Stranger Things 4 - Any good?

[Deset Gled]

(Please keep spoilers in tags.)

I loved Stranger Things when it first came out. I thought Stranger Things 2 was good; not as great as the original, but still fun. I could not watch Stranger Things 3. After just a couple of episodes, I was surprised to discovered it was making me viscerally angry rather than giving me any form of pleasure.

I could not stand what they did to the characters. So many of them received fast and unneeded de-evolution rather than growth, like Jim and Nancy. Especially Eleven, who seemed to do a complete 180 from season 2. It may have just been me, but the 80s references seemed to change from interesting to forced. I hated everything about the mall. And the weird attempt at a plot with Russian codes hidden there in plain sight basically made the whole season arc feel like the show had changed from X-Files to Hardy Boys.

So, noting all that, is there any chance I could watch Season 4 and enjoy it? I'm willing to give it an honest try, and can forgive a show for going through rough patches (for reference, I made it through all 15 seasons of Supernatural). Am I okay to jump straight from 2 to 4, or do I need to watch the season ending (or some sort of Youtube summary) from Season 3 to understand what's happening?

 

[Parmandur]

There is a recap at the start of the Season. It is a return to form, in my opinion. Season 3 was actually largely forgettable.

 

[Nikosandros]

There is a recap at the start of the Season. It is a return to form, in my opinion. Season 3 was actually largely forgettable.

I agree about season 3. I've watched 4 episodes so far of S4 and I'm quite liking it.

 

[Ryujin]

(Please keep spoilers in tags.)

I loved Stranger Things when it first came out. I thought Stranger Things 2 was good; not as great as the original, but still fun. I could not watch Stranger Things 3. After just a couple of episodes, I was surprised to discovered it was making me viscerally angry rather than giving me any form of pleasure.

I could not stand what they did to the characters. So many of them received fast and unneeded de-evolution rather than growth, like Jim and Nancy. Especially Eleven, who seemed to do a complete 180 from season 2. It may have just been me, but the 80s references seemed to change from interesting to forced. I hated everything about the mall. And the weird attempt at a plot with Russian codes hidden there in plain sight basically made the whole season arc feel like the show had changed from X-Files to Hardy Boys.

So, noting all that, is there any chance I could watch Season 4 and enjoy it? I'm willing to give it an honest try, and can forgive a show for going through rough patches (for reference, I made it through all 15 seasons of Supernatural). Am I okay to jump straight from 2 to 4, or do I need to watch the season ending (or some sort of Youtube summary) from Season 3 to understand what's happening?

There's a certain degree of novelty to a show like that, when it first comes out. They have to up the bar each season, rather than being simply as good, or they lose that visceral hit. I think "Stranger Things" has suffered from perception, more than reality in this regard.

I'm quite enjoying season 4. I watched all of the currently released episodes over the course of two days and am looking forward to the second half.

 

[payn]

They have been adding characters slowly but surely. So, some of your favorites might end up being disappointing in how little involvement they have. Otherwise, I do think it comes back to form generally that season 3 sort of left behind. Though, its really getting to be run of the mill at this point and needs to wrap up.

 

[delericho]

There is a recap at the start of the Season. It is a return to form, in my opinion. Season 3 was actually largely forgettable.

When I watched the recap, I found I'd largely forgotten season 3.

I'm only one episode in. Thus far it's fine, but I don't really have a good basis yet. However, my experience is that the fourth season is often when shows really start to dip, so I'm steadfastly refusing to get my hopes up.

 

[JThursby]

I could not watch Stranger Things 3. After just a couple of episodes, I was surprised to discovered it was making me viscerally angry rather than giving me any form of pleasure.

I had a similar experience. Ever since about halfway through Season 2 the show has felt like it's stuck spinning it's wheels.

It may have just been me, but the 80s references seemed to change from interesting to forced.

This might be a generational thing. I was born after the 80's, I just thought the period specific stuff in the show was kind of charming. My parents were adolescents in the 80's, they thought a lot of the references were really contrived.

 

[Deset Gled]

They have been adding characters slowly but surely. So, some of your favorites might end up being disappointing in how little involvement they have. Otherwise, I do think it comes back to form generally that season 3 sort of left behind. Though, its really getting to be run of the mill at this point and needs to wrap up.

My complaint isn't that my favorite characters didn't get screen time, it's that they destroyed the characters. Jim, for example, went from a rough-around-the-edge-but-heart-of-gold character with legitimate layers about how he was viewed as an authority figure from different angles to... basically an abusive drunk parent with no personality like you would find in the bully's backstory in a Stephen King novel. Nancy went from being an independent and intrepid investigator who uncovered interdimensional government secrets to... an intern at a local newspaper struggling under a misogynistic boss. It was a major step back in character development for them. I would rather have them sent away on a bus for a season and meet new characters than shred and recycle the old ones like that.

 

[Deset Gled]

This might be a generational thing. I was born after the 80's, I just thought the period specific stuff in the show was kind of charming. My parents were adolescents in the 80's, they thought a lot of the references were really contrived.

A lot of it was, for me, what they were referencing. Nerd culture like D&D and Radio Shack felt like it was catering to me. Jazzercize at the mall feels like pandering to the masses.

 

[payn]

A lot of it was, for me, what they were referencing. Nerd culture like D&D and Radio Shack felt like it was catering to me. Jazzercize at the mall feels like pandering to the masses.

This is a natural development since ST has hit pop culture. It needs to feed a lot of mouths.