Stranger Things

:

Season 4.5
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 15, 2016
Season #: 5, 4.5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 110 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 79 out of 110
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 110
  3. Negative: 13 out of 110

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User Reviews

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  1. Grendizer
    Jul 2, 2022
    9
    Season started strong, with some subplots being a bit less interesting. At the end this is some of the best entertainment I got on TV. Cried ugly tears at the end. This season and the boys are a treat. They do so much right.
  2. thedarkbird
    Jul 2, 2022
    5
    If you like it bigger, louder, bloodier, megalomaniac and as blockbuster as a Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster, your love for Stranger Things is bound to become boundless. If, however, you liked the charm of the first installment your brain will end up upside down (pun intended) with no chance of recovery.
  3. All_ButTrU4
    Jul 2, 2022
    6
    A disappointing cliffhanger conclusion to an otherwise satisfying season. Despite its abundance of series best performances for some (caleb &gaton) it still failed to move the story organically and forward. Instead we are anchored to the same cliffhanger of a mindflayers arrival or villain inly 11 cand fight. The season has the reoccurring plight of knowing how to start but never how toA disappointing cliffhanger conclusion to an otherwise satisfying season. Despite its abundance of series best performances for some (caleb &gaton) it still failed to move the story organically and forward. Instead we are anchored to the same cliffhanger of a mindflayers arrival or villain inly 11 cand fight. The season has the reoccurring plight of knowing how to start but never how to end and given this appears here ahead of the finale im unsure of the final seasons satisfactory end.… Expand
  4. Mojo89
    Jul 5, 2022
    2
    Two hours of drawn out dream/memory sequences and monologue after monologue after monologue. Also a completely pointless russian prison plotline.
    They should have kept the hour Long runtime.
    But I liked Eddie.
  5. Stranger14
    Jul 1, 2022
    10
    Best 5 hours of the entire show
    I started of season 4 with low expectations, after season 3 I had no faith in Netflix to re engage me in the story but somehow as the season progressed I started to feel the old stranger things charm. it took some time to get going but when it kicked in it kicked hard. These last 2 episodes are (in my opinion) the best in the entire show. Somehow capturing    Best 5 hours of the entire show
    I started of season 4 with low expectations, after season 3 I had no faith in Netflix to re engage me in the story but somehow as the season progressed I started to feel the old stranger things charm. it took some time to get going but when it kicked in it kicked hard. These last 2 episodes are (in my opinion) the best in the entire show. Somehow capturing the character dynamics fear and thrill of season 1 but with a storyline of more epic proportions. I laughed, I cried and I sat frozen in shock as this season cemented stranger things as my favorite show of all time.
    Words do not describe my anticipation for season 5
    Thank you duffer brothers    … Expand
  6. BOWi
    Jul 1, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SPOILER FROM BEGINNING TO END - I feel like those two episodes were too long and too short. I feel like scenes that should have been in episode 9 are missing... How did everyone came back from the Upside Down after "defeating" Henry? I would have like to know that... I'm also quite distressed with Max's health condition... This is major element... Also, the fact that Eddie died, plus that Hawkins is collapsing at the end made me even more sad.

    The final scene where everyone come out the cabin to see Hawkins burning felt rushed... Actors' reactions were so different from each other... I feel like they were poorly directed and had very little idea about what the "green screen" they were watching meant... Also, I don't understand how they could discuss almost calmly inside the cabin without noticing what was happening next to them, in Hawkins...

    Also... WTF happened to the Wheeler Family and everyone else?!

