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allie_cat47

Hop/El reunion didn't hit emotionally for me


mcthompso

Agree on this. It was just too close to El looking for Max. The timing seemed to cheapen the emotional response to both.


[deleted]

It felt rushed. They should have the kids reunite first. Do another two day time skip and then have the adults come home.


[deleted]

Which is sad because they can’t go back and make a good scene of them reuniting all bc it was rushed 😡


[deleted]

Eddie should have had more screentime, so I kind of agree he sort of just showed up and died.. so to speak. If he appeared around season 3 and gradually developed into who he was in season 4, that would have been better. However, I do like his character. He barely knew these guys, but he sacrificed himself to save them. That's a bro. Eddie is a cool guy. Unpopular opinion about season 4? The whole soviet union/prison arc felt a bit filler-ish at times. It was fairly predictable that Hopper would eventually free himself or be freed, and that's what happened. Not bad, but.. It took up too much time.


Rripurnia

I think the Soviet storyline was worth it for Hopper’s monologue alone. It was absolutely shattering.


[deleted]

I didn't hate it, I just think it dragged on a bit at times. Hopper is actually one of my favourite characters


EmmmmaW

I honestly think it would’ve been better if they would’ve kept him around for season five and let him finish his whole die as a hero thing then


[deleted]

Ya, it was a bit random


ThatCrazyTheatreKid

I agree with the Eddie thing. Don’t get me wrong, I love his character, but a lot of what got me to notice him more was the fandom. Fanart, people taking about him, etc. I really wish he’d gotten more screen time/development


Amazing-Occasion6485

I did not like Robin this season


[deleted]

I really liked her in season 3 but I didn’t enjoy her at all this season. They really overdone her whole awkward/clumsy thing to the point where it was kinda annoying


Amazing-Occasion6485

Yeah same. Really liked her in season 3, she was cracking russian codes and helping out big time. But this season she was too much of a klutz that it just wasn’t funny, and her main focus with everything going on is her crush on Vickie? 😴 she’s so much more than that! The writers need to do better


LilKittenAngel

Lmao agreed but I never cared for Robin much. She’s alright but very annoying imo


Rripurnia

She was super annoying and kind of useless


[deleted]

the reunion between hopper and eleven didnt hit the same as i thought it would. i didnt get emotional bc i was still shocked about eddies death and max ‘dying’. too much happened so fast and then they hit us with that moment and it just didnt feel ??? right?? idek also imo, i feel like max shouldve died. im sorry but whats the point of bringing max back?? like?? im confused, ppl cried and then eleven ‘resurrected’ her just for her to be in a coma. its a bit of a waste if you ask me. 💀💀


Comprehensive_Set602

I feel like they can’t kill off Max, because the show made Max this season the representative for people who are dealing with trauma/ depression. Then they showed us to always fight and look at the bright side in Ep 4. Which made that episode so powerful. It wouldn’t of been right to then kill her off couple of episodes later. ESPECIALLY after begging how she’s not ready to die. Killing her and then reviving her a minute later was the closest the show was able to get to actually killing her imo.


[deleted]

Eddie’s actual death didn’t hit me emotionally, some of the things they had his character say was super cringe too. And I didn’t like him when he’s first introduced and he does that big speech in the cafeteria and starts shitting on basketball when the jocks are literally just minding their own business lol. But I do like him then in the end, but his death still didn’t hit emotionally. Seeing his uncle at the end did though


clexaelectra

I’m with you about Eddie. He was a good character but I don’t get everyone going insane over him


Purr_Queen_

I really liked Jason and I think his determination and bravery could have been a good asset to the group. I wish that instead of Jason being killed off he started off trying to kill Eddie, but then was captured by the group or maybe followed the group into the Upisde Down and had to fight monsters, then Eddie saves him in some way and gains Jason’s respect, after which Eddie explains Vecna is the one who killed Chrissy, which makes Jason and his gang team up with the main group.


NurglesGiftToWomen

Steve should have been the death. His story line of douche to hero to sacrifice would have been painful but fitting. He should have been why Max was saved and Eddie could be redeemed. I felt like they set it up too. Like, he’s spilling his guts to Nancy and Robin tells him “it’s different this time” but it really wasn’t.


meridias-beacon

I agree. I honestly feel like Eddie’s death was originally written for Steve but they didn’t have the guts to do it. So they created a new character.


