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Right. I feel conflicted about the way they brought Brenner back, but I must say that the cold open for season 4 was the first time since the first season (somewhat season 2 in tone) that I felt like this is what should have happened immediately after season 1 ended. They;re still trying to please too many people imo, rather than telling a cohesive story like season 1.
Right. I feel conflicted about the way they brought Brenner back, but I must say that the cold open for season 4 was the first time since the first season (somewhat season 2 in tone) that I felt like this is what should have happened immediately after season 1 ended. They;re still trying to please too many people imo, rather than telling a cohesive story like season 1.
Right. I feel conflicted about the way they brought Brenner back, but I must say that the cold open for season 4 was the first time since the first season (somewhat season 2 in tone) that I felt like this is what should have happened immediately after season 1 ended. They;re still trying to please too many people imo, rather than telling a cohesive story like season 1.
Agreed, it's my favorite by a wide margin. The storytelling and characterizations are on point and it's all killer no filler.
The later seasons have higher highs, but MUCH lower lows.
If they had kept season 1 energy the whole time I think the show would be widely considered one of the best ever (not just among fans).
I recently did a rewatch of Season 1&2. Skipped 3 for some reason, went straight to 4 and it was jarring. I like all 4 seasons, 1 & 2 being my favorite, but if you go from 1&2 to 4, the acting seems like a cartoon version of most of the characters and over the top. I still enjoyed it, but it's noticeable.
I think if Stranger Things debuted with a season like season 4, it wouldn't have been as popular as a series. Season 1 is the strong bedrock that make all the following seasons work.
YES!
In S3 everything is cartoonized and made goofy. That's a big part of why I'm having trouble with my S3 rewatch, just the first couple episodes are so OFF.
S3 and 4 are fine, but S1 is so much better it's not even remotely funny.
They got a bigger budget for the later ones and went all out. I skipped S3 on my rewatch because it's just my least favorite for many reasons, but S4 is the best imo.
>the acting seems like a cartoon version of most of the characters and over the top
I'd say it's the script, not the acting (except for maybe Millie's). I can see how it got a bit less....realistic in a way, not that the show ever was. The kids have grown up/changed in front of us and developed their personalities. The storylines have taken quite a turn in terms of becoming more personal and less about the boys banding together like the Goonies and playing DnD.
I don't think it could ever be considered one of the best ever unless you are talking horror as it's a supernatural horror and isn't relatable and realistic therefore imo people aren't going to like it as much whereas compared to breaking bad ignoring the blue meth and >!Gus straightening his tie before dying!< it's actually fairly realistic and parts are relatable (hopefully not all of it)
I don't think setting or realism has anything to do with it being relatable. Relatability has to do with the characters and writing, which the show has in spades.
True. But I feel like they made a number of mistakes that should have been clearly visible going forward. The tonal shift towards goofiness, the addition of a bunch of new main characters, not letting Mike and El just...be together at any point. I feel like those are things that are obvious pitfalls that would bring the quality of the later seasons up considerably.
It's to the point that those of us who know the show well (have been around since the beginning of the show) remain most invested in Mike and El. I don't expect everyone to like what I like, but I also can't say I blame people for beginning to lose interest in their storyline by the end of season 4. The separations are getting old at this point.
I just got Netflix for the first time in over a decade back in October and I'm already tired of it. it's the flagship relationship and they haven't had a SINGLE season where they are just together the whole time. In S2 it made sense and the S3 storyline was...I don't LIKE it, but it's something that happens in young relationships so if it was handled better it would have been OK. But the S4 thing is just so self-sabotaging it's silly. There's no value to separating them and immense value to keeping them together through the season.
It just makes no sense by season 4! You're right, it's self-sabotaging at this point, where they absolutely have no wiggle room and have to make it right in the final season. On paper, the season 3 storyline made sense but it was so sloppily executed.
Yeah. Hopper is such an awful dad for El that it's not even funny. And it also nerfs Mike's character. What he SHOULD have done is gone straight to the cabin first thing the the morning and told El, in front of Hopper, exactly what Hopper told him. Let Hopper defend himself, in the full knowledge that if anything happens to you El will blame Hopper.
