Stranger Things season 4 boasts a bigger scope than previous seasons, and some fans were worried this would be a major mistake for the series, seeing how Strangers Things has too many characters and plotlines season 3. With a staggering array of characters, locations, and storylines, long episode runtimes, and all-out war brewing with the Upside Down, Stranger Things season 4 is living up to producer Shawn Levy's promise of a “more epic and cinematic” season. But this wasn't how the series began. Debuting in 2016, Stranger Things became a word-of-mouth sensation for streaming service Netflix. A fusion of small-town mystery, nostalgic coming-of-age dramedy, and sci-fi horror, Stranger Things season 1 told the story of a group of kids who uncover a vast government conspiracy and are hunted by an interdimensional monster.

Despite this dramatic summary, Stranger Things season 1 owed its inspiration to Prisoners and other dark domestic dramas as much as the work of John Carpenter and Steven Spielberg. It had a superpowered heroine, a toothy monster, and shadowy government agents killing civilians, but the tone was nonetheless surprisingly intimate, and many of the strongest moments came from the believable interplay between the talented cast. However, pre-season Stranger Things season 4 trailers and interview left many viewers worried the show would drop this approach, fearing the latest season of Stranger Things would lose the zippy dialogue and well-crafted relationships of the early seasons. A big reason for these concerns was that season 4 would see the Byers leaving Hawkins. The esoterically besieged town of Hawkins and its Upside Down weirdness are as important to Stranger Things as the characters residing there. The Byers left Hawkins at season 3's end. While it made narrative sense for Joyce, Jonathan, Will, and Eleven, it didn't sit well with many fans. They didn't sign on for a series set in sunny California - they're invested in Stranger Things because of the tense small-town horror atmosphere settings like Hawkins enable.

Related: Stranger Things Season 4 Should Be More Comedic (Not Less)

Stranger Things season 4 has lived up to Shawn Levy's comments from 2021 that the long-awaited season would be a bigger and more mature affair than its predecessors, with “storytelling [that] is more epic and cinematic than we’ve ever attempted before.” There was apprehension when Levy' made these comments, as a small but not insignificant portion of the Stranger Things fanbase was disappointed with season 3. Stranger Things is a beloved show. However, after season 3, there were concerns it had peaked in season 1 (it wouldn't be the first show to do so, after all). The biggest problem with Stranger Things season 3 was an overabundance of sprawling plot threads for viewers to follow and the sacrifice of believable character drama for the sake of bigger action – Stranger Things has too many characters, and it affected season 3. The season 4 trailers all had an epic feel, but grand scale isn't what made the series work, as the best moments had been atmospheric, slow-burn plots, and subtle character work. However, when season 4 hit Netflix, these concerns were put to bed. Stranger Things' season 4 locations and team-ups have opened up the wider Stranger Things world without forgoing the intimacy, character focus, or gripping arcs that made season 1 such a breakout success.

Stranger Things Seasons 2 & 3 Went Too Big

The Mind Flayer from Stranger Things.

Strangers Things is best when it's simple and human. Focusing on the blooming relationship between Jonathan and Nancy in Stranger Things season 1, for example, worked better than season 3’s attempts to balance Dustin, Steve, and Robin uncovering a Soviet takeover of Hawkins, Mike and El breaking up, or Billy becoming possessed by the Mind Flayer. The last plot, in particular, was a wasted opportunity, with Billy’s eventual redemption being an afterthought where it could have been an impactful moment in a quieter, less stuffed season of Stranger Things. With so many subplots and so much action overlapping, the Stranger Things season 3 had a far larger scope than season 1 but left viewers cold in some aspects. This issue was less prevalent in Stranger Things season 2, but the beginnings of a large scope could be seen in the introduction of numerous new characters, which inevitably resulted in fewer quiet scenes shared by the central cast.

It is in such quiet scenes, like the beginning of Mike and El's tentative relationship, Joyce's early interactions with a taciturn-but-sincere Hopper, or the devastating discovery of Will's (fake) body that Stranger Things season 1 truly soared and was able to prove its full potential. This character-driven focused tone is also what seasons 2 and 3 were felt to lack somewhat, too. Prior to its release, there were concerns that season 4 needed a smaller story to bring back Stranger Things season 1's tone, not the promised "epic" approach that risked drowning out subtle moments. When season 4 arrived, however, these worries were proven unfounded. Stranger Things season 4 does have a wider scope and more independent story arcs. The upscaling of Stranger Things in season 4 hasn't been detrimental, and it's already regarded as being one of the best so far. Season 4 takes Stranger Things viewers to new places, but they found the same intimate character-driven tone when they got there.

