Stranger Things is back, and this time it is atypical. In season 4 we find out that the Hawkins lab has been up to some shady experiments with human test subjects. The show takes a more serious turn than in seasons past, but still manages to have some light-hearted moments as well. Get your dose of nostalgia on October 27th when Stranger Things Season 4: Unusually Excellent premieres on Netflix!
I love it when shows do this. I dont know how they do it, but I get so much enjoyment out of being able to watch the show for a second time knowing whats going on and seeing all these little things that I missed the first time through because their subtle or just not very noticeable at times. And you might think thats what Im still doing now as ive had some days where ive watched season four in its entirety twice over…but seriously! Its worth watching again if only for those moments when youre like “so THATS why Nancy took Barb’s phone!” Yup, sometimes there are answers right under our noses (in plain sight) and we can see them with fresh eyes after already having seen everything else unfold.
Stranger Things is back for round four, and it’s atypical. It starts with a pre-credits sequence that takes us to the Upside Down, where we meet up with Hopper again – he’s been investigating Eleven in there while she was performing her superhero duties. We learn some of his motivations behind this (and see more of the Demogorgon), but it feels like an episode only partially told or just cut off short prematurely… An interesting thing about these opening moments is how they’re presented as if you were watching them from someone else’s perspective than your own character; Stranger Things has always played around with perspectives before, so this wouldn’t be too out of left field ordinarily except for one detail: it’s not Eleven that we’re seeing through at all.
The episode is called “Suzie, Do You Copy?” after a mysterious woman who sends out encrypted messages from the Upside Down and of course speaks to a bunch of people before our main character in Hawkins does – but this isn’t really about her either; what she inadvertently reveals to us is just the beginning. That opening sequence was actually set up by last season’s finale: It turns out Hopper had been spying on Eleven in order to find “the thing” she couldn’t see when he came for her rescue mission back then. The Demogorgon did some damage, so now there are two things roaming around down there as opposed to one…
The Upside Down is a place where time and space are indistinguishable, so the tunnels can be used as pathways to revisit past events. Which means that when Hopper goes back to find Eleven during her escape at the end of Season One, he’s actually finding himself in this other world instead. His discovery there has led him on a wild goose chase for two years now – but because we’re seeing these scenes through his eyes, they seem like flashbacks from an earlier version of reality; which makes it all the more confusing when Eleven finds herself wandering through those same corridors without any trace of her father figure (or anyone else) behind her…
Before she fades away into nothingness again, though, she manages to grab onto something: This is where we find the explanation for her disappearance at the end of Season One, and also the reason why she’s been so desperate to get back there ever since.
It was a long-held theory that Hopper became trapped in this other dimension as well – but then he reappeared when Eleven found him again at Hawkins Middle School, which seemed to put paid to it. And yet now we know that his voice could be heard from inside those ghostly halls all along: He’s been communicating with Elle through these transmissions without even realizing it! It’s just like what happened last season with Will by way of technology…
They finally meet up together once more on an actual physical level during Stranger Things Season Four – and while they’re both there at the same time, they’re not able to see or talk to each other.
So in a sense they are still separated – but it’s clear that their reunion is imminent; and when it happens, we can only hope for an emotionally satisfying outcome this time!
This season has been pretty good so far with some unexpected twists here and there: from Eleven going off on her own into another dimension (presumably), Hopper being trapped somewhere he shouldn’t have been…it all points towards a potentially dramatic endgame with Season Four, which will be broadcast exclusively through Netflix sometime next year. I’m curious whether Elle will ever reunite with Mike again after everything that happened last season! ~~~ For now she’s just out there in the woods, picking up signals and trying to find out what she can about this dimension.
Whether you are a fan of the show or not, there is no denying that Stranger Things Season 4 will be an event. The episode premieres on October 27th and I’m sure it will live up to all expectations! Do you have any predictions? Let me know in the comments below or by tweeting @TheSocialSellers.