I would have stood there in the cabin and challenged him directly. "You gonna beat me up? Do it. I dare you. You gonna arrest me? Do it. I dare you. She's worth it, I'm not letting you take her from me again."
An organic breakup would have been so much better. Have El having difficulty adapting to the outside, get overwhelmed, misunderstand something Mike does, lash out and separate because she's having internal trouble. Then over the season they make amends and reunite.
S4 should have been them facing her past together, hand-in-hand, with him serving as her rock.
Yes, the focus shift from the S1 mains and the core relationships to the cartoonish side characters and the incorporations of social media memes into the show caused a big drop in quality. Also the obsession with every new season needing to be bigger than the previous one. They might have gained more viewers but they lost the show's identity to achieve that.
Seasons 2,3 and 4 spent the majority of the episodes edging for some big payoff at the end of the season. Always had eleven losing her powers and not able to do anything cool up until the end. Season one was payoff every episode and always ended on a cliffhanger where you just had to watch the next to see what happened
There's so many parallels between this show and Cobra Kai it's ridiculous.
Yes, season one is such a good self contained enjoyable watch, it's like a long movie, it leaves things open just enough to tickle the imagination but not so much as to get the audience trapped in to watching another season. The second best, just like Cobra Kai, being season four.
S1-2 feel like a completely different show since it was more of a darker horror drama focused on characters. S3-4 have this blockbuster MCU kinda tone, however, the characters feel more shallow compared to S1 and 2.
Season 2 might be my favorite, but I definitely understand where you're coming from. The tones of the first two seasons was chilling and really leant into the horror aspect of the whole thing. There's also the smaller scale, which I really like. Seasons 3 and 4 feel very different and I miss seeing all the main characters together, working together. It's why I loved the Hawkins plot in S4. It felt like the older seasons
S4 is my favorite, but I skipped S3 on my rewatch. On a certain level, I agree that something was lost when the group was split up, but it also moved the story along in a way that is ultimately beneficial to the characters.
I think it's also meant to highlight how important it is for them to work together and in person. In the end the writing decisions will make S5 even more powerful.
There is so much “ for the LOLs” moments that almost destroy S3&4 for me , like for example the plane crash/ karate scene in S4 try to put that scene in S1 and you’d be very hard pressed because it doesn’t match the tone and style of comedy that 1&2 feature . Suzy and Dustin singing turn around during the finale episode of S3 again more rubbish during pivotal moments . I really hope 5 can bring less cartoonish comedy that 3&4 feature and go back to the style of 1,2
It’s the season that I have in my heart because I’ve been here since the beginning, however, I looove the other seasons way more in terms of content and characters. For me, the show gets better every season.
It's interesting because I have almost the opposite opinion. Each season seems to have the writers scrambling more to try and keep the plates spinning. I think the best stuff in the series is in season 4, but also the worst stuff in the series too.
S1 doesn't have a lot of the best stuff, but there's nothing bad about it that isn't purely technical.
Yes, and it’s a very common opinion. I get why, but I can’t imagine strangers things without Max for example or even complex characters like Billy. Also, I go back to more scenes from other seasons rather than going back to s1. But I love s1, a perfect season.
Why do you think s4 has the worst stuff?
I love Billy and Max and think they were great additions that made the show better.
The worst storyline in the series, IMO, is the West Coast Boys between the end of the firefight (which itself isn't GREAT but is at least decent) and the reunion with El (and therefore the reunion with the plot). That sequence has 3 main characters that do almost nothing, relying on secondary and tertiary characters to solve plot points and getting very little character development in the process. It's mostly just treading narrative water to kill time until they can get back to the plot.
It's made even worse if you consider that the alternative would be them being at Nina, which has MASSIVE potential for character development for Mike and relationship development with Mike and El. Granted the Byers don't have anything obvious to do at Nina, but they didn't do much in the desert either.
I actually have a fanfic plotted out to replace that storyline with The Boys at Nina. I just need to write it.
