Two of the most powerful scenes in Stranger Things season 4 are the Kate Bush scene and the Metallica scene, but one is superior. Both musical moments in Stranger Things season 4 showcase the deep bonds the main character group share, while also proving pivotal to the show's plot. Eddie Munson's big moment comes when the Hawkins kids are scattered across the country, but are brought together through their determination to save their town.
Max also has a pivotal musical scene in Stranger Things season 4, breaking free from Vecna's clutches in episode 9. During her struggle, Stranger Things plays the Kate Bush song "Running Up That Hill" in the background. As moving as this scene is, the prize for the most powerful music moment in Stranger Things season 4 has to go to Eddie's desperate last stand featuring Metallica's "Master of Puppets."
Why Eddie's Stranger Things Metallica Scene Was Important
Eddie's Stranger Things scene is important because it encapsulates the season's central themes of friendship and sacrifice. Eddie and the Hawkins gang are both outside the mainstream of society and quickly become closer than just members of a hobby group. When Eddie is blamed for Vecna's murders, his gaming friends quickly act to protect him from the townspeople, and he becomes a crucial part of their plan to defeat Vecna. Eddie and Dustin distract Vecna's evil Demobats with an epic guitar solo in the Upside Down, while the others infiltrate the Upside Down version of the Vecna's childhood home, the old Creel House in Stranger Things.
This undertaking becomes much more dangerous due to the popular boys of Hawkins, who have bought into the Satanic Panic of their parents. While Eddie is playing, these teens attack Erica in the right-side-up version of Hawkins. Their actions nearly lead to Max getting killed by Vecna, directly contributing to Eddie's tragic death. Eddie risks everything because he feels these kids are as close as family, and is willing to protect them in every way he can. The dark, sad irony is that Eddie sacrifices himself for a town that continues to believe he is a murderer - even after being presumed dead following the cataclysmic earthquake caused by Vecna.
Why Max's Stranger Things Kate Bush Scene Was Important
Although Max was introduced in Stranger Things season 2, she quickly became a core cast member. It took the boys some time to trust her, not just because she was a girl, but because they were used to being an insular, self-contained group until they met Eleven, who was immediately embraced due to her powers. That sensation of being a loner who suddenly finds a loving place in a friendship group is perfectly summed up through Stranger Things' "Running Up The Hill" scene, but the lyrics simultaneously speak to Max's grief after losing Billy in season 3. The music is equal parts inspiring and morose, which is perfect for Max.
In Stranger Things season 4, Max is still feeling responsible for her brother's death because, despite Billy's abuse, he died protecting her after Vecna took him over. Stranger Things season 4 shows Vecna in the Upside Down sensing Max's depression and guilt, and targeting her for death. Luckily, Max's friends find out in time and, in an emotional scene, use her favorite song to remind her that she has a purpose and a family. The scene symbolizes Max breaking free from her guilt and choosing to live, which later gives her the courage to offer herself as bait to trap Vecna.
Stranger Things' Metallica Scene Was Better Than The Kate Bush Scene
Both the Metallica "Master of Puppets" scene and the Kate Bush "Running Up That Hill" scene are powerful moments and speak to important themes of Stranger Things. However, while Max's scene is personally important for her and represents the deep friendship of the whole party, the Eddie Munson Stranger Things Metallica scene in the Upside Down is better because it has a more substantial emotional impact. Eddie's scene is one of conscious sacrifice for his chosen family. It is clear that he knows he probably won't survive it.
Eddie is a non-conformist to the end, and he goes out with an epic final performance to protect his friends and save the town that hates him. Eddie chooses to stand against a devil-like menace in an underworld-like landscape, despite the fact the people of Hawkins believe he belongs in a place just like it. Tragically, that belief is rooted in fear of someone who isn't "normal" and wrongly seen as a threat. Those who disavow Eddie are unwittingly working with Vecna, who feeds on fear and guilt, and rejects those trying to change and save things.
This makes Eddie's Stranger Things sacrifice and death even more powerful, as he saves the town that views him with prejudice by using one of the very tools they fear him for: loud heavy metal music. Max's Kate Bush scene is certainly more personal, but lacks the wider resonance that comes from Eddie's selfless shredding. There is nothing more rock and roll than that, and nothing more Stranger Things.