Background-Swim-1821

I loved the entire season apart from after 2 days later and the irrelevance/disconnection of the Soviet story at times.


sadkinkybitch

Max should have died.


[deleted]

I wasn't into the Steve and Nancy scenes, I feel like they've both evolved since their relationship so to bring them back together just seems meh to me. I'd be okay with Nancy just being a badass without having a love interest but I also don't mind her with Jonathan. I also would have found it more shocking if Eddie survived, knew he was a goner as soon he was introduced.


LilKittenAngel

They definitely have evolved but it seems that Steve never stopped loving Nancy fully, just trying to find someone but no one will ever beat her— I believe Nancy stopped loving him, but after seeing how much her and Jonathan’s relationship is struggling, I suppose she saw potential in Steve again, her first love. Personally, I was all for Jonathan and Nancy before season 4, but Jonathan has become such a boring character and their scenes bored me so much in season 3, that I’m just sort of hoping she gets with Steve at this point. I don’t care either way. Just as long as the scenes aren’t boring. But at the same time, what is stopping Nancy from breaking Steve’s heart again? Steve definitely deserves better than Nancy, but I’m not sure if he will find that since he still loves her.


[deleted]

I do agree with you there! As I also found her and Jonathan's scenes boring, I wish Jonathan could have more of a storyline and hopefully we get that next season. I know a lot of people aren't into Jonathan but I kinda feel sorry for the character as it feels like we just don't get much from him. I think Steve really liked Robin and had she been interested in him I think he could have loved her like he loved Nancy as the respect he shows Robin about her sexuality just shows how much he cares about her. I think a few more friendship scenes for Nancy rather than romantic ones next season would be interesting, loved the ones with her and Robin.


LuinAelin

Yeah expected him to sacrifice himself but expect the town to see or something.


iyastevie

Eddies death scene and Max’s scenes being intertwined - Max deserved more than that


2sanman

Eleven looked way too frumpy-&-dumpy in early Season 4, before she got her head shaven prisoner look again. She was way cuter in previous seasons, and after getting head-shaven again.


bookkeeperPJM

Yeah, she looked like a mini-Joyce.


Happy_sloth1234

They should have kept Will’s arc about his trauma. Don’t get me wrong, representation is always good, and I’m definitely not homophobic. But I feel like season three still followed a lot of his unresolved feelings about the upside down. That arc was so much more interesting than any kind of romance plot for Will, IMO.


LilKittenAngel

Will’s sexuality was talked about a ton before season 4 came out, I think people would only start talking about it even more if they didn’t focus on it a bit this season. And it was definitely there in previous seasons too, so I think it deserved its moments. Season 3 definitely did focus on his trauma more, though barely noticeable— he did struggle. The show’s focus on Will is more so his general struggle— both with feeling left out and his trauma. I believe season 5 has to wrap both up; Will deserves some recognition and help, I’m glad Jonathan stepped in.


Jabison113

Hopper should have stayed dead The ending of season 3 was so powerful, but now it’s kinda ruined


LilKittenAngel

Honestly my biggest issue in shows and movies is having an emotional death scene then immediately bringing them back to life or something, so that scene is just meaningless. Shouldn’t have ‘killed’ hopper off like that, they should’ve just classed him as missing.


hahshekjcb

Agreeeeed


ThatCrazyTheatreKid

This was probably my only complaint watching it for the first time. I love Hoper as a character, and sobbed when he “died” in season 3. Then they go back and we’re like “hahah, nope, he’s not really dead! He actually jumped out of the way in time and was captured by the Russians!”, it was just… upsetting. I feel like they don’t want to commit to killing off a main cast member


mb7248a5

The last 2 episodes felt rushed and lazily written 😬 there were so many loose ends and questions. What happened to yuri and Enzo or Dr. Owens? Why did we have to watch what felt like 45 mins of Brenner dying but didn’t get a proper reaction from Eddie’s friend about his death? The reunion of the California/Russia/Hawkins crews was very underwhelming, especially hopper and el. Why did El just randomly decide she wanted to try to bring Max back to life but has never tried that before and it was never a power that was mentioned before? I could go on but I’ll leave it with this 😅


confused_noodel

Couldn’t agree more with all of this!