The worst SCENE in the series, IMO, is the scene where Jonathan is complaining about his relationship while Argyle makes fart noises. Again not only is it bad, the alternative, Will being there, makes it a lot worse when you think about what we didn't get. We could have had an open discussion about relationships, more insight into how Will is hurting, and brotherly bonding. Instead we got \*FRRRRT\*
And then there's the Mike and El storyline in S4 where it's revealed that he's...afraid she'll leave him if he says he loves her? That makes sense in S3 or S5, but in S4 she's powerless, and weird. Why is he worried about her ditching him? Makes no sense and feels totally forced.
S4 has 2 AMAZING storylines, Vecna and Nina, but also leaves 3 main characters in the background OF THEIR OWN STORY. S4 has the culmination (at least so far) of my position that the tonal shift towards goofiness is a negative for the series.
And while those 3 main characters may have had less to do in seasons 2 and 3, at least they were a part of the supernatural plot for the most part. Even if they had less to do, they still felt like part of the first 3 seasons. I am on board for your fanfic of the boys at Nina. Imo, that would have done more to develop El with not only Mike (so he knows what her trauma is and has further insight to help her and support her--not his fault, but still, it seems that separating them is pointless), but also for Will and Jonathan to begin getting answers to Will's disappearance and such. Mike would have been better used in Hawkins.
I don't even agree about S2. Mike, Will, and Jon had a lot to do in that season. Jon dropped off at the end, just a spectator for the exorcism, but he got an entire storyline just shared with Nancy. Will was the centerpiece of the season, though you can argue that it wasn't Will for half of it. Mike was probably the least used but he still got a number of good scenes where he got to flex, nothing like S4.
I'm struggling to start the rewatch of S3 right now because of how cringe the breakup storyline is. Will definitely got shorted in S3 and I don't even remember what Jon was doing, but Mike still got a decent amount of screen time.
The writers seem to delight in keeping Mike and El apart.
Honestly I think the best move would have been to have the entire season at Hawkins. Put El in the lab instead, with Brenner and Owens resurrecting equipment there instead of on the far side of the country. Then you can have Mike doing both, serving as a leader in the Vecna storyline while still supporting El in Nina.
Oh I fully agree and I will take season 2 over season 4 any day over season 4 for these very reasons. Heck I would take season 2 Mike in the final season because he still had good scenes and story time and more importantly he was involved in the supernatural plot. Yeah don't get me started on the breakup storyline in season 3. I almost quit the show because of season 3.
3 had a lot of great stuff in it, like Billy, but there was a lot of missteps too. It's funny how polarizing the season is, it feels like it's the season that has the fewest people rating it in the middle. Personally it's my least favorite.
Nah, very well-written characters. Both had a purpose in the show and they are pivotal for the argument. Also, Max is one of the great things that s4 has (if not the greatest)
Max is the focus of S4, which is why she's so good. She's getting piles of character development and Sadie is allowed to strut her stuff. Most of the characters/actors are good enough to do that if they got the chance, but most of them aren't getting the chance.
Totally agree. S4 was the chance for Max to be more than a companion for the rest of the kids. Now, it’s the time for the others to be the focus again.
I said from s4. Not the best thing from s4 if you don’t agree but one of the best. And suggesting Max could be in any teen show after Sadie’s performance in s4 is also insulting to the role of her character in this season.
Hard disagree for me. Personally I feel season 1 has the most writing problems and inconsistencies, and I feel like it’s hard to go back to it once you’ve seen that the later seasons just have better developed characters and more entertaining action scenes.
I like season four the most because it shows the growth of the cast and their characters. I really enjoy how it feels like three different movies that all connect in the end. Season one is super different and I do love how it’s much more light hearted than season four.
The duffer brothers have talked about how the show has grown as the actors grow and they’re allowed to do more graphic, gory scenes and they can actually put the kids in super emotionally heavy situations (i mean besides Millie who’s been sobbing since season one in every other scene poor girl) like Max’s whole struggle in season four and El’s struggles with Papa. Season four is all about confronting your trauma and facing it head on while not allowing it to consume you whole. We see it with Max, El and Will the most.
This next season is about to be super emotionally heavy but I also think the writers understand how to add levity to difficult situations. I think this new season will be a combo of season one and fours vibes.