    Stranger Things has never been my favourite Netflix Original, and those two episodes won't change that.    … Expand
  7. joaotekiaware
    Jul 1, 2022
    10
    Duff Brothers gave us an explosive, emotional, tragic and brilliant end. This season made Stranger Things an epic TV show of whole time. The narrative construction, the production and effects had put this serie as one of those that it'll be remembered as a classic masterpiece of fiction. You'll cry, get angry, frustrated, anxious, chill and also happy and full of hope. Stranger ThingsDuff Brothers gave us an explosive, emotional, tragic and brilliant end. This season made Stranger Things an epic TV show of whole time. The narrative construction, the production and effects had put this serie as one of those that it'll be remembered as a classic masterpiece of fiction. You'll cry, get angry, frustrated, anxious, chill and also happy and full of hope. Stranger Things fourth season end it showing us to expect an epic end, I'm sure we'll have it.… Expand
  8. Grahamreviewer
    Jul 1, 2022
    10
    Wow…. Just wow. So good. Made me laugh. Made me cry. So exited for season 5.
  9. Elf-Healer
    Jul 3, 2022
    10
    The season finale is a waterfall of both devastation and hope.

    I cried for fifteen minutes because of it. Not only because my emotions are at an all-time high right now, but due to the power of cinematography which is stronger than ever in this one.
  10. Donttalk2
    Jul 1, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It was great to watch this while millions of people around the world did the same, but in the end, ST4 is just..never ending content. Lots of stuff and then some more to update an IP. This could have been a nice enough "Nightmare on Elm Street" -re-imagining, but all these wasted "Stranger Things" characters had to hop up and down and imitate signature scenes from older movies (without new twists, in contrast to the early seasons). Anyway, some great scenes, but in the end, NOTHING has been resolved, not even the annoying sideplots about relationships. I´m only glad that Schwarzenhopper, the killing machine, finally made it out of russia.… Expand
  11. RTM
    Jul 5, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Strong performances by the kids, but the material for Season 4 seems uninspired and rehashed. As i watched it i constantly felt like they had no real answer as to how to end it. And so many parts and scenes just felt like i could pick the inspiration of which the material borrowed from. The first couple seasons seemed so original and new with young kids. By 4, it just felt formulaic and an homage of prior works. The whole Vecna storyline felt like what was just done in Star Wars, where the realization was that Palpatine was always behind the dark side. And now Vecna? Unoriginal… The final episode too just felt like they had no resolve to the entire story. So it just sort of ends. Disappointing, but overall, still slightly entertaining.… Expand
  12. jamess
    Jul 6, 2022
    9
    Read all the positive reviews to echo my sentiments, I just want to mention the acknowledgment of Stephen King and Peter Straub's The Talisman in the finale, as that was an early version of the upside down. TNT was scheduled to make a miniseries years ago, but that fell through. Instead of remakes of his previous films (ahem, Firestarter and the upcoming Christine) some streaming serviceRead all the positive reviews to echo my sentiments, I just want to mention the acknowledgment of Stephen King and Peter Straub's The Talisman in the finale, as that was an early version of the upside down. TNT was scheduled to make a miniseries years ago, but that fell through. Instead of remakes of his previous films (ahem, Firestarter and the upcoming Christine) some streaming service should take a shot at that book.… Expand
  13. Diego507
    Jul 3, 2022
    10
    Temporada increíble, preparandonos para el final de una de las mejores series de la historia.
  14. SirensOfTitan
    Jul 1, 2022
    1
    Call this Fan Service: Netflix is begging you not to cancel. This show, at this point, is Netflix’s singular marvel-esq property: a cookie cutter series of corporate approved recycled plots combined with a bunch of uncanny valley CGI and a lot of over explanation (taking what little fun of the mythology that still remains). How many years of subscription fees can Netflix possibly harvestCall this Fan Service: Netflix is begging you not to cancel. This show, at this point, is Netflix’s singular marvel-esq property: a cookie cutter series of corporate approved recycled plots combined with a bunch of uncanny valley CGI and a lot of over explanation (taking what little fun of the mythology that still remains). How many years of subscription fees can Netflix possibly harvest from folks for the same plot told in different ways over and over? Have people become such consumers that even the imagination and wonder provided by the unexplained is anathema? Stranger Things used to be fun, but it’s running like a treadmill at this point, where the writers seem deathly fearful of making any decisions lest they lose the slowly dwindling subscriber base Netflix has left. Game of Thrones was so good in its earlier seasons because George RR Martin didn’t have Reed Hastings breathing down his neck reminding him of the bottom line. Do you think Martin would have written the Red Wedding if Netflix or Disney had final editing rights? There’s no heart left here, largely because the algorithm robots at Netflix lost any idea of what heart or real creativity is, and it certainly shows, as they’ve spent billions with almost nothing to show for it creatively or commercially.… Expand
  15. Lord_Volta
    Jul 1, 2022
    3
    Part 2 ruined Season 4 for me.

