I liked episode 8 and the first 90 mins of episode 9 quite a lot. Found all the epilogue stuff very weird and disjointed though. Felt like the show was set up to end but then they decided to do another season so they made a few quick changes
I was a little underwhelmed by the final two episodes. Thought the season did a good job overall in tying the new antagonist into a wider explanation of the show's fictional universe, and it managed to be more spooky and more horrific than before while retaining the warmth and comedy. Above all, I think it struggled with the pacing, which was inevitable when expanding onto a bigger canvas, featuring four plotlines that can't converge too soon for structural reasons. I don't think the Russia plotline was pointless (it served a purpose) but having to cut away to it every few scenes did deflate the tension and pace. I also found the post-climactic epilogue a bit underwhelming: felt like it had a lot of loose ends to tie up quickly, and after the narrative tension had drained.
As to Vladimikel Artutin's points, I'd go back to JSPC's observation from a while back that he is overthinking some things (above all, holding little details to a higher standard of credibility than a show based on the premise that you have to suspend disbelief). And then also missing fairly basic things. E.g. with Max the kids' plan was constructed around the premise that she could lure Vecna and, armed with what they know about how he preys on his victims, draw on the happy things in her life to resist him long enough to buy the others' time to attack him in the other world. Of course this is absurd in many ways, but it's fairly reasonable in the logic of the narrative flow and hardly inconsistent with the kind of plot devices you see in the 1980s popcorn movies Stranger Things is drawing on.
As to 'Idk why people get so wound up when a show they like gets shat on. It’s kinda embarrassing tbh'... a classic sign that someone is confident he's winning an argument when he shifts to accusing the other side of being too invested.
ep8 doesn't get much of a mention, but I also thought that was good. Action packed! That helicopter scene was something else.
The "2 days later" part of ep9 is a cop out, no doubt. Could probably have had an episode seeing them get out of the UD, getting Max to hsopital, mourning Eddie etc... But I guess the pacing would have been way off for a finale.
I think if they simply had vecna die, meaning that things in Hawkins would finally go back to normal, everything else was set up for the show to end. But then they decided to do another season, so they had vecna live, put max in a coma and left the steve-nancy-jonathon situation unresolved (even though it was clearly building to a resolution throughout the entire season.)
comment by Christopher (U20930)
posted 45 minutes ago
I think if they simply had vecna die, meaning that things in Hawkins would finally go back to normal, everything else was set up for the show to end. But then they decided to do another season, so they had vecna live, put max in a coma and left the steve-nancy-jonathon situation unresolved (even though it was clearly building to a resolution throughout the entire season.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, I don't suppose they wrote the series not knowing that it was going to be renewed, but the way it was structured (bringing together all the strands of the previous seasons) would have made for a natural finale to the show. Lots of successful TV shows suffer from the same thing: viewer demand dictates that they keep going, and this condemns it to repeat itself - the kids won! (or did they?) - and to grow unwieldy as it has to expand its universe to introduce new characters and ideas.
Oh, one pet quibble: why do the characters and even Vecna always frame awesome apocalyptic threat around just Hawkins? Seems strange that he's going to unleash hell dogs and incomprehensible evil powers and the limit of his ambition is some minor provincial town.
My one gripe with the finale was the helicopter scene (sorry Ji). I wanted to see Eleven level up and have some scary, Magneto like powers. Would have been so much cooler to see her crush the helicopter like a piece of paper in the hand and throw it 100mph into the ground . Just seemed so laboured. Hopefully in season 5 they find a way to boost her powers rather than a Mike speech.
I saw the behind the scenes things on TikTok and it’s cool to see the actor playing VH1 doing the voice for Vecna and not getting a voice actor. ‘Twas the best season yet and the budget for the final season is gonna be immense.
comment by Robb - it’s Andrew Tate’s world and we’re just living in it. (U22716)
posted 4 minutes ago
My one gripe with the finale was the helicopter scene (sorry Ji). I wanted to see Eleven level up and have some scary, Magneto like powers. Would have been so much cooler to see her crush the helicopter like a piece of paper in the hand and throw it 100mph into the ground . Just seemed so laboured. Hopefully in season 5 they find a way to boost her powers rather than a Mike speech.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think they kept Vladimikel's feedback in mind... It would have taken him right out of the scene.