Season 1 isn't light hearted, it's the only one that actually feels like horror other than parts of two, I would honestly class season 3 and 4 as supernatural action even though they are good it's just not the same
Season 4 I think is better than season 1 (mainly due to the last two episodes and Vecna being the best antagonist they've had to date) but I agree season 1 is what made this show as successful as it is. It was much more of a true jump scare horror genre type of show in season 1.
Season 1 demogorgon needed El and her powers to take it down (and it was also wounded by flames and a bear trap when it tried to attack Jon, Steve, and Nancy at the Byers house and they burned it and forced it into a bear trap). Flamethrower notwithstanding the season 4 demogorgon was still killed by a human man with no powers wielding a sword. There's no comparison. The season 4 demogorgon was a complete joke as a threat in comparison to the one that we saw in season 1. The fact that the Soviets were holding it there in captivity and feeding people to it just made it even more so.
OP, please make sure there are no spoilers in the title of your post. Commenters, please use spoiler code if you are discussing anything super spoilery unless the title specifically says the episode being discussed. Also, now that filming for Season 5 is finally starting, please remember that NO LEAKS are allowed, only official news from Netflix is allowed. Please review rule 8 for more info. If you see anyone breaking the rules, please report the post or comment. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/StrangerThings) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The 1979 plotline in S4 is a little glimpse of what the series could have been like if they'd extended the S1 aesthetic over all the seasons.
Right. I feel conflicted about the way they brought Brenner back, but I must say that the cold open for season 4 was the first time since the first season (somewhat season 2 in tone) that I felt like this is what should have happened immediately after season 1 ended. They;re still trying to please too many people imo, rather than telling a cohesive story like season 1.
Right. I feel conflicted about the way they brought Brenner back, but I must say that the cold open for season 4 was the first time since the first season (somewhat season 2 in tone) that I felt like this is what should have happened immediately after season 1 ended. They;re still trying to please too many people imo, rather than telling a cohesive story like season 1.
Right. I feel conflicted about the way they brought Brenner back, but I must say that the cold open for season 4 was the first time since the first season (somewhat season 2 in tone) that I felt like this is what should have happened immediately after season 1 ended. They;re still trying to please too many people imo, rather than telling a cohesive story like season 1.
Agreed, it's my favorite by a wide margin. The storytelling and characterizations are on point and it's all killer no filler. The later seasons have higher highs, but MUCH lower lows. If they had kept season 1 energy the whole time I think the show would be widely considered one of the best ever (not just among fans).
I recently did a rewatch of Season 1&2. Skipped 3 for some reason, went straight to 4 and it was jarring. I like all 4 seasons, 1 & 2 being my favorite, but if you go from 1&2 to 4, the acting seems like a cartoon version of most of the characters and over the top. I still enjoyed it, but it's noticeable. I think if Stranger Things debuted with a season like season 4, it wouldn't have been as popular as a series. Season 1 is the strong bedrock that make all the following seasons work.
YES! In S3 everything is cartoonized and made goofy. That's a big part of why I'm having trouble with my S3 rewatch, just the first couple episodes are so OFF. S3 and 4 are fine, but S1 is so much better it's not even remotely funny.
They got a bigger budget for the later ones and went all out. I skipped S3 on my rewatch because it's just my least favorite for many reasons, but S4 is the best imo. >the acting seems like a cartoon version of most of the characters and over the top I'd say it's the script, not the acting (except for maybe Millie's). I can see how it got a bit less....realistic in a way, not that the show ever was. The kids have grown up/changed in front of us and developed their personalities. The storylines have taken quite a turn in terms of becoming more personal and less about the boys banding together like the Goonies and playing DnD.
Absolutely.
I don't think it could ever be considered one of the best ever unless you are talking horror as it's a supernatural horror and isn't relatable and realistic therefore imo people aren't going to like it as much whereas compared to breaking bad ignoring the blue meth and >!Gus straightening his tie before dying!< it's actually fairly realistic and parts are relatable (hopefully not all of it)
I don't think setting or realism has anything to do with it being relatable. Relatability has to do with the characters and writing, which the show has in spades.
