The long-anticipated fourth season of Stranger Things 4 has reached its conclusion. For a number of viewers, every episode had plenty of standout moments that left them excited for the fifth and final season of the beloved series.
There were great scenes in every episode of season 4, arguably the best season of the show so far, but a few scenes stood out in particular. Despite how consistently good the season was, there were still individual scenes of each episode that stood out in particular because of a great soundtrack, intense action, or a big moment in the plot.
Episode 1: The D&D Game/ChampionShip Game Scene
The Sinclair siblings were the stars of the show in episode 1 of season 4. Lucas scores the state championship point in a key basketball match and Erica lands the final blow in Hellfire Club's Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
The scene was a great split perspective that showed both of the siblings lifting the spirits of their friends and teammates up. It both foreshadowed the classic Dungeons & Dragons-inspired villain of the season, Vecna, and established the relationships of the Sinclairs to their new groups, which are Erica's closeness with the Hellfire Club and Lucas trying to conform to Jason's group.
Episode 2: Jonathan Confides In Argyle
Hopefully, Jonathan and Argyle get a bigger role in season 5 of Stranger Things because they had plenty of great moments in the time they had, both separately and together. One of their best scenes together was a simple conversation early in the season.
Episode 2 wasn't the most action-packed, but Argyle and Jonathan's conversation about Nancy helped the audience see things a bit from Jonathan's point of view while Argyle served to tell Jonathan what most of the audience was likely thinking. Hopefully, Jonathan still has Argyle to offer advice and talk some sense into him in season 5 as well.
Episode 3: Hopper's Breakout Plans Begin
Hopper's first breakout attempt may not have gone so well due to Yuri's betrayal, but the steps he was willing to take to break free showed just how desperately he wanted to get back to Joyce and Eleven.
Hopper exchanging his bread and soup in exchange for a Russian prisoner shattering his heel isn't exactly the most enjoyable trade in the world, but it did help him escape for a short time. The sequence also helped really introduce fans to Dmitri, often referred to as "Enzo" in the beginning, who became one of the most interesting new characters introduced in season 4.
Episode 4: "Running Up That Hill"
Max was one of the biggest stars of Stranger Things 4, and episode 4 was, in many fans' opinions, the best episode of the entire series. This is largely down to her narrow escape from Vecna.
The power of the song choice in "Running Up That Hill" was certainly profound. Sadie Sink, Jamie Campbell Bower, and the three boys all did a phenomenal job acting the scene. Everything from the powerful depression metaphors to the dialogue was exceptional, making the final scene of "Dear Billy" arguably the best scene in Stranger Things.
Episode 5: Murray Is Actually Good At Karate?
Starting with the attempting abduction of Joyce and Murray, Yuri's entire cocky plane ride sequence that ended with him tied up in the woods of Russia was entertaining due to being suspenseful, action-packed, and funny.
However, the best part of it all was the fight between Yuri and Murray. Murray's goofiness and the way he spoke about his karate lessons may have led the audience to underestimate him, but it turned out that his training wasn't all for naught. Murray almost effortlessly dispatched Yuri in a surprisingly impressive display of martial arts.
Episode 6: Hopper Steals The Lighter
Some short time after Yuri's betrayal of Dmitri and Hopper, the two were at odds on how to deal with the situation. After Hopper learned that the Demogorgon was the main threat to them, his plan sprang into action.
After starting a drunken fight with Dmitri, Hopper was assaulted by a guard. The time he bought allowed him to sneak the guard's lighter, as he explained to Dmitri that the Demogorgon's only weakness is fire. The two exchanged their first moment of genuine friendship as they laughed over the plan's success.
Episode 7: The Vecna/Henry/One Reveal
Vecna is this season's main antagonist and arguably is Stranger Things' most powerful character. While some twist villains can feel forced, this was a perfectly foreshadowed twist that brought everything together immaculately.
The great part of the Vecna mystery being unraveled is that every piece of the puzzle that was introduced previously came together neatly in episode 7. The slow reveal over the course of a few minutes also meant that every audience member had the opportunity to realize it themselves slowly throughout the course of the reveal sequence, a much preferable execution to having the answer shoved in the viewer's face.
Episode 8: Papa's Death
While Brenner's demise, or "Papa as Eleven called him, wasn't exactly the saddest Stranger Things death, it was one of the most tremendous moments in the series and the death of one of the overarching antagonists.
Brenner was never necessarily evil, according to both his own words and Vecna's. Honestly, it's hard to disagree with their assessments. Brenner wasn't a great man and did plenty of horrible things, but he always did at least attempt to do what he thought was best. That being said, Eleven certainly wasn't in the wrong for refusing to forgive him and leaving the man alone in his final moments. For some viewers, it can be considered a satisfying moment in Eleven's arc.
Episode 9: "Master of Puppets"
Stranger Things has had some fantastic needle-drops over the series, and one of the greatest appeared in the season 4 finale. In order to distract the bats of the Upside Down, Eddie donned an electric guitar and belted out Metallica's "Master of Puppets" at full volume. It's quickly become one of the most iconic scenes of the entire series.
"Master of Puppets," Eddie's personal song choice, was the backdrop to three major events, which were Jason's arrival at the Creel house, Vecna chasing Max in her mind, and Eddie drawing the bats. It was an incredibly metal scene that both showed the rising action of the final major conflicts and set up Eddie as even more of a fan favorite in his final moments.