Stranger Things: A Review Of Season 4 Part 2 — Guardian Life

By Guardian Life

01 July 2022   |   8:52 am

The news that Part 2 of Stranger Things Season 4 would only contain two episodes as opposed to Part 1's seven may have initially looked confusing, but the grand finale of the smash series is not some series to hurriedly watch. Prepare to devote four hours to as much Upside Down mayhem as you can…

The news that Part 2 of Stranger Things Season 4 would only contain two episodes as opposed to Part 1’s seven may have initially looked confusing, but the grand finale of the smash series is not some series to hurriedly watch.

Prepare to devote four hours to as much Upside Down mayhem as you can bear; you can be sure that there won’t be a dull second during those action-packed four hours.

The word “ambitious,” which I used frequently in my review of Part 1, is even more applicable to the final two episodes of Stranger Things because this is the show at its most intense, exciting, and emotional.

Additionally, it is Stranger Things at its very finest, which is certain to satisfy fans’ every want and then some.

It’s difficult to discuss too much without giving away major plot points, and we can say that it’s good to have seen the branching-narrative style of narrative that was created in the first part finally merge in a way that feels immensely fulfilling.

While there is still a good deal of it in Part 2, it keeps bringing our protagonists together in a way that rewards the patience that was needed for Part 1 as the first seven episodes frequently went from California to Hawkins to Russia.

The subplot involving Mike, Will, Jonathan, and Argyle in California in Part 1 didn’t feel nearly as in-tune with the following season, and while these diversions weren’t unpleasant, they felt less vital than what the main gang was doing in Hawkins or Hopper’s attempts to escape from a Russian prison.

The good news is that Part 2 largely corrects this; they even manage to explain Argyle’s involvement in a way that goes beyond just comic relief.

Additionally, Will, who was very underutilized in Part 1, receives a few touching scenes, including one in Episode 8 which is unquestionably Noah Schnapp’s finest moment on the program so far.

Part 2 has a lot of that, with some of the series’ best performances coming from actors like Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Joe Keery, Sadie Sink, Millie Bobby Brown, Natalia Dyer, Joseph Quinn, and David Harbour.

The two episodes had many tender moments squeezed in between various characters, with more than a few tear-jerking moments. There is a ton of effects-heavy action and exciting plot momentum.

Even though the time lasts 1.5 hours for Episode 8 and 2.5 hours for Episode 9, it may appear excessive, the result is that nothing seems rushed.

Without any of the components undermining one another, the action, romantic beats, and several questions regarding the show’s backstories are allowed ample time to breathe.

Furthermore, given the size of the show’s cast at this stage, it is important to avoid undermining any particular character, and Part 2 does a good job of respecting most of the major players.

The series is at its most dramatic, exciting, and tense in its last two episodes of Stranger Things Season 4.

There are all the thrills you could ask for, but there are also a lot of sweet, heartfelt exchanges between people who have earned our utmost affection.

It is difficult to single out one series-best performance in particular because there are so many others, but it’s especially good to see Noah Schnapp’s Will receive slightly more attention than he received in Part 1.

With several characters and storylines to balance, but overall, these four hours have pretty everything that a Stranger Things fan could want.