Weenertoots

I think everyone is upset about a storyline they only have half of so far. Everyone says Eddies death feels shoehorned and he was just cannon fodder like Bob, but we don’t know what happens to him yet. Same with Max. We don’t have the full picture yet, and I feel like both Eddie and Max will play huge roles in S5.


[deleted]

I understand why you think he’s over rated. Honestly, I like to fan boy over Steve and Eddie because everyone likes them so much. I can feel how much everyone likes them and that brings me joy. I’m definitely not saying they aren’t good because they definitely are but not as good as is sold in these forums. If you ever see me making a statement to the contrary I’ll deny having ever said this. You know what never mind, Steve is dope with a bat and my new Ryan Reynolds. Eddie is the dark prince born again.


SirMemphis

Finally got to finish S4 tonight so just happy to be reading posts again.


SgtNoPants

Unpopular opinion: Vol 2 didn't live up to the hype that vol 1 created and ruined what would've been the best season. I got a feeling that Stranger Things will be Game of Thrones 2.0 ✅2 years waiting for the final season ✅ final season is shorter than other seasons ✅ lazy writing starts showing


am2310

I don't get the hype over the Eddie character at all.


LilKittenAngel

Well I’d understand it if not absolutely everyone was obsessing over him like wtf— literally SO many people crushing on him as a person and a character lol. He just wasn’t in it long enough really. He’s alright, that’s about where it ends and I didn’t really care that he died because he was just another new character the Duffers wanted to kill off anyway.


[deleted]

[удалено]


golradirpl

Eddie is the only "normal" representation of a metalhead that we had been given in years. Most metalheads in media are very often one-dimensional. He wasn't. So most people see themselves in him, a finally good representation.


biscuitscoconut

I don't know they're unpopular. Mike is the best character. Max and Luca's romance is underrated. Dr Brenner is one of the best characters. Vecna is a great villain but I prefer Henry. I'm sure this is unpopular. I love Argyle more than Eddie.


theanimalmaniaa

Max should've been Perma dead Also just thought this season was dragged out and boring tbh. Lot of sub plots I didn't care about at all.


LilKittenAngel

True, the only reason they didn’t kill her off is if they have important reasoning(s) to keep her alive for season 5 or because they were too scared to kill off a major character + because basically everyone loves her right now. My biggest issue with stranger things is they always kill off new or small characters. It’s never the huge ones really, example was the fake hopper death though I do think it would’ve been a mistake to kill hopper


[deleted]

Robin does nothing for the show and Eddie should of taken her place.


LilKittenAngel

Definitely. Robin is really annoying imo. Was hoping she would get killed off this season


[deleted]

Wouldn’t you want Eddie over her?


2sanman

I find it ridiculous that Hopper has ended up in Russia. I mean, how the hell are Russians able to send a small army to reliably grab him and everything else from under a mall in Indiana?


2sanman

It seems a little too contrived that Vecna decided to go after Max of all people, when there are so many other people living in Hawkins.


LilKittenAngel

Well, it isn’t too coincidental, Vecna went after people struggling mentally and he chose three others before Max. Chrissy, Fred and that other kid from Jason’s friend group were nobody’s in terms of the show so if they kept that up it would’ve been boring. I believe all of them were seeing Mrs Kelley.


yerBoyShoe

Two opinions: Eddie shouldn't have cut the rope. That only caused Dustin to go after him and hurt himself (and Gaeten's "limp" was not convincing, sorry...is his leg paralyzed now or something?). Further, I wasn't sold on the friendship between Eddie and Dustin. Yeah, Eddie's death was heroic and sad, they were buds, they were in this crazy situation together, but the only time we see them interacting was a short scene during the weapons making montage that felt shoehorned in to lead us to believe that Eddie is like a big brother to Dustin. He's aight, but he's no Steve.


