well... just finished s4v2 of stranger things... I have some thoughts.
First ep length complaints. they def could’ve edited some shit down, but also I think it would’ve been better in 30min eps with like 20 eps in the season. Why aren’t shows doing that anymore??? They had perfect opportunities for good cliffhangers mid ep that should’ve been where the ep ended. Honestly it felt like this season was built for binge watching, none of the episodes really felt distinct. I will happily binge watch any show cause that’s how my brain works, but if I watched it an ep at a time, I don’t think I would’ve kept up with it since the eps were AN HOUR AND A HALF. That’s just not reasonable for a week night
Now spoiler time.
They said will’s sexuality was going to be talked about, it wasn’t. it was just pure gay pinning and the poor boy being in love with his straight friend. diddn’t have high hopes for willxmike, but I at least thought will say he’s gay. but NO
The max thing, i kinda get. But like what killed her? her eyes weren’t a bloody mess and her neck wasn’t snapped, WHAT KILLED HER? I did like the focus on max and el’s friendship, & how it links into how eleven increases her powers, & I get that she restarted max’s heart. But are they going to get into the theological shit of ‘max’s spirit’ needs to be returned to her body to wake up???
Now eddie’s death. litterally the same thing happened to steve, he should be fine. The timing doesn’t make sense, dustin literally jumped back into the upside down as quickly as he could. and are you telling me he didn’t jump on a bike to get to eddie faster??? that kid does not understand caution, I know he fucked up his ankle/foot, but like would that really stop him? Also eddie’s death felt cheap, like yay he didn’t run, but it’s not a payoff if he dies as a consequence of not running. Also dustin always saw him as a hero, so what is this? And eddie not getting recognized as innocent by hawkins is some bullshit.
(I understand they’re playing into the paranoia, but this feels half-assed and unfinished, no comeuppance, even the death of the captain of the basketball team, only lucas knows how he went, and only lucas saw him for the raging lunatic that he was, so the town’s gonna continue to idolize him)
Not saying I would’ve wanted this to happen, but steve was right there. he had his whole bit about wanting a big family and keeping hope and looking forward to the future despite all the shit. he’s right there. Steve dying for nancy, robin, or dustin (eddie at a push) would feel sincere & not half-asses. Also it’s a tv show about a girl with powers, everyone could live, there’s nothing stopping that, it felt like they were waiting for the kiddlets to grow up to finally kill off some characters, if they wanted ‘realistic’ someone from the main cast other than joyce’s boyfriend would’ve died s2 with the demodog/tunnels.
I read some other posts about how half the stuff they said would be addressed this season wasn’t and how a bunch of promo shots and characters seen bts just weren’t included. I’m assuming they started filming s5 at the same time & that netflix is doing the thing where the next season comes out in like 6 months. (which feels like bullshit for the post-production folks).
