Stranger Things

And there's really probably only one video you need to watch, the brief recap made by Netflix summing up the first string of episodes, which ran for about nine ...

They’ve discovered that music can help pull people out of the trance, which is how Max, despite being “marked” by Vecna, manages to escape. And there’s really probably only one video you need to watch, the brief recap made by Netflix summing up the first string of episodes, which ran for about nine hours in total. Even though it has only been a month instead of a few years like the gap between seasons 3 and 4, you still may want a refresher on what exactly happened in those first seven episodes.

Show creators the Duffer brothers told Variety they don't anticipate the gap being anywhere near as long as the one between series 3 and 4.

However, the show has turned many of the cast into household names who now have other commitments to fulfil. You would be forgiven for thinking that this mammoth episode will wrap up the entire series, but the good news for fans is that a fifth series is already in the works. For the first time, this series of Stranger Things was split into two parts, due to it being significantly longer than previous seasons.

Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Max (Sadie Sink) were at risk from being murdered by Vecna, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) was being held hostage by Dr Brenner (Matthew ...

In one of his many face offs with Eleven, Vecna warns her that this is not the end, but the beginning of the end. The action and the four-series storyline – all of which untangles into one simple, satisfying thread towards the end of episode two – are excellent, but secondary to what Stranger Things does best. One is satisfactory, with a sense of justice. The threat is only made more distinct by the sheer number of touching moments and heroic speeches made by various characters. Realising there’s only one way to take on Vecna, the group still in Hawkins prepare themselves for battle and hatch a rather genius plan to get rid of the mind-reading monster once and for all. The first episode of the two focuses on getting them out of the mess.

Is Max dead? How did Vecna survive? And what happened to Eddie?

At the end of the season, Hopper and Eleven are reunited at last, and more or less the whole gang come together at Hopper’s cabin to share in their experiences. He was what Dr Brenner (Matthew Modine) had Eleven looking for when she first brought the Demogorgon to Hawkins, and it seems that the Mind Flayer of seasons 2 and 3 was actually doing Vecna’s bidding as well. Despite the devastation outside, Eleven refused to accept her friend’s death, reaching into her with her mind and (it’s implied later) restarting her heart. Max (Sadie Sink) baits Vecna into trying to take her mind again, knowing that he needs a fourth death to open the world to the Upside Down, with Lucas by her side to pull her out. The key thing to remember is, Vecna needed four kills to bring the Upside Down to our world. The second part of Stranger Things 4 has finally arrived, and it’s an epic conclusion to what’s been a massive season already.

This excellent penultimate season of Netflix's golden goose is the perfect antidote to lowest common denominator television.

There is no need for Stranger Things to be as good as it is. They could’ve simply phoned it in, and yet what they’ve created is a lavish yet intimate drama, blending almost every genre – from comedy to horror to romance – into a show that is a near faultless crowd pleaser. When the history of Gen Z television is written (and what a fascinating work that will be…) the opening chapter must surely be dedicated to Stranger Things. The Duffer Brothers’ nostalgia-inflected sci-fi smash began in 2016 with a cast of unknown children, who, as the years have gone by, have grown up and into superstars. All the same, the Duffer Brothers know how to construct a climax, as the reunited gang do battle with Vecna back on the home turf of Hawkins, Indiana. “I have this gnawing feeling that it might not work out for us this time,” Robin ( Maya Hawke, another great casting) tells Joe Keery’s Steve Harrington. “But if we don’t stop him, who will?” Eleven ( Millie Bobby Brown), meanwhile, is underground somewhere in the Nevadan desert. As things pick up here in the last two episodes, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and the Byers brothers (Noah Schnapp and Charlie Heaton) are in California, while Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Murray (Brett Gelman) are in Siberia, searching for Hopper (David Harbour). “Guess you got my message,” says Hopper, when they finally reunite.

From the start of Stranger Things, he's always been the outlier, the kid wrested away from the gang by dark, supernatural forces. The first two seasons saw ...

In the Duffer brothers’ original show bible for the series—back when it was called Montauk instead of Stranger Things—Will is described as a “sweet, sensitive kid with sexual identity issues. Eagle-eyed viewers noticed that when Will had to do a class project on a historical hero, he chose Alan Turing, the scientific genius who was persecuted for being gay. And perhaps he will by the time season five rolls around, seeing as it’s the last season of the entire show. And that’s what it is to be a kid.” He then looks out the window and starts to cry, while Jonathan watches on in the rearview mirror, giving his little brother a knowing look. For the last two seasons, the show has been dropping hints here and there that Will isn’t like the rest of his friends.

Silicon, foam latex, and a whole lot of lube - Stranger Things season 4 Makeup Effects Department Head Barrie Gower reveals the origins of Vecna.

It’s rare that you’re given the opportunity to design the look of a character like Vecna. And it’s super rare to get to work with an actor like Jamie. He really, really embraced the character from day one. And the finish of the colors as well. The overall gloss was definitely an effort to capture the environment of the Upside Down. It’s why we finished with this kind of gloss-like gel that we would smother Jamie in at the end of the application. Even though we had these beautiful designs from Michael Mayer at the start, we also looked at a lot of real life references – anatomy of animal life, sea life, all sorts of colors and textures, really. They digitally animated his left hand for a large portion of his scenes with the fingers penetrating into skulls and what have you. We’re already massive fans of Stranger Things so to get the call and become a part of the show has been insane. Ideally they were looking at an actor in prosthetics who could interact with the rest of the cast and would be there for them to film in front of the camera every day. Was this Billy? Was it Hopper? It wasn’t until several weeks later when they shared some pages and we read some scenes and then we were privy to the fact that it was Jamie’s orderly character Number One. They already had concept art and some blueprints that were created by their concept artist in the VFX department, Michael Mayer. They had these beautiful illustrations of Vecna. It’s actually very close to what we see in the final show now. They were looking for an iconic character and it was going to be their first (monster) who was more humanoid in form, less creature-like as such as some of the previous creations had been. What follows is the full story of Vecna was conception to first kill and beyond. Striking that careful balance is precisely why Netflix and the Duffer Brothers turned to Gower and his team in the first place.