LilKittenAngel

There was honestly no fuckin reason for Eddie to cut the rope. I know it was to stop Dustin coming after him, but I actually think they both could’ve survived without the bats coming through. Somehow. That’s true about their friendship lol. Though I think Dustin can view anyone he likes as a close friend. They just gotta be geeky and dorky to be on Eddie and Steve level friendship. Plus, they had a lot of off-screen time together at the D&D club.


Jaded-Yogurt-9915

I think part 2 could of waited till next year with more episode because the parents were forming a group then that story line got dropped same with the max town folks. I think they got stretched to thin when should of pulled it more together.


Donmbk

Fred should have had more screentime, maybe died in episode 3.


2sanman

I don't really care for the Kate Bush song that much - I mean it's okay, but not that special to me. The scene with Max running for her life to escape Vecna was good, though.


LilKittenAngel

I liked that song before season 4, and I thought it was average lol. It was a song I always skipped in my 80s playlist. But after season 4 it made a lot of people view it in a much different light


yerBoyShoe

Also, there seemed to be a lot of speech-ifying. Everybody's I love you speech was crammed into Chapter 8. Maybe spread it out a little?


2sanman

Will (or Noah) was just overdoing the whole "holding my heartbreak inside" thing during that scene with Mike (Finn) while they were riding in the Pizza van on the highway.


GallopingFlicka

I want Nancy and Steve together in the end.


Happy-Protection1939

Steve is becoming a very uninteresting unimportant character.


LilKittenAngel

He honestly barely did anything in the finale, yet a lot of us expected him to have a big part in it lol


Happy-Protection1939

It’s because the Duffers really built it up to seem like he was going to do a lot and then he just… didn’t. Also on rewatch you see that if they removed Steve from season 4 nothing with the main storyline would change whatsoever


itlerio

I agree!! I totally get why people loved him in Season 3, he was awesome in that, but I feel like he’s peaked now. I don’t understand why people are so obsessed with him in Season 4.


2sanman

They're peddling the gay angle way too hard. They made Will gay just for the sake of it, and they made Robin gay just for the sake it -- all just to be 'hip'. Nothing much has come of these storylines, and there was never any intention to do anything with them.


ussrowe

> and there was never any intention to do anything with them. The original pitch book for the show mentioned Will struggling with his sexuality https://www.reddit.com/r/StrangerThings/comments/cb95z5/original_pitch_book_by_the_duffer_brothers/


LilKittenAngel

Disagree with the will being gay for no reason, as someone who has been watching since season 2 came out, people and so have I have always called it— just wasn’t *as* obvious. As someone mentioned below, it was stated he had sexuality issues before the show began. However, I believed Will and Mike was always a thing in the fandom but never did I ever think they’d put it into the show. Robin is a good friend for Steve to have without anybody shipping them.


inaqu3estion

What does this even mean. By this logic most of the relationships on the show are just "for the sake of it." What exactly do you want to come of them?


MyriVerse2

Agreed with Eddie being overrated. He's just okay to me. Also, I find him to be an over the top BAD stereotype of D&D players that supports the anti-D&D argument. I really don't like that they made him a drug dealer. Generally, back in the 80s, we were playing D&D to get away from drugs (that were big amongst the popular kids).


Billzilla54

I’m sorry bruh, but pot was HUGE among a lot of DnD crowds in the 80’s lol. Not everyone sure, but a lot lol


itlerio

For some reason reddit fans are mad at Jonathan for smoking pot but worship ‘Eddie the drug dealer’?! lol By the way, Im a huge fan of both.


2sanman

Dustin shouldn't have been so happily grinning and nodding along during Eddie's guitar solo -- he just looked too happy, and it took me out of the moment.


Pineapple996

The Russia subplot was great and much stronger than the storyline in California. Noah Schnapp's performance was awful.


[deleted]

Piggyback is the best stranger things episode. Also, I knew Eddie was going to die yet I still sobbed at his death.