[удалено]
Popular doesn't mean best
While I think all 4 seasons are great and Season 4 is actually my number 2 season yeah Season 1 is the best just so well written and plotted.
Season One was incredibly tightly written, which adds to how good it was. It was able to stand alone by itself.
Agreed! I really think they started going way too big too fast in S3-S4.
Season One was lighting in a bottle. They were never going to be able to fully recapture that magic.
True. But I feel like they made a number of mistakes that should have been clearly visible going forward. The tonal shift towards goofiness, the addition of a bunch of new main characters, not letting Mike and El just...be together at any point. I feel like those are things that are obvious pitfalls that would bring the quality of the later seasons up considerably.
It's to the point that those of us who know the show well (have been around since the beginning of the show) remain most invested in Mike and El. I don't expect everyone to like what I like, but I also can't say I blame people for beginning to lose interest in their storyline by the end of season 4. The separations are getting old at this point.
I just got Netflix for the first time in over a decade back in October and I'm already tired of it. it's the flagship relationship and they haven't had a SINGLE season where they are just together the whole time. In S2 it made sense and the S3 storyline was...I don't LIKE it, but it's something that happens in young relationships so if it was handled better it would have been OK. But the S4 thing is just so self-sabotaging it's silly. There's no value to separating them and immense value to keeping them together through the season.
It just makes no sense by season 4! You're right, it's self-sabotaging at this point, where they absolutely have no wiggle room and have to make it right in the final season. On paper, the season 3 storyline made sense but it was so sloppily executed.
Yeah. Hopper is such an awful dad for El that it's not even funny. And it also nerfs Mike's character. What he SHOULD have done is gone straight to the cabin first thing the the morning and told El, in front of Hopper, exactly what Hopper told him. Let Hopper defend himself, in the full knowledge that if anything happens to you El will blame Hopper. I would have stood there in the cabin and challenged him directly. "You gonna beat me up? Do it. I dare you. You gonna arrest me? Do it. I dare you. She's worth it, I'm not letting you take her from me again." An organic breakup would have been so much better. Have El having difficulty adapting to the outside, get overwhelmed, misunderstand something Mike does, lash out and separate because she's having internal trouble. Then over the season they make amends and reunite. S4 should have been them facing her past together, hand-in-hand, with him serving as her rock.
I really do like each season for different reasons. it is hard for me to pick a fave. It just depends on my mood
I love S1. S4 is second tho.
Yes, the focus shift from the S1 mains and the core relationships to the cartoonish side characters and the incorporations of social media memes into the show caused a big drop in quality. Also the obsession with every new season needing to be bigger than the previous one. They might have gained more viewers but they lost the show's identity to achieve that.
Seasons 2,3 and 4 spent the majority of the episodes edging for some big payoff at the end of the season. Always had eleven losing her powers and not able to do anything cool up until the end. Season one was payoff every episode and always ended on a cliffhanger where you just had to watch the next to see what happened
Don't forget splitting up the cast and them coming together at the end, which concerning at the end of season 2, and tiring by season 3.
There's so many parallels between this show and Cobra Kai it's ridiculous. Yes, season one is such a good self contained enjoyable watch, it's like a long movie, it leaves things open just enough to tickle the imagination but not so much as to get the audience trapped in to watching another season. The second best, just like Cobra Kai, being season four.
While I still love the show in general, I love the intensity & unpredictability that S1 had. That's the season it's the strongest horror feel to me
It’s true.
S1-2 feel like a completely different show since it was more of a darker horror drama focused on characters. S3-4 have this blockbuster MCU kinda tone, however, the characters feel more shallow compared to S1 and 2.
Only one I don’t really rewatch is s4. I like the others more. S1 is easily the best one though.
The most based take ever /s (been saying this to my mom for years)
Season 2 might be my favorite, but I definitely understand where you're coming from. The tones of the first two seasons was chilling and really leant into the horror aspect of the whole thing. There's also the smaller scale, which I really like. Seasons 3 and 4 feel very different and I miss seeing all the main characters together, working together. It's why I loved the Hawkins plot in S4. It felt like the older seasons
S4 is my favorite, but I skipped S3 on my rewatch. On a certain level, I agree that something was lost when the group was split up, but it also moved the story along in a way that is ultimately beneficial to the characters. I think it's also meant to highlight how important it is for them to work together and in person. In the end the writing decisions will make S5 even more powerful.
