The Hawkins gang return for two feature-length episodes to close out Season 4 - the best since the show’s first series.
We dive straight in from where Volume 1 tantalisingly left things, with villain Vecna’s backstory revealed and a three-pronged assault on his plan to wreak havoc on the world.
There’s an Avengers: Endgame feeling to these final two episodes; they clock in at a combined three hours, 45 minutes, the fate of the globe is at stake, the 'biggest bad' is threatening our heroes’ existence and everyone is forced to combine their efforts to save the day.
The performances of the young cast have never been better and season newcomers Eddie (Joseph Quinn) and Argyle (Eduardo Franco) more than earn their Stranger Things stripes.
Natalia Dyer’s Nancy gets to kick a**, Joe Keery ( Steve ) juggles heroic action with a heartbreaking romantic struggle and David Harbour ( Hopper ) puts the ghosts of the Hellboy reboot to bed by wielding a sword to tackle a big beastie from the Upside Down .
Vecna is pure evil as he toys with his prey and the showdown between him and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is electric.
There’s great further use of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill and the CGI is worthy of comparison with most big-budget blockbusters.
You can’t handle the emotional toll this finale demands as spirit-lifting reunions between characters coincide with the endurance of spirit-sapping losses.
Despite the feature-length runtime, the episodes fly by, aided by a race-against-the-clock need to vanquish Vecna by any means necessary.
And just when it gets to a point when you think it’s all over and we’re about to wind down, you discover there’s 40 minutes still to go - and show creators the Duffer brothers veer off in a ballsy direction.
Without spoiling too much, Hawkins will never be the same again, culminating in an awesome final scene that leaves you wishing Season Five - rumoured to feature a time jump to the nineties - was imminent viewing.
● Were you a fan of Stranger Things Season 4 overall? How does it rank among all of the seasons thus far?
Pop me an email at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.
● Stranger Things Season 4: Volume 2 is streaming on Netflix now.
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