By Dominique Tassell
*This contains spoilers for the new season of Stranger Things.
The final two episodes of Stranger Things season four dropped last week and honestly, I don’t know if I’ve fully processed them yet.
Fans were promised a lot this season, and overall I’d say the Duffer Brothers went above and beyond.
For me, the absolute standout of the season was Max. We knew she was great after the All Too Well short film, but Sadie Sink really is proving to be a phenomenally talented actress and I can’t wait to see her career progress.
Lucas’ character also stood out in the final episodes, and I hope we see him given meatier material next season. Given that ending, this is pretty likely.
Dustin was also given a scene to shine, but he could have been given more. It felt like his comedic talents were more relied on this season, but we all know Gaten Matarazzo can make us cry when he wants to.
Will stayed fairly under the radar this season but fans expect he may be the star of next season.
On the downside, Robin was just not a vibe for me this season. I liked her, sure, but she wasn’t Robin. It felt like a completely different character.
Season three Robin cracked a Russian spy code and this one can barely speak English.
Then there’s Eddie. Sweet, sweet Eddie. The whole ‘introducing a new male character that we’ll make you like, then send into the upside-down, then kill” thing is getting a bit predictable.
Thinking about the fate of all the characters this season, I’m honestly just a little underwhelmed.
It feels like a bit of a cop-out that Steve, Robin, and Nancy all made it out of the upside-down totally unscathed given the dire straits they appeared to be in at one point. It would have felt more satisfying to me for Eddie and one of the aforementioned three to be seriously injured and need to be dragged out of there but survive in the end.
Weirdly, one person dying and four surviving unscathed doesn’t feel like the stakes are that high.
Then there’s Max’s fate.
Sidelining one of your major female characters in a show that’s pretty male-heavy feels…like an odd choice.
Fans are theorising that Max may be utilised in creative ways next season, with the major theory being that Eleven will have to find her by using her powers.
But that theory hits a bump when you realise Eleven couldn’t find her in the final episode. I’ve seen theories that Max might be being held hostage by Vecna, and I can buy this.
I’ve also seen theories that a part of Vecna is inside Will and will need to be killed, Horcrux style.
It’s truly fascinating how it all ties back to Vecna.
I’m not sure how I feel about the ending of this season. On one hand, we still have a season to go. Before I watched the final two episodes, I honestly didn’t know how there was any way we could wrap up this season and leave something bigger for the next.
So in that sense, the season’s ending makes sense. But it doesn’t mean I’m thrilled with the lack of closure.
Or the wait until the next season. Please, give it to me now.