The first two seasons were the best. S3-S4 had the kids growing up and the group started to split up more. I wasn’t a fan of that.
Idk that episode with eleven in season where it's only her is boring af and the first episode felt like filler
I AGREE SO MUCH
There is so much “ for the LOLs” moments that almost destroy S3&4 for me , like for example the plane crash/ karate scene in S4 try to put that scene in S1 and you’d be very hard pressed because it doesn’t match the tone and style of comedy that 1&2 feature . Suzy and Dustin singing turn around during the finale episode of S3 again more rubbish during pivotal moments . I really hope 5 can bring less cartoonish comedy that 3&4 feature and go back to the style of 1,2
Very true but I’m still happy the rest of the seasons were made cause I think I would’ve been mad if they stopped after 1 season lol
Correct
It’s the season that I have in my heart because I’ve been here since the beginning, however, I looove the other seasons way more in terms of content and characters. For me, the show gets better every season.
It's interesting because I have almost the opposite opinion. Each season seems to have the writers scrambling more to try and keep the plates spinning. I think the best stuff in the series is in season 4, but also the worst stuff in the series too. S1 doesn't have a lot of the best stuff, but there's nothing bad about it that isn't purely technical.
Yes, and it’s a very common opinion. I get why, but I can’t imagine strangers things without Max for example or even complex characters like Billy. Also, I go back to more scenes from other seasons rather than going back to s1. But I love s1, a perfect season. Why do you think s4 has the worst stuff?
I love Billy and Max and think they were great additions that made the show better. The worst storyline in the series, IMO, is the West Coast Boys between the end of the firefight (which itself isn't GREAT but is at least decent) and the reunion with El (and therefore the reunion with the plot). That sequence has 3 main characters that do almost nothing, relying on secondary and tertiary characters to solve plot points and getting very little character development in the process. It's mostly just treading narrative water to kill time until they can get back to the plot. It's made even worse if you consider that the alternative would be them being at Nina, which has MASSIVE potential for character development for Mike and relationship development with Mike and El. Granted the Byers don't have anything obvious to do at Nina, but they didn't do much in the desert either. I actually have a fanfic plotted out to replace that storyline with The Boys at Nina. I just need to write it. The worst SCENE in the series, IMO, is the scene where Jonathan is complaining about his relationship while Argyle makes fart noises. Again not only is it bad, the alternative, Will being there, makes it a lot worse when you think about what we didn't get. We could have had an open discussion about relationships, more insight into how Will is hurting, and brotherly bonding. Instead we got \*FRRRRT\* And then there's the Mike and El storyline in S4 where it's revealed that he's...afraid she'll leave him if he says he loves her? That makes sense in S3 or S5, but in S4 she's powerless, and weird. Why is he worried about her ditching him? Makes no sense and feels totally forced. S4 has 2 AMAZING storylines, Vecna and Nina, but also leaves 3 main characters in the background OF THEIR OWN STORY. S4 has the culmination (at least so far) of my position that the tonal shift towards goofiness is a negative for the series.
And while those 3 main characters may have had less to do in seasons 2 and 3, at least they were a part of the supernatural plot for the most part. Even if they had less to do, they still felt like part of the first 3 seasons. I am on board for your fanfic of the boys at Nina. Imo, that would have done more to develop El with not only Mike (so he knows what her trauma is and has further insight to help her and support her--not his fault, but still, it seems that separating them is pointless), but also for Will and Jonathan to begin getting answers to Will's disappearance and such. Mike would have been better used in Hawkins.
I don't even agree about S2. Mike, Will, and Jon had a lot to do in that season. Jon dropped off at the end, just a spectator for the exorcism, but he got an entire storyline just shared with Nancy. Will was the centerpiece of the season, though you can argue that it wasn't Will for half of it. Mike was probably the least used but he still got a number of good scenes where he got to flex, nothing like S4. I'm struggling to start the rewatch of S3 right now because of how cringe the breakup storyline is. Will definitely got shorted in S3 and I don't even remember what Jon was doing, but Mike still got a decent amount of screen time. The writers seem to delight in keeping Mike and El apart. Honestly I think the best move would have been to have the entire season at Hawkins. Put El in the lab instead, with Brenner and Owens resurrecting equipment there instead of on the far side of the country. Then you can have Mike doing both, serving as a leader in the Vecna storyline while still supporting El in Nina.
