Content Warning: This article contains references to graphic descriptions
Although Stranger Things' season 4 has started off with a bang after achieving record-breaking numbers for Netflix and high critics scores (including a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes), it appears that not everyone shares the same opinion.
If a person was to take to the internet and have a look at some internet platforms, such as Reddit, they might be surprised to find quite a few hot takes and unpopular opinions circulating. It's certainly a bold move for some Redditors to go against the grain in relation to certain aspects of the show, but it appears that some just couldn't help themselves in expressing their views about certain characters and storylines.
Vecna's Reveal Was Underwhelming
The big twist that 001 was Henry Creel and Vecna was met with shock and praise, as most didn't see it coming. Many viewers consider him to be an interesting villain and the reveal tied many threads of the story together.
However, that doesn't mean that everyone was impressed, as there were a few Redditors who believed that it was actually underwhelming and cliched. As SpawnOfRenllaw perfectly summarized, "I [didn't] really like 001's speech. It felt too cliche. I feel like I've heard the whole 'Humans are a virus' and 'We could reshape the world together' thing a million times."
Bad CGI
Stranger Things has become Netflix's flagship series over its run and it usually provides the series with the ability to deliver some great effects. But this season, as some fans pointed out, seemed like it cut too many corners.
As ToneBone12345 says, "in the last like 15 minutes [of] the flashback, holy ---- the CGI was Walking Dead CGI dear level bad [.] I really hope episode 8 and 9’s [...] isn’t that bad." While fans can understand that some shows don't always have the budget to give off the best experiences, it really shouldn't have been the case here since the budget for each episode was allegedly $30 million (via Vulture). Hopefully, after listening to some criticisms and not releasing the final two episodes, the creators might have made some improvements.
Season 4 Is Not The Darkest Season
Season 4 has been considered the darkest season thus far, with its psychological elements and the horrific way Vecna killed his victims. But some think it is not as dark as in previous seasons.
User vitor1197 believes that seasons 2 and 3 are darker, because "the monster is literally made from the guts of random people, a 13-year-old girl's leg is dissected to extract what appears to be a live parasite and one of the antagonists is stabbed to death by the guts monster. I'm also sure that if you look through the other seasons, you'll find equally explicit scenes (possessed Will comes to mind.)" Fans don't even need to go back to watch the episode as the explanation and description is vivid enough to terrify anyone.
Argyle Is The Most Useless Character
Season 4 has added a host of new characters, some lovable and some hateable. Argyle usually falls almost the more fan-favorite characters, but some think he's unnecessary and maybe even a detriment to the characters.
User MyriVerse2 believes "He's every horrible stoner stereotype in one." User ShootingStarrzz agrees that his presence has also questioned his friendship with Jonathan, stating how they didn't like how he told Jonathan to "go smoke, don’t deal with your problems." While it's possible that his presence is to help lighten the show when it gets too dark, he could still end up playing a key role in the next couple of episodes.
Episode Pacing
This season has been the longest to date, with some episodes near the length of a full movie. This caused some fans to say the pacing could have been better. Although there were hints, this fan thinks if Vecna's reveal had been outright spread throughout the season, it would have evened it out.
User TheBisforBubbles says "they could have at least given us the Creel kid is Vecna reveal earlier, then the orderly is 001 reveal in different eps, and it woulda helped with earlier pacing too by keeping the plot moving along." With so much going on, it's understandable why the fans felt a little frustrated about the storyline placements. However, it's also possible that the writers had to speed up the process in order to execute whatever they had planned in the final two episodes.
Repetitive Plotline
Eleven's storyline has been captivating to many viewers, thus resulting in the final episode becoming the highest rated of the series. But it didn't work for some and was found to be unnecessary at times.
Like with the pacing, this fan thought that some storylines were repetitive and slow. User Numerous-Cod9947 thinks they "could've spent less time on Eleven" since some parts did feel kind of "repetitive." Given that Eleven is usually at the center of all the chaos and drama, it's to be expected that the writers would come back and revisit her past. There's also a possibility that they have been dropping some hidden hints and clues that they are just waiting for the fans to pick up on.
Hopper Plot Armor
Hopper is a fan-favorite character and had a fake death at the end of season 3. Even though most fans were thrilled he was back (despite the secret being predicted), a criticism the show had received is that a lot of the main characters seem to have plot armor.
As user The_Great_Crocodile says, "Hopper playing a plot-armored superhero [...]" lessened the verisimilitude of the storyline. Hopper suffered many injuries in the Russian prison, namely to his ankle. This injury, and others, should have hindered him more.
Straightforward Reveal
In the final episode, 001 explains his motives and backstory to Nancy, and while it seemed necessary to most to lay out how all these threads were connected, some fans would have preferred a different route.
User DashboardNight thinks that "if they left that 30 minutes of explaining out by 001, and instead just left it for the viewer to figure it out," it would have been a more interesting storytelling method. Allowing the viewer to put the pieces together without spelling them out for the audience could be risky but rewarding.