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Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 Review: A cinematic finale that is equal parts emotional and dark
Millie Bobby Brown, Sadie Sink and more return for an epic Season 4 finale. Read Pinkvilla's review below.
Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2
Stranger Things Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard
Stranger Things Creators: Ross and Matt Duffer
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Stranger Things Season Volume 2 Stars: 4/5
When it was first revealed by the Duffer Brothers (Matt and Ross Duffer) who are the showrunners of Stranger Things the fourth season finale would be split among two episodes coming close to a runtime of four hours, it seemed like a massive challenge. Given the difference between the structure of an episodic format content compared to a feature film, it seemed like the two episodes could manage to get uneven considering the storyline they had to pack in but thankfully, that does not happen with Stranger Things. The last episode of the show is epic enough to have a theatrical release for itself.
After the first volume of Season 4 saw the lead characters of the show scattered across different places, the finally rightfully brings them all back together in a non-conventional way and it all makes sense. It's a testament to the talent of the Duffer brothers considering how well they manage to give every character their deserved journey and screentime in a power-packed finale. Considering the amount of time spent on the production of the season, fans can rest assured that it was well worth the wait.
Season 4 Volume 2 picks up from right where we left off in episode seven with Nancy (Natalia Dyer) being held captive by Vecna/Henry/One whose identity was also disclosed in the same episode. Vecna lets Nancy survive and asks her to convey his plan of taking over Hawkins to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). In the meantime, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) are on their way to find Eleven who is at Dr Brenner's lab. Back in Hawkins, Max (Sadie Sink), Nancy, and Steve (Joe Keery) plan to save Hawkins from Vecna's plans in their own way. Let's not forget there's also the Russian angle with Hopper (David Harbour) still stuck there with Joyce (Winona Ryder) as they try to find ways to get back to America. While everyone may still be scattered, there's only one place where their hearts unite, Hawkins.
Without giving anything away, the second volume of Stranger Things' fourth season is hard to talk about but there's one thing we can all agree on it's how visually stunning it looks. As all the parallel storylines from Season 4 come together in the end, it's a beautiful mess of sorts. Several answers get questioned, Eleven's powers shine one again and a lot more. To add to an already heavy season when it comes to the dark elements, the showrunners throw in a lot of emotional elements as well to warm our hearts. While many suspected that Noah Schnapp's character Will would be coming out as gay in the fourth season, there's a beautiful scene where Byers does express his emotions in a subtle manner and Noah does a fine job of handling it. There's also little moments like the Joe Keery's Steve talking about his dream of having a big family someday with little Harringtons that make for some of the best lighter moments in the season.
After the first volume of Season 4 sent Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill to No 1 again years after it was released, the second volume also promises some more 80s music that will leave you foot-tapping. One of the best sequences hands down is the one with Joseph Quinn's Eddie belting out a Metallica number. The final fifteen minutes of the show particularly come together with Bush's song as it plays while various scenarios play out towards a conclusion that seems fitting for how the season first began.
The great thing about Stranger Things is that it proves once again how it's one of the best shows conceived and executed by Netflix. Despite its movie-length finale, we never feel lost. The psychological horror element of the show has always been its strength and it once again becomes it's superlative best with Vecna's confrontations in the season. In terms of performances, Sadie Sink and Gaten Matarazzo particularly shine in the finale. Sink manages to tap into great lengths as an actor as her character Max digs deeper into her dark side. As for Millie Bobby Brown, she remains the powerhouse performer that she first started as in the first season of the show.
Season 4 is packed with moments of pain, love and ample scares. There's a kinship that we have formed with these characters over the four seasons and I bet it's this season that you truly feel most protective towards them. You want to root for them more than ever this time. The effects, the stunts, the production design, everything hits a notch higher than ever making it one Duffer Brothers' best works on the series so far.
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