Not really. The helicopter scene was a way of showing the viewers she was more powerful than ever. It dragged for too long. If she just swatted it away with ease it would have been cool. It’s still telekinesis at end of the day which we know she has. Conveniently resurrecting someone for the plot, no questions asked, is not comparable in the slightest.
I had no idea there was going to be another season even after the ending. I would have been quite pleased for it to end there with the impending threat from Vecna to the whole of Hawkins, and we simply put it down to this town always having something new to deal with and conclude it that way. It would leave it kind of open ended but deep down we imagine the good guys will see it through again as they always do. Narratively I don't think it's a problem.
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 14 hours, 36 minutes ago
Not really. The helicopter scene was a way of showing the viewers she was more powerful than ever. It dragged for too long. If she just swatted it away with ease it would have been cool. It’s still telekinesis at end of the day which we know she has. Conveniently resurrecting someone for the plot, no questions asked, is not comparable in the slightest.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
She didn’t really ‘resurrect’ her in the way you’re suggesting, she just restarted her heart which is a power that a telekinetic would in theory have. But that’s all it was. Max was brain dead and all her essence was consumed by Vecna. Eleven didn’t really pull a deus ex machina there as what she saved was just a sack of meat rather than the Max we all knew and loved.
Well she did resurrect her. Max died, Eleven brought her back to life, that’s the definition of resurrection. I get that she’s seemingly braindead or just not there which is an interesting angle but they could have gone that way without having her die first. She just had to die for the gate to open and be brought back to life for plot convenience.
comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 36 minutes ago
I had no idea there was going to be another season even after the ending. I would have been quite pleased for it to end there with the impending threat from Vecna to the whole of Hawkins, and we simply put it down to this town always having something new to deal with and conclude it that way. It would leave it kind of open ended but deep down we imagine the good guys will see it through again as they always do. Narratively I don't think it's a problem.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They could have ended it on any of the previous 3 seasons too. In truth they should have really ended it in season 1 which was the best season by a mile.
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 36 minutes ago
I had no idea there was going to be another season even after the ending. I would have been quite pleased for it to end there with the impending threat from Vecna to the whole of Hawkins, and we simply put it down to this town always having something new to deal with and conclude it that way. It would leave it kind of open ended but deep down we imagine the good guys will see it through again as they always do. Narratively I don't think it's a problem.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They could have ended it on any of the previous 3 seasons too. In truth they should have really ended it in season 1 which was the best season by a mile.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They could have done although I thought season 4 was a distinct improvement over season 3 and possibly the second best of the show. The rather dull season 3 could have been left out and some of the more important details just incorporated into season 4.
It definitely is a show that has a soon to expire BB date though. Only so much rinsing and repeating you can do with the Upside Down and El using telekinesis and getting nosebleeds afterwards.
Yea Season 4 was much better than 2 and 3. The whole appeal to the show was the mystery behind it, we as viewers don’t know what’s going on. That wasn’t there in season 2 or 3. Introduction of Vecna changed that but now that we know who he is and what his motives are, season 5 will probably be a clusterfack mess.
Realistically the show could be another 1 or 2 hour special episode with what they have left to tell of the story. But I'm assuming it'll be another 7 or so episodes which is concerning. There's only so much they can drag things out. It was already painful they dragged out Hopper in a Russian prison for all but the last few minutes of the last season. They're going to have to kill major characters off to make it worthwhile if they want to do the same with Vecna trying to win the battle.
A new character will be introduced and killed off. That’s the formula they’ve been using the last 3 seasons. Wouldn’t even be surprised to see Max return to full health by the final episode.
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 1 hour, 32 minutes ago
A new character will be introduced and killed off. That’s the formula they’ve been using the last 3 seasons. Wouldn’t even be surprised to see Max return to full health by the final episode.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes I wonder what sacrificial lamb they will bring into the next season. They haven't had an Asian character yet so my bet is on that.