    I never anticipated how good Part 1 turned out to be. It was fantastic, well-paced, and surprising. But part 2 went back to the predictable tropes just to sell the next season.
  16. AlliDoisWatchTv
    Jul 1, 2022
    9
    WOW.... This was an amazing ending! I absolutely loved the season finale. Probably one of the best finales of a tv show season in a long time, since like GOT or even Lost. Cant wait for the next season.

    I cried, I cheered, I collapsed, and I slept like a baby after staying up past 6 am EST to finish this. Just woke up at 2 pm today, eating breakfast now and writing this review. My 4th    WOW.... This was an amazing ending! I absolutely loved the season finale. Probably one of the best finales of a tv show season in a long time, since like GOT or even Lost. Cant wait for the next season.

    I cried, I cheered, I collapsed, and I slept like a baby after staying up past 6 am EST to finish this. Just woke up at 2 pm today, eating breakfast now and writing this review. My 4th of July is gonna be awesome! I feel pumped now that I finished ST4.    … Expand
  17. bertobellamy
    Jul 3, 2022
    7
    Well, the season finale was truly spectacular until the last half hour, which, honestly was a mess. The acting was bad, and the way characters behaved after a tragedy seemed off. The reunions were not that impactful, and the ending felt rushed. Anyway, this could very well be the best season so far. Looking forward to the final one.
  18. Mal81
    Jul 1, 2022
    8
    A few plot holes throughout, but some really epic moments as well. The composers for this season, as well as song selection in general were KILLING it. Duffer brothers really getting better at directing too, superb editing
  19. jmneeley06
    Jul 3, 2022
    10
    An amazing season

    Loved it!! I can’t wait for the series finale. Eddie Munson is the true mvp of this season
  20. pmasterfunk
    Jul 5, 2022
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Season 4 is full of bloat. Every episode has scenes that drag. So many close-ups of Eleven's face. So many slow-motion music montages. So many pointless story threads. There are so many characters that the story just wildly diverges into a bunch of unrelated threads. But these threads are going to come together cohesively, right?

    Right?

    Right??

    SPOILER ALERT

    I'm sure the stans will tell you it works, but don't believe the stans, they're blinded by their love for the media they consume. Unlike me, who is blinded by my hatred of the media I consume.

    The Hopper-Joyce ark had no ties to the Hawkins events until it suddenly did at the last moment.

    The jocks don't amount to anything, the altercation between main jock and Lucas doesn't actually impact the story. Stepping on the Walkman doesn't count, Vecna could have been written to just overpower it and we'd all have been smarter for it.

    Mike and Will and Jonathan going on a wild goose chase was just a massive waste of time, it was essentially an excuse to keep them in the show even though they don't really have anything to offer and their contribution to the story is basically null. Eleven being saved by the power of love is mega-cringe.

    In fact, the whole roadtrip to save Eleven could have been streamlined. It seems important when you watch the show, but none of it couldn't have happened in someone's basement. Eleven's training could just have happened in lab hidden in a dilapidated warehouse by the docks instead of out in the middle of a desert. But you can't blow up a helicopter in an urban setting, so that idea was probably scrapped.

    Jonathan has so little to do that I'd forgotten his name by the end of the season. All he does is drive a van for 90% of his screen time, and serves mostly as an invisible barrier between Steve and Nancy. Then the last episode happens, and he has this heart to heart with Will that lasts all of 3 minutes. Wow.