As well as California, season 4 saw Joyce travel to Russia after learning Hopper was still alive and captive in Kamchatka. Russia is about as far away from small-town USA and Hawkins as one can get, both literally and in terms of aesthetics. Joyce and Hopper's Russia arc introduced new characters Yuri and Dmitri, though, who have been well received. There were also many moments between Joyce and Murray that wouldn't have been possible if the latter hadn't accompanied Joyce on her journey. Season 4 also contains many of the subtle yet endearing moments that make Stranger Things so bingeworthy and rewatchable. A notable example is Steve and Robin's conversation on the way to a pep rally about Vickie (Robin's crush) pausing movies when breasts are on screen, or Will and Mike's quiet musings on how everything is changing amid an episode that includes roller-skate assault. Season 4 is full of moments like this, whether it's the characters still based in Hawkins, the Byers in California, or Joyce, Murray, and Hopper in Russia. It's no longer the case that Stranger Things has too many characters – they all matter.

Related: Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 Easter Eggs & References

Stranger Things Season 4 Has Long Episodes - But It Works

stranger-things-steve-robin-max-dustin-season-4

Stranger Things season 4 will have 9 episodes, which is right in line with the 8-9 episode format earlier seasons have followed. However, the format of individual episodes has taken a drastic shift. Stranger Things season 4 episodes are over an hour long (and the finale is 2 and a half hours – considerably longer than the previous runtime of 40mins). Given the staggering amount of content in Stranger Things season 4's story, this decision makes a lot of sense, and enables Stranger Things to tell the stories it wants to without sacrificing anything (or drowning audiences in cliff-hangers). The extra runtime has been fully leveraged. There's no padding to fill screen time, and the plus-size episodes are paced extremely well. A lot more happens per episode, but all of it feels relevant and engaging, and at no point does Stranger Things season 4 feel chaotic. Great care has been taken to ensure everything presented can be followed, and it's paid off.

In addition to its smaller-scale character moments and slow-burn story, some fans partly attributed Stranger Things season 1's strength to its conciseness. Seasons 2 and 3 tried to do too much in the same amount of runtime, but the creative team learned from their mistake here. Stranger Things season 4's long episodes weren't indicative of an overstuffed plot. It was the reverse - the recognition that to tell the story well, it needed more time to be told. Longer runtimes meant audiences could experience the Stranger Things season 4 story as intended, without having to choose between an abridged version or splitting it across multiple seasons (meaning longer to wait until Stranger Things reaches its ultimate conclusion). The longer runtime is the reason Stranger Things season 4 feels much closer to season 1 in its pacing. And, as viewers proved by the show's still healthy numbers, people are more than willing to sit through a show with near feature-length episodes. While it may have been a controversial direction when it was announced, increasing the runtime is one of the best decisions Netflix made for Stranger Things.

Why Stranger Things Season 4 Has Delivered

Sadie Sink as Max floating in the air in Stranger Things season 4

Despite the apprehension that season 4 wouldn't learn from Stranger Things' past mistakes, it turned out to be one of the series' most solid seasons in several ways. Large-scale monster battles and Russian prison facilities might not be part of Stranger Things' original brand, but they've been used in ways that are Hollywood blockbuster-level exciting, without losing the show's close-focus character intimacy. The mystery elements in Stranger Things season 4, like the Creel House and the shadowy Vecna figure, opened up a whole new realm of supernatural and sci-fi possibilities, all of which the show has harnessed and given its own Stranger Things spin. Child-experiment-turned-adult-villain is hardly a new concept, yet at no point did Vecna feel like something audiences had seen before.

The reveal of Vecna as One, the first kid Hawkins Labs subjected to torture in the name of science, was one of the biggest shocks of Stranger Things so far. An impressive feat, considering the show is hardly lacking in jaw-dropping reveals. Vecna started as a mysterious threat, with more details about him emerging as season 4 progressed. With such characters, there's always a risk that exposition diminishes their threat and the gravitas they command on-screen – fear of the unknown is a powerful thing, after all. That wasn't the case with Vecna though, who remained just as terrifying after learning he was once human (and had a somewhat sympathetic, albeit murdery, history). The scene where Max escapes Vecna's possession to the tune of "Running Up That Hill" was so well put together that Kate Bush's 1985 single came back to the top 10 in multiple territories 37 years after its release.

Related: What Happened Between Stranger Things Season 3 & Season 4

The antagonist is far from the only gem in Stranger Things season 4's crown, though. The puzzle pieces of Eleven's past are being put back together to create an incredibly satisfying picture for fans that have waited three seasons to see it. Plus, the new settings like California and Russia don't distract from the atmosphere at all. If anything, the juxtaposition within the show only serves to make the claustrophobic small-town danger of Hawkins all the more terrifying. All of these aspects make Stranger Things season 4 worthy of the praise it's so far received, and despite some fan concerns, the long runtime and epic scope feel like a natural progression. Just as The Party has grown and evolved since being kids in season 1, so too has Stranger Things as a show, so much so that it would now feel odd if the events that started in Hawkins didn't spill out into the wider world.

More: Stranger Things Season 4 Needs Fear Street’s Darker Edge

Stranger Things season 4, part 2 releases on Netflix on July 1st, 2022 at 3 AM PST.

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