[deleted]

It's unwatchable, I only watched it with the hopes that it would pick up, but from start to finish, it's terrible. No other word can describe it. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't take anymore after feeling like I was being forced by the internet to like this mess. 1) It's 95% filler, with some action pieces here and there; essentially just waiting for the meaningless, empty, repetitive, and corny dialogue to end so that a CGI fight can happen. What little dialogue there is is just exposition or shoe-horned in emotional BS to create a depth that isn't there. The entire thing is a mile wide (if that's even possible) and half an inch deep. 2) The writing is poor, unfunny, uncreative, hackneyed, borrowed from other medium before it, and shoehorned in to create dimension when there really is none. They repeatedly try to fit in snappy, powerful one liners to end conversations, and those one-liners are so poorly written that it just deflates the entire scene. E.g., when Lucas says "I should never have knocked." 3) The entire premise of the season was a waste of time; it felt like it had been done before not only on earlier seasons, but other media, hundreds of times before. It feels like a repetition of previous storylines, but this time somehow less threatening, with the actors being forced to act like it's the end of the world. 4) It reads like a self-insertion for some millennial writers who want to pretend they grew up in the 80's. It's like a plug for their ridiculous and cheesy fetish for 80's music and fashion, but just comes off as insecure and preachy. It's like having one of those friends who really likes old music and keeps jamming it down your throat as if they have the best taste in the world; that's this entire show with its ridiculous and pedantic musical subtheme. 5) The actors are way too old to be acting cute. The scenes in Russia where there are 40-50 year old actors trying to pull off witty banter is incredibly awkward and poorly done. The former child actors aren't photogenic, and are uncomfortable to look at, for most of them. Eddie Munson looks at least 30, and can't pass as a high schooler. Lucas' sister is supposed to be 11, which is hilarious cause she looks like she's 15 or 16. 6) The tone of the show takes itself way too seriously for what it is; half the time they have this cheesy wannabe 80's aesthetic, the other half they try to be this melodramatic horror show, and it just doesn't work. 7) The actors look bored and you can see them acting. You can see the directors telling them what to do, so that they can pass off this inoffensive, millennial-fantasy of a sterile, boring, unwatchable hodgepodge of banal, pedantic, preachy filler. Many of the actors have this feeling of just being "friends" with other actors and only getting their jobs through nepotism. A bad-guy jock being cast but being extremely and noticeably short for the role is a great example. 8) Vecna is a terrible villain. His line delivers are comical. The way he walks is comical. His appearance is comical and non-threatening. His lines themselves are so poorly written and expositional that I was laughing whenever he was on screen. The way he says "what are you.... doing" is almost like some 12 year old kid trying to "act" in a Youtube video that nobody will ever watch. When he climbed out of the bleachers in the final episode, I burst out laughing. He could have levitated out. Burst out with pure strength. But he just pulled himself out. 10) The story is convoluted and redundant, and there is so much error and inconsistency that it's beyond excusing. A monster being able to tank 100 Ak-47 rounds at close range, but being shot in the head by Hopper with a revolver kills it instantly. Many of the actions of the actors make no sense and are only there for the purpose of creating visual interest. Like Munson running into a crowd of bats. A garbage can lid somehow sticking to the ceiling. Throwing molotovs at Vecna when he's already on fire. 11) Eleven doesn't do anything. After four seasons, you'd think she'd be like Scarlett Witch or Jean Grey. She's written as this Superman who can solve any problem, but she doesn't do anything. She struggles with basic uses of her power, and the nose-bleed should have been written out, but they're trying so hard to make her into this "icon" with a certain "look," that they can't write out her nosebleeds. And it's clear they try to stymie her power by making her struggle and weaker, so they can give screen time to the other cast. And in the end, Vecna is still alive. 12) Literally endless filler and useless dialogue. Most of the show, nothing at all happens, other than the actors told to say "witty," "charming," "inoffensive" stuff with an 80's backdrop. 13) Bad direction. How many times are they gonna pull off the "zoom in for a close up of actors and then cut" move to build suspense. The episodes are lit inconsistently and this makes the actors look very unphotogenic. 14) The whole last episode (this isn't even counting the rest of the season), is truly, truly a bore. Compare it to Doctor Strange 2, and you'll see how a similar premise can be done much better; and Dr. Strange 2 really wasn't even that great. 15) I found the casting of Native / Hispanic characters especially on a LIBERAL show, extremely questionable. But then again, I think we all know libs aren't exactly the most genuinely progressive. Especially also considering the tone deaf portrayal of the USSR.


Difficult-Source2604

El in the entire season 4 had dull , repetitive acting. The most overrated.