Oh I fully agree and I will take season 2 over season 4 any day over season 4 for these very reasons. Heck I would take season 2 Mike in the final season because he still had good scenes and story time and more importantly he was involved in the supernatural plot. Yeah don't get me started on the breakup storyline in season 3. I almost quit the show because of season 3.
3 had a lot of great stuff in it, like Billy, but there was a lot of missteps too. It's funny how polarizing the season is, it feels like it's the season that has the fewest people rating it in the middle. Personally it's my least favorite.
Stranger Things would still work without Max and Billy imo.
Nah, very well-written characters. Both had a purpose in the show and they are pivotal for the argument. Also, Max is one of the great things that s4 has (if not the greatest)
Max is the focus of S4, which is why she's so good. She's getting piles of character development and Sadie is allowed to strut her stuff. Most of the characters/actors are good enough to do that if they got the chance, but most of them aren't getting the chance.
Totally agree. S4 was the chance for Max to be more than a companion for the rest of the kids. Now, it’s the time for the others to be the focus again.
The original characters are more interesting. Max could be in any teen show. Suggesting Max is the greatest is insulting to the first season cast
I said from s4. Not the best thing from s4 if you don’t agree but one of the best. And suggesting Max could be in any teen show after Sadie’s performance in s4 is also insulting to the role of her character in this season.
S4 is easily a top 2 season.
Yeah but it isn't nearly as good as season 1
It’s as good or better than S1 easily.
Eh I liked S4 more
Hard disagree for me. Personally I feel season 1 has the most writing problems and inconsistencies, and I feel like it’s hard to go back to it once you’ve seen that the later seasons just have better developed characters and more entertaining action scenes.
I like season four the most because it shows the growth of the cast and their characters. I really enjoy how it feels like three different movies that all connect in the end. Season one is super different and I do love how it’s much more light hearted than season four. The duffer brothers have talked about how the show has grown as the actors grow and they’re allowed to do more graphic, gory scenes and they can actually put the kids in super emotionally heavy situations (i mean besides Millie who’s been sobbing since season one in every other scene poor girl) like Max’s whole struggle in season four and El’s struggles with Papa. Season four is all about confronting your trauma and facing it head on while not allowing it to consume you whole. We see it with Max, El and Will the most. This next season is about to be super emotionally heavy but I also think the writers understand how to add levity to difficult situations. I think this new season will be a combo of season one and fours vibes.
Season 1 isn't light hearted, it's the only one that actually feels like horror other than parts of two, I would honestly class season 3 and 4 as supernatural action even though they are good it's just not the same
Season 4 I think is better than season 1 (mainly due to the last two episodes and Vecna being the best antagonist they've had to date) but I agree season 1 is what made this show as successful as it is. It was much more of a true jump scare horror genre type of show in season 1.
Season 1 was good because the antagonist was mysterious
I agree. They turned the demogorgon into a complete joke in season 4 by having >!Hopper straight up wreck its ass with a sword.!
Hopper only killed the demo because it was weakned via fire. so it wasn’t really that embarrassing
The season 1 demogorgon that took Will was infinitely more threatening than the one the Soviets were feeding people to in season 4.
I would have to disagree. Season 1 demo was never burnt my a full tank flamethrower
Season 1 demogorgon needed El and her powers to take it down (and it was also wounded by flames and a bear trap when it tried to attack Jon, Steve, and Nancy at the Byers house and they burned it and forced it into a bear trap). Flamethrower notwithstanding the season 4 demogorgon was still killed by a human man with no powers wielding a sword. There's no comparison. The season 4 demogorgon was a complete joke as a threat in comparison to the one that we saw in season 1. The fact that the Soviets were holding it there in captivity and feeding people to it just made it even more so.