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StrangerThings ** Finale **spoiler thread
Page 5 of 5
posted on 5/7/22
I liked episode 8 and the first 90 mins of episode 9 quite a lot. Found all the epilogue stuff very weird and disjointed though. Felt like the show was set up to end but then they decided to do another season so they made a few quick changes
posted on 5/7/22
I was a little underwhelmed by the final two episodes. Thought the season did a good job overall in tying the new antagonist into a wider explanation of the show's fictional universe, and it managed to be more spooky and more horrific than before while retaining the warmth and comedy. Above all, I think it struggled with the pacing, which was inevitable when expanding onto a bigger canvas, featuring four plotlines that can't converge too soon for structural reasons. I don't think the Russia plotline was pointless (it served a purpose) but having to cut away to it every few scenes did deflate the tension and pace. I also found the post-climactic epilogue a bit underwhelming: felt like it had a lot of loose ends to tie up quickly, and after the narrative tension had drained.
As to Vladimikel Artutin's points, I'd go back to JSPC's observation from a while back that he is overthinking some things (above all, holding little details to a higher standard of credibility than a show based on the premise that you have to suspend disbelief). And then also missing fairly basic things. E.g. with Max the kids' plan was constructed around the premise that she could lure Vecna and, armed with what they know about how he preys on his victims, draw on the happy things in her life to resist him long enough to buy the others' time to attack him in the other world. Of course this is absurd in many ways, but it's fairly reasonable in the logic of the narrative flow and hardly inconsistent with the kind of plot devices you see in the 1980s popcorn movies Stranger Things is drawing on.
As to 'Idk why people get so wound up when a show they like gets shat on. It’s kinda embarrassing tbh'... a classic sign that someone is confident he's winning an argument when he shifts to accusing the other side of being too invested.
posted on 5/7/22
ep8 doesn't get much of a mention, but I also thought that was good. Action packed! That helicopter scene was something else.
The "2 days later" part of ep9 is a cop out, no doubt. Could probably have had an episode seeing them get out of the UD, getting Max to hsopital, mourning Eddie etc... But I guess the pacing would have been way off for a finale.
posted on 5/7/22
I think if they simply had vecna die, meaning that things in Hawkins would finally go back to normal, everything else was set up for the show to end. But then they decided to do another season, so they had vecna live, put max in a coma and left the steve-nancy-jonathon situation unresolved (even though it was clearly building to a resolution throughout the entire season.)
posted on 5/7/22
comment by Christopher (U20930)
posted 45 minutes ago
I think if they simply had vecna die, meaning that things in Hawkins would finally go back to normal, everything else was set up for the show to end. But then they decided to do another season, so they had vecna live, put max in a coma and left the steve-nancy-jonathon situation unresolved (even though it was clearly building to a resolution throughout the entire season.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, I don't suppose they wrote the series not knowing that it was going to be renewed, but the way it was structured (bringing together all the strands of the previous seasons) would have made for a natural finale to the show. Lots of successful TV shows suffer from the same thing: viewer demand dictates that they keep going, and this condemns it to repeat itself - the kids won! (or did they?) - and to grow unwieldy as it has to expand its universe to introduce new characters and ideas.
posted on 5/7/22
Oh, one pet quibble: why do the characters and even Vecna always frame awesome apocalyptic threat around just Hawkins? Seems strange that he's going to unleash hell dogs and incomprehensible evil powers and the limit of his ambition is some minor provincial town.
posted on 5/7/22
My one gripe with the finale was the helicopter scene (sorry Ji). I wanted to see Eleven level up and have some scary, Magneto like powers. Would have been so much cooler to see her crush the helicopter like a piece of paper in the hand and throw it 100mph into the ground . Just seemed so laboured. Hopefully in season 5 they find a way to boost her powers rather than a Mike speech.
I saw the behind the scenes things on TikTok and it’s cool to see the actor playing VH1 doing the voice for Vecna and not getting a voice actor. ‘Twas the best season yet and the budget for the final season is gonna be immense.
posted on 5/7/22
comment by Robb - it’s Andrew Tate’s world and we’re just living in it. (U22716)
posted 4 minutes ago
My one gripe with the finale was the helicopter scene (sorry Ji). I wanted to see Eleven level up and have some scary, Magneto like powers. Would have been so much cooler to see her crush the helicopter like a piece of paper in the hand and throw it 100mph into the ground . Just seemed so laboured. Hopefully in season 5 they find a way to boost her powers rather than a Mike speech.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think they kept Vladimikel's feedback in mind... It would have taken him right out of the scene.
