So About That ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Ending

It was only a month wait, but for many fans it felt like an eternity. As of this weekend, the last two episodes of Stranger Things season 4 are online, with part 2 having one 90 minute episode and a 2.5 hour finale that honestly, kind of feels like it breezes by.

This easily could have been the series finale with a few tweaks, but we have one more full season of the show to go, hopefully one that arrives without any sort of pandemic-induced delays this time.

As for the ending, it’s gotten pretty much universal praise from fans, a great capstone for what is arguably the best season of the series so far. What were the highlights? Where did everyone end up? There are a few things I want to go through as an epilogue to Stranger Things season 4 part 2 here. Obviously spoilers follow:

Eddie – This is split between something good and bad for me. While I really did love the scene where Eddie finally gets the courage to be a hero, fending off a swarm of bats to protect everyone else, I do think that Stranger Things has pulled this trick one too many times, introducing a good new character only to have them killed off by the end of the season in which they were introduced. As such, Eddie almost seemed doomed from the start following this formula, and I was a little bummed to see it played out exactly as expected. But at least he went out amazingly, between his final stand and before that, his Upside Down rock concert.

Dustin – Now here’s one of the highlights of the finale. Actor Gaten Matarazzo is probably the MVP of the finale due to his performance both during Eddie’s death scene, but especially later, in which he relays to Eddie’s uncle that no, he wasn’t the monster everyone thinks and that he died a hero to save the town that hated him. Incredible scene in an already great finale.

Vecna – This one was one of the more interesting reveals of the entire finale. I was operating under the assumption that Vecna was some sort of servant of the Mind Flayer, but instead, it turns out he’s the ultimate big bad. When Eleven sent One to the Upside Down, it was sort of just a lawless landscape of monsters, but by combining with the Hive Mind, that’s what gave it purpose, and Vecna has been the driving force behind the “invasion” of Hawkins and the real world this entire time. He’s not a lieutenant, he’s the final boss, and he’s still alive because uh, Nancy didn’t shoot him in the head (honestly, that probably wouldn’t have worked either, I’m sure Eleven is the only one who can kill him for good).

Will – Another great scene was in the car with Will where he’s explaining to Mike that he’s the heart of the team and Eleven will always need him, while simultaneously very clearly also talking about himself, which Mike misses completely. It’s pretty clear by this point that Will is gay, and has a crush on his best friend, but the show has not said that explicitly. I’m not sure what’s meant to happen with this in the final season, which I imagine will be about Mike accepting Will, but Mike and Eleven feel like the “destined” couple that can’t be broken up, and I doubt Mike feels that way about Will.

Steve/Nancy/Jonathan – The love triangle has returned and at this point, I’m not sure who isn’t rooting for Steven and Nancy to reunite. I’m sorry, but Jonathan is the biggest dud of a character in this series, and has been from the start, and I just can’t foresee an endgame where he stays with Nancy with what’s going on with Steve.

Max – I am not surprised the show stopped short of killing Max, and I imagine that there will be a portion of early season 5 dedicated to Eleven diving into Max’s mind and pulling her out of her coma, which seems like something she should be able to do. Sadie Sink is an overall MVP for this entire season, but for the Dear Billy episode, but also her confession at the beginning of the Vecna trap in the finale.

The Adults – I just…didn’t love the Russian plotline this season. It felt like it existed just to give the adults something to do, and get everything back to the status quo, ie. get Hopper back in Hawkins. I guess they tied it into the final fight with their attack on the hivemind, but it was kind of awkward. I did enjoy Hopper cutting off the demogorgon’s head with a sword though, and his reunion with El was of course tear-inducing.

Eleven – I feel like the best Eleven moments of the season were actually before this finale, during the flashback sequences where we learned what happened with One, and that she accidentally created Vecna with her powers and started all this. Her and Max versus Vecna was pretty good, but I do feel like Eleven is starting to feel a tiny bit one note compared to some of the other cast members. I’m glad she has her powers back, at least, which appear to be growing, since she can now bring people back from the dead (kind of). She will no doubt be the final key to defeating Vecna and saving the world in the grand finale.

So, season 5 when?

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.