawkins.

In the first part of the mega “double-length” Volume 2 of Stranger Things Season 4, around 15 minutes into Chapter 8, we finally find out what Will has painted on the canvas he’s been carrying around. It’s also a reminder that what’s been missing from this new season – however action-packed, creepy and epic in tone – is the heart. Now that has changed in these two epic-length sequels…

Season four was the best

What’s for sure is that the fourth season of Stranger Things has been bigger and better than anything the series has done before. It was clearly made with more money, a more extensive cast and a surer sense of why all the monsters, heroes and losers are there. The conclusion to the double episode – which Netflix held back for a month to allow the hype to build – is even more extensive. It’s insanely, luxuriously sprawling, nearly four hours long, and does everything fans have come to expect – and then some. But even if it hasn’t completely overstretched itself, it does make you wonder where Stranger Things can go next.

But where were we? Well, still in Hawkins, Indiana, in 1986, waiting for a band of brave teenagers to launch a final assault on Vecna, the demon who roams the eerie, dark dimension beneath the city. The psychic superheroine Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has unlocked memories of her childhood in a secure facility for children with unique abilities. It turns out she opened the interdimensional portal while confronting One, a murderous fellow inmate, turning her into the vengeful Vecna. Meanwhile, a group of sympathetic adults are trapped in a grim Soviet prison where they must contend with a creature left over from the previous season.

Time for character development at last

With its first seven episodes, Stranger Things has returned to form in a big way – but with a brand new villain to introduce, a host of recent locations to create and a whole host of plot points to carry over, there was barely a second to stop, soak it all in and see some actual character development. The sequel now amply compensates for this, using every minute of the incredibly long episodes to surround all the scenes before the Vecna clash with a tremendous amount of emotion, connection and genuine heart. While the 150-minute finale running time (which is still the length of a standalone film these days) is undoubtedly self-serving on paper, it is distinctly earned on screen.

The threads that seemed so scattered in the first seven episodes come together nicely – especially in the final episode, where some masterful editing allows the viewer to keep up with each group and follow how their actions interact. Only Hopper’s (David Harbour) and Joyce’s (Winona Ryder) Soviet adventures remain a little forced, although they are undoubtedly entertaining.

Character development

While the 150-minute finale’s running time is undeniably self-serving on paper, it definitely earns it on screen. Somehow, despite the plethora of characters to tackle, everyone gets a standout moment: Will and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) restoring their brotherly relationship beautifully; Mike (Finn Wolfhard) realising how much El (Millie Bobby Brown) needs him, no matter how strong he is; Steve (Joe Keery) opening up to Nancy (Natalia Dyer), showing her (and us) a side of him we’ve never seen before; Max (Sadie Sink) tearfully talking about the dark thoughts that have made him so susceptible to the Vecna curse. In fact, there’s very little plot going on in these last two episodes – it’s all about build-up and stakes, which makes it all the more devastating when things don’t go to plan.

But it’s not just the heartfelt scenes that are on point – the action sequences have also been kicked up a gear. The explosive climax of Chapter 8 is one of the best scenes in Stranger Things; the bloody battle between Jason (Mason Dye) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) never lets up; and the gang’s big showdown with Vecna is a spectacular orgy – in terms of effects, style and horror locations. And yes, there’s more ‘Running Up That Hill’ in the final episodes.

A formulaic yet satisfying conclusion

This long-awaited season finale is inevitably formulaic. While there is an inevitably unexpected, Infinity War-like air to the conclusion of things, the journey to get there is not original. However, it brings the season to an incredible closure and brings the characters closer than ever – and with such a good cast, such a large-scale saga and such a richly painted world, it’s more than satisfying.

And what the second part lacks in surprises, it makes up for in heart and soul, thrilling direction and heartbreaking performances. A strong closing chapter makes returning to Hawkins more appealing than ever.

But it doesn’t end there, as Netflix has ordered the fifth and final season. It has been hinted that this will no longer be about a conspiracy known only to a select few nerds but a disaster on a global scale – and the main characters are no longer minors. Although the series has lost its innocence, it may do even better in the future.

-BadSector-