    The Eleven/Brenner stuff doesn't really work for me, either. The ideological conflict between them was kinda interesting, I mean it's Empire Strikes Back, but hey, I sorta see Brenner's point. But we knew that Eleven was right, she had to go right away lest the world end. Leia and Han were in a bad situation, but their fate wasn't 100% sealed without Luke, and unlike Max, their fate wasn't directly tied to the world's. We know Brenner's position is wrong, so the conflict isn't compelling. It works as far as Eleven gaining independence from papa goes, but when Brenner stabs her with a huge anesthetic-filled syringe (where was he hiding that thing?), the next scene works against all this development by making this whole confrontation moot. The army shows up and shoots up the whole lab, Brenner included. If Eleven had decided to stay and train, this would have worked really well.

    But it doesn't. What it actually does is steer the action to this big set piece where Eleven crashes a helicopter onto a bunch of Humvees. It looks cool, it looks like it was done with practical effects. It's impressive looking, for sure, but as a conclusion to the Brenner/Eleven relationship it doesn't really do anything.

    And that's when I realized this whole thread wasn't written to resolve relationships, or to advance the plot, or have the viewer question their methods - the story was written to arrive to this hype action scene. That the story had to arrive to this specific moment that probably looked really good in a storyboard. And that's what the last episode is, arbitrary noodling to get from one set piece to another. From that point on, I couldn't unsee it.

    Eddie finds a mint condition BC Rich Warlock, a functional cable, a working Peavy Amp, all in the Upside Down where there's electricity apparently, and everything works flawlessly. Eddie and Dustin's plan to distract the baddies was pretty thin if it had to involve finding random functional and loud objects in the Upside Down.

    Back in Russia, Hopper goes full Barbarian and chops off a demogorgon's head with the actual Conan movie prop sword. Murray could have just prevented his friend from engaging a dangerous monster that has massacred a prison-full of soldiers with AK-47s by continuing to use the flamethrower he had in his hands. But that wouldn't look as cool.

    I can't help imagining Dave from accounting drawing these cartoons on the whiteboard in the office cafeteria for **** and giggles, and the Duffer bros walking in and going "f*ck yeah, we're doin' it, we're doin' aaaaaaaaall of it".

    Finally the bad guy supremo gets mentally whacked by Eleven, molotoved by Robin and Steve, shot multiple times by Nancy with a shotgun, then falls out a window, and what do our heroes do? Not check the body, that's what they do. He's incapacitated, weakened, suffering, and yall just gon walk away? Chump mistake. Then the world sorta ends.

    What was all this fire and fury for? What was the point?

    Setting up season 5, my dudes, setting up season 5.    … Expand
  21. jzathajenius
    Jul 11, 2022
    5
    OK, firstly the length of each episode is ridiculous. What is worse is that they easily could have cut a lot of filler from each ep. There are soooo many long boring scenes of two characters just sitting there and talking. I have no idea why they were trying to desperately to pad each episode with unnecessary filler but it dragged every episode down and became a slow grind to get through.OK, firstly the length of each episode is ridiculous. What is worse is that they easily could have cut a lot of filler from each ep. There are soooo many long boring scenes of two characters just sitting there and talking. I have no idea why they were trying to desperately to pad each episode with unnecessary filler but it dragged every episode down and became a slow grind to get through.

    Secondly, I just don't really care about most of these characters. The new ones like Yuri, angry jock guy, and the stoner pizza dude, were just awful stereotypes that added nothing to the show. And existing characters like Lucas and his sister, Mike, Will and his brother were just boring. The interesting storylines, like Eleven and her memories, and Vecna and Max were pretty much the only thing that kept me watching. And Steve is still the man.

