Stranger Things 4

A LOT of things happened in that episode, but instead of doing a super long deconstruction, I think there is only really one scene worth me obsessing over: Brenner's death. Before I discuss it further I want to say that Owen's actions in this episode redeemed him in my mind. Not entirely. But mostly.

Brenner's death scene is irresistible drama for me. It was like catnip for my soul. The thing I responded most to was him begging Eleven to tell him as he's dying that she understands that everything he did was for her... and she just can't bring herself to do it. Normally, that notion would be interesting enough on its own for me to rave about. But what made this awesome beyond all imagining is that it is not a certainty Eleven will deny him that as the moment is happening. Of course, she doesn't believe it. But she's a human being with compassion. Part of her aches to tell the dying man this pretty lie as he exits the world just because she ISN'T a monster, and that doesn't really seem out of bounds to do for a dying person who cares for you (even if you can't stand them). I'm not saying I agree with Eleven ultimately denying her supposed better angels. But I like to think that as she was grappling with whether or not to comfort this man who has tormented her her entire life, she came to the realization, that as far as common courtesies go, he didn't deserve those pretty lies. What interesting is that it's obvious when Brenner asks her to say it, he knows if she does, she'll be lying. The words themselves are the comfort, not the actual honesty behind them. And if that's so (and Eleven, no dummy her, is getting that vibe loud and clear) what possible real difference does it make that she declines to say them? All she'd be doing is kidding them both, and they both knew it in moment. So why bother?

Crap like that is why I watch television, and generally speaking, why I tend to prefer TV to movies. Unfortunately, most TV does not live up to that level of melodrama. When you find a show like Stranger Things that does, it's truly a special moment and a keeper. 4 1/2 stars.

That was a little long, and to be honest, considering Netflix's cancelation spree, a little overproduced. I don't think this show needed multimillion dollar episodes this season. I mean when Dustin tells Mr. Munsen that Eddie died saving the town who hated him, and that he wasn't just innocent, he was a hero, that's the best moment in the episode, and it cost next to nothing to produce. This show is very rich in characterization and drama. It doesn't need to break the bank with visual effects to matter. It puts Netflix in a terrible financial situation, when they are already making horrible money decisions right down the line. I'm not happy about that at all. Because the episode was pretty great. And would have remained so even with mediocre visual effects. I can't help but thinking this show looking so great cost us Bone, and resenting it a bit for that. Especially because it doesn't actually need to LOOK this great to actually BE great. That's not the deal-breaker it is for some other expensive shows.

I felt Dustin's pain over his death, but tell me if I was the only one thinking it's better he died. He was the season's loosest unresolved plot-thread. There was NO way in hell the gang could have POSSIBLY proved his innocence, so I figured the writers merely killed him off to simplify the matter. And the amazing scene between Dustin and Mr. Munsen sealed his fate. Eddie makes more narrative sense dead and out of the way, than alive and having to be explained to the town. And he has since the beginning of the season, whether we were willing to admit it or not. I like Eddie and liked him more and more as the season went on. But he doesn't belong standing with the heroes in the last cliffhanger shot of the episode. And he never did.

When Elle tells Max she was real and piggybacking in the tub of a pizza dough shop, she isn't giving Max the clarification there she thinks she is.

Am I bothered most of the cast spent the season apart? It seems cruel that the first Hooper and El scene happens at the very end of this episode. After that cliffhanger? I think it was the right move, narratively speaking. And maybe if people are pissed off about it (similar plots in other shows like Arrested Development have similarly turned off fans before) they aren't looking at what that cliffhanger was telling us.

If and when Stranger Things is renewed for a season five, THAT Season Four ending says Five is the last season. They spent the season apart because they had to go through their separate trials and struggles to find each other before they would be all ready to stand as one against the final threat. If this had been another season in the middle of the show's ten year run, people might not look back on it fondly. As the penultimate season? It's absolutely the right storytelling choice.

Wish we had gotten some wrap-up with Owens in the episode. It's not like the episode was wanting for time. I sure hope he's all right.

I appreciated Jonathan going to Will and telling him he can talk to him, because the thing in the show that makes me unhappiest is the fact that Will is gay, in love with Mike, and in the closet. Jonathan saying that when he did let Will know he knows the score and loves him anyways. I don't object to unrequited love stories. At all. The problem with this one is if Will discusses it openly with Mike, he'll be turning Mike into the bad guy who has to set a boundary limit he didn't expect to (or even wants to). The problem with Will being in love with Mike is that Mike cannot change his orientation for one person. Nobody can. And I not only don't think that's fair to Mike, it's not fair to Will, as the one gay male character on the show. I wish desperately Will can someday be as confident in his own skin about this as Robin is. But it's the 1980's. Even Robin is still in the closet, whether she knows what she wants or not. Unfortunate time period to explore these issues during.

I object to Lucas reading The Talisman to Max in the hospital. Yes, it was out when this episode took place, and now it's a widely beloved book. But back in the 1980's it was widely considered a HUGE misfire, considering the talent involved. It was promised to be a huge sci-fi / fantasy epic collaborated on by genre greats Stephen King and Peter Straub, and most people thought it was just okay and a huge let-down from the hype. Over the years it's grown a following, but I mean, I don't think Lucas would be a fan of it in this era. It was considered a huge mess. In fairness, I LIKE messes. My entire writing output is a mess. But believe it or not, it was actually considered too messy for the 1980's. Which makes it weird that it seems to hold up better in hindsight than most of the TV and films from that era.

The Stephen King book people geeked out most over during The 1980's was The Stand. That was universally the book King fans back then used to recognize one another over. If Lucas had read a passage from that it would have made more sense. Considering the heavy, yet weirdly optimistic themes, they could have easily found an appropriate one for the situation.

Man, Netflix, you could have delivered me that exact level of pathos and drama at a tenth of that budget, and I still woulda been happy. And we still would have probably gotten Bone too. The series looks MUCH greater than it even needs to look to be effective drama. 4 1/2 stars.