Stranger Things Season 4

Volume I

The highly anticipated Volume 2 was released today, July 1st! For those who have yet to watch the last two episodes of Season 4 like us, here's a recap of some features, themes, and a list of questions we hope will be answered in Volume 2. 

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Disclaimer

For those who wonder why we would write about this popular Netflix series, simply put, we find the overall storytelling compelling. However, we will admit that this season of the acclaimed sci-fi/horror/drama series has gotten a bit darker than seasons prior. Hence it is always wise to consider your level of personal conviction regarding the media or entertainment you consume. We'd be the first to acknowledge that evil and darkness exist—what Paul would call authorities and principalities in this world (Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:13-15). 

It's not a simple black and white or conservative vs. liberal issue—there is a continuum of stances one could take, leading to an unhelpful comparison between ourselves and others. Suppose we do get caught up in contrast. In that case, we could fail to acknowledge that some are either more or less fundamental, conservative, evangelical, or missional in relation to our stance on various issues. Not all fundamentalists are evangelical. Not all conservatives are missional. Not all who are missional are evangelical. On and on we go. We could continue playing the pharisaical shame game of legalities or "virtuously" dress up for the public in some I'm-holy-but-no-different-from-the-world masquerade. 

As a communicator of the Gospel, I believe there is something to learn and further develop regarding my understanding of the intersection of culture and faith. I can recognize good storytelling, understand the common grace in its cultural commentary, and apply it to the art of contextualizing the Gospel. Moreover, the stories that circulate in our society always have components of the biblical meta-narrative. Stories of identity, brokenness, redemption and functional utopias litter our streaming services, TV programming, books, and other forms of media. There's a choice to be made between thoughtfully and carefully engaging with the world or retreating from it out of fear or in some ascetic manner. 

• Guard your heart and be mindful of the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16); glorification of sin, preference for sin, and matters of oppression and influence. Be careful what you consume through your eyes/ears, and take heed that you, yourself, are not consumed by it. Do you find that your attitudes or actions are changing?

• Personal convictions are not universal convictions, but at the same time, be ready and able to give up certain freedoms if it causes you or others to stumble. Where do you draw the line or do you just resolve to toss out all of your devices and disengage from culture/society altogether? 

• Hold one another accountable while realizing we each are a work in progress in the world but not of the world—be cautious in how you approach others regarding wide applications of individually held convictions, always aiming to edify one another even in the face of disagreement. 

• Consumption of particular media does not mean a 1:1 ratio of endorsement of all themes present in the content; we have strong convictions and sensitivities that help identify particular agendas and indoctrination present in the content—so much so that we regularly skip through parts/scenes.

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Careful for spoilers if you haven't seen the first volume of Season 4! 

Summary of Volume 1

The Duffer brothers have managed to captivate us once again by taking the story beyond Hawkins' small midwestern city limits and expanding it to a global scale. We weren't sure just how that would work considering the strengths of the confined plot, the exploration of dimensions beyond our own, and the minimalistic landscape of the town itself, a character in its own right and very much growing in its presence in subsequent seasons. The editing has helped add cliff-hanging suspense, giving the pacing a clear culminating effect as we see the rotating storylines converging and coming to a head in the season's climax. 

The growing ensemble of memorable and dynamic characters, each having their own slowly unfolding story arcs, are divided into groups by location: Indiana, California, Alaska, and Russia. Of the various storylines present, such as: the California group's search for Eleven after she was taken by local authorities then quickly abducted and reunited with Dr. Owens, Eleven's reluctant and painful quest to obtain her powers with the help of the still living Dr. Brenner, and Joyce and Murray's rescue mission to break Hopper out of prison in Kamchatka, Russia—we found ourselves most invested in the Hawkins group. The strange and eerie murders, the unlikely investigative duo of Nancy and Robin, the mysterious Creel family, the introduction of the new and likable character, Eddie, the rekindled romantic tensions between Nancy and Steve, and the reopening of multiple portals to The Upside Down. 

The expansion of this highly anticipated penultimate season sees the gripping conflict with creatures of The Upside Down continue in a larger and longer format. The familiar shape of forty-minute run-times has turned into short-form cinematic releases. Pair this with episodes 8 and 9 of Volume 2 clocked at feature film length, and we see how things have evolved in terms of sheer scale.

New Big Bad

Past tussles with demogorgons and the Mind Flayer have produced some memorable and grotesque battle sequences, but this season we've gone into a whole other realm of creepy. Straight out of D&D lore, we see another aptly named villain shrouded in horror and enigma–a creature called "Vecna." When he first appears on the screen and we catch a glimpse of his true form, flickers of early childhood nightmares involving Freddie Kruger flashback. As we learned more about his terrifying abilities, we started to connect the dots, spurred on by possible links to Eleven's powers and traumatic past. 