    So Season 4 is my least fave. Not looking forward to season 5 I gotta say.    … Expand
  22. jyphel
    Sep 10, 2022
    8
    Story and characters back on track, as in the 1rst season. Happy to see the Duffer bros at their best.
  23. MetacriticOnur
    Jul 2, 2022
    9
    perfect
    [ adjective, noun pur-fikt; verb per-fekt ]

    adjective
    conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type:
    a perfect sphere;
    a perfect gentleman.
  24. Daniel-igospel
    Jul 7, 2022
    10
    Ótima série... a netflix acertou dessa vez. Essa quarta temporada foi melhor que a terceira
  25. leaveit
    Jul 8, 2022
    6
    Attempts to pull the show out of the rut it got itself in in seasons 2 and 3 by blatantly retconning several plot points, only to end the season in perhaps the most predictable way you can imagine. If you saw the other season finales, you've seen this one.
  26. tranemonk
    Jul 10, 2022
    9
    Stranger Things Season 4 is becoming what the MCU was - a fantastic other world, complete with genuinely deep relationships amidst the struggle of good vs. evil. It's both the relationships that keep this show going and the continuity of the storyline. I know it's going to end with Season 5 but it's amazing.
  27. UncleWillard
    Jul 4, 2022
    4
    First two seasons were great and then it fell.off a cliff for me, except for Steve. Steve has been the o e constant in this show. I get a kick out of his character and his arc. Everyone else sucks. I struggled paying attention to these last two episodes and nothing g seems to have been resolved. I thought this was the end of the show, but looks like there's more. Sigh.
  28. JesterRace
    Jul 3, 2022
    10
    An amazing finale, setting up the conclusion of an amazing series. As a whole, season 4 was the best show of the series so far and one of the best in the franchise
  29. jacoblovesmetac
    Jul 8, 2022
    10
    Wow. What a fantastic finale! It was filled with such excitement and emotion! I am so excited for Season 5!!
  30. Migs2209
    Jul 2, 2022
    10
    It has blood, death, crying, high emotions. An epic season finale, which rewards the audience after almost 3 years of long wait. It was definitely worth it. Duffers are excellent!
  31. Lysy0021
    Jul 2, 2022
    10
    Yes, it's no perfect, yes, it's a bit too long, but no other series brought so many emotions in my life as Stranger Things. My future grandchildren will have to watch with me 20-30-40 years from now, that's how much I value it.
  32. jacoblees
    Jul 11, 2022
    6
    Even its best moments can't resonate as they ought, and often don't feel very earned, due to the show's bloated, unwieldy plots and excessive reliance on zany cartoon humor and eye-roll one-liners. But I'll show up for the next season. Which will be 25 hours this time?
  33. CarlElmore
    Jan 23, 2023
    7
    The season started off really good and while the last two episodes aren't bad, it definitely felt frustrating to watch the creators not wanna take any major risks besides the cliffhanger.
  34. Fixer84
    Mar 16, 2023
    8
    It's basically watching a movie of almost three and a half hours. This is not a defect, but a praise that must be done to make this happen. In the end what is a series and what is a film? Nothing too different when compared to the finale of the fourth season of Stranger Things, a now event series that sets the stage for the inevitable final season, which is shaping up to be great.
  35. Dimocracy
    Jul 6, 2023
    9
    I like it. I'm eagerly anticipating the next season! I can't wait to see where the story goes!

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Best TV Season of 2022
20
#20 Most Discussed TV Season of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Darren Franich
    Jul 5, 2022
    75
    Plotlines individually were good, meh, or bleh. ... But the finale's crosscutting was symphonic, bangs and crashes and screams across realities. ... I mean it as a massive compliment when I say Stranger Things' weird kids are growing into weird adults.
    Read full review
  2. The Daily Beast
    Reviewed by: Kevin Fallon
    Jul 5, 2022
    70
    A person shouldn’t think a TV show is good but also spend the entire time watching it hoping for it to end soon, and being annoyed when it doesn’t.
    Read full review
  3. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Jen Chaney
    Jul 5, 2022
    40
    Too many times, you watch and go, “Seen this before. Yep, seen that too.” Even the dialogue nods to this redundancy. ... By the end of season four, though, the show is replaying its own greatest hits way too often.
    Read full review
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