posted on 8/7/22
Not really. The helicopter scene was a way of showing the viewers she was more powerful than ever. It dragged for too long. If she just swatted it away with ease it would have been cool. It’s still telekinesis at end of the day which we know she has. Conveniently resurrecting someone for the plot, no questions asked, is not comparable in the slightest.
posted on 9/7/22
I had no idea there was going to be another season even after the ending. I would have been quite pleased for it to end there with the impending threat from Vecna to the whole of Hawkins, and we simply put it down to this town always having something new to deal with and conclude it that way. It would leave it kind of open ended but deep down we imagine the good guys will see it through again as they always do. Narratively I don't think it's a problem.
posted on 9/7/22
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 14 hours, 36 minutes ago
Not really. The helicopter scene was a way of showing the viewers she was more powerful than ever. It dragged for too long. If she just swatted it away with ease it would have been cool. It’s still telekinesis at end of the day which we know she has. Conveniently resurrecting someone for the plot, no questions asked, is not comparable in the slightest.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
She didn’t really ‘resurrect’ her in the way you’re suggesting, she just restarted her heart which is a power that a telekinetic would in theory have. But that’s all it was. Max was brain dead and all her essence was consumed by Vecna. Eleven didn’t really pull a deus ex machina there as what she saved was just a sack of meat rather than the Max we all knew and loved.
posted on 9/7/22
Well she did resurrect her. Max died, Eleven brought her back to life, that’s the definition of resurrection. I get that she’s seemingly braindead or just not there which is an interesting angle but they could have gone that way without having her die first. She just had to die for the gate to open and be brought back to life for plot convenience.
posted on 9/7/22
comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 36 minutes ago
I had no idea there was going to be another season even after the ending. I would have been quite pleased for it to end there with the impending threat from Vecna to the whole of Hawkins, and we simply put it down to this town always having something new to deal with and conclude it that way. It would leave it kind of open ended but deep down we imagine the good guys will see it through again as they always do. Narratively I don't think it's a problem.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They could have ended it on any of the previous 3 seasons too. In truth they should have really ended it in season 1 which was the best season by a mile.
posted on 9/7/22
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 36 minutes ago
I had no idea there was going to be another season even after the ending. I would have been quite pleased for it to end there with the impending threat from Vecna to the whole of Hawkins, and we simply put it down to this town always having something new to deal with and conclude it that way. It would leave it kind of open ended but deep down we imagine the good guys will see it through again as they always do. Narratively I don't think it's a problem.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They could have ended it on any of the previous 3 seasons too. In truth they should have really ended it in season 1 which was the best season by a mile.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They could have done although I thought season 4 was a distinct improvement over season 3 and possibly the second best of the show. The rather dull season 3 could have been left out and some of the more important details just incorporated into season 4.
It definitely is a show that has a soon to expire BB date though. Only so much rinsing and repeating you can do with the Upside Down and El using telekinesis and getting nosebleeds afterwards.
posted on 9/7/22
Yea Season 4 was much better than 2 and 3. The whole appeal to the show was the mystery behind it, we as viewers don’t know what’s going on. That wasn’t there in season 2 or 3. Introduction of Vecna changed that but now that we know who he is and what his motives are, season 5 will probably be a clusterfack mess.
posted on 9/7/22
Realistically the show could be another 1 or 2 hour special episode with what they have left to tell of the story. But I'm assuming it'll be another 7 or so episodes which is concerning. There's only so much they can drag things out. It was already painful they dragged out Hopper in a Russian prison for all but the last few minutes of the last season. They're going to have to kill major characters off to make it worthwhile if they want to do the same with Vecna trying to win the battle.
posted on 9/7/22
A new character will be introduced and killed off. That’s the formula they’ve been using the last 3 seasons. Wouldn’t even be surprised to see Max return to full health by the final episode.
posted on 9/7/22
comment by Vladimikel Artutin - committing war crimes against football since 2019 (U18355)
posted 1 hour, 32 minutes ago
A new character will be introduced and killed off. That’s the formula they’ve been using the last 3 seasons. Wouldn’t even be surprised to see Max return to full health by the final episode.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes I wonder what sacrificial lamb they will bring into the next season. They haven't had an Asian character yet so my bet is on that.
Page 5 of 5