When Vecna stalks his victims, he seems to channel his telekinetic abilities when suspended in midair tethered to web-like tendrils in the attic of The Upside Down version of the Creel house. He appears to scan parts of Hawkins remotely and enters into people's minds. We find out as the series progresses that each victim had something in common. They each have traumatic moments in their past that they wish to forget. The attack causes headaches, nosebleeds, difficulty sleeping, and haunting visions of their past trauma. They enter a dream state where visions of a grandfather clock coupled with a haunting ding signal their time running out and foreshadow the inevitable end. One of the biggest surprises of the season comes in the form of Vecna's true identity as his tragic and shocking origin story is unveiled... Vecna is number 001/Henry Creel!

Major Theme & Our Favorite Character

Finding strength in a memory from your past—something that made you sad but also angry was a line of advice Henry/Vecna gave Eleven, which served to amplify her powers. What was once a trauma, a hidden wound must be exposed and unearthed. We see this as the major interconnective theme throughout the season: 

• Hopper's confession about his daughter, Sarah, and his realization about his need for Eleven and Joyce while awaiting a battle of certain death with a fearsome demogorgon.

• Nancy's memories of Barb and the consuming guilt she feels are still tucked away under a subsequent course of heroism and redemptive actions. 

• Eleven's journey back to her past to piece together shattered memories of a massacre she thought confirmed that she was indeed a monster. 

• Max's inward retreat after the death of her brother, Billy; her pain hidden while keeping others at bay, only to realize the presence and support she has in her friends while seemingly trapped in Vecna's dreamscape, barely escaping his clutches.

They all have trauma that Vecna can exploit and use for his menacing purposes. Max has got to be our favorite character this season, with a standout performance by Sadie Sink. She explores the pain of loss and the inner angst of how to carry on bearing the heavy weight of not being able to tell the whole truth about what happened at Startcourt Mall. The scene where she reads a letter to Billy at his grave, leading up to the near-death encounter with Vecna, is emotive and enthralling. 

'80s Nods

Season 4 is still chock full of period-related nostalgia from the beloved '80s. We won't go into full easter egg territory in this article but instead invite you to go on your own personal scavenger hunt to find movie posters, reminiscent scenes, and appropriated plotlines from genre classics, Stephen King-isms, and the like littered throughout each episode. What we've always appreciated about the series are the musical choices the showrunners have made, which when compiled, would be a proper Awesome Mix that Star-Lord (aka Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy) would get a kick out of! 

What's your favorite song featured on Stranger Things so far? 

Here are some of our picks:

• "Should I Stay or Should I go?" by The Clash

• "Every Breath You Take" by The Police

• "Material Girl" by Madonna

• "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" by Kate Bush

We personally find Kate Bush's song fascinating, perfectly moody, and intriguing, and we have more to unpack about that song at a later date.

Questions we hope are answered in Volume 2 

In past seasons, Will had always had an interest in art, which usually connected to his experience in The Upside Down or with the Mind Flayer. What was Will painting in his room? And why did he decide to bring it with him on the road trip? 

During the psychic combat scene, we see multiple children of varying ages lined up to take on 002, the reigning winner. How many "children" did Dr. Brenner have in the MK Ultra program? What is the origin of 002-016 telekinetic powers? 

What does 001 or Vecna mean when he says the others exist in his mind (points to temple)? Do they exist in some psychic plane where Eleven will ultimately have to enter to engage in battle and possible rescue mission?

While Eleven is going through flashbacks while in the NINA we see a closed-door marked 008. We also hear Henry Creel speak about 008 not being around anymore. Will Kali, aka 008 show up? Did she use her powers to make herself invisible during the massacre? 

We can't imagine that one of the most beloved longstanding characters in the show will meet a disastrous end, but we wouldn't put it past the showrunners. Think Barb, Bob, Billy, and Alexei, who were all endearing or compelling characters. Following this established pattern, will Steve Harrington be doomed after the damage inflicted by the demobats? 

The element of time looks like a vital motif this season. We see the grandfather clock from the Creel house counting down the days before a victim is taken by Vecna, Eleven working against the clock to regain her abilities, and Nancy opening her diary only to discover that there's nothing written past November 6, 1983. Why is The Upside Down stuck in 1983?

We look forward to seeing if any of these plot points and questions are addressed as we embark on Volume 2!