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The following article contains spoilers for Stranger Things: Season 4 Vol. 1.
The fourth season of the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, has returned with more thrills, scares, and humor during the unofficial start of summer on Memorial Day weekend. Nearly three years after the third season aired, the series hasn't lost a beat, continuing to develop based on influences and pop culture from the 1980s, including elements of the sci-fi, horror, and crime thriller genres.
The camaraderie amongst the characters (both old and new) also continues to be the show's greatest strength as the people of Hawkins possibly face their greatest threat yet. With each set of characters getting their moments to shine, here are the top five in the first volume of season four.
Eddie Munson
With a quirky sense of humor and the resemblance of a young Robert Downey, Jr., Eddie Munson is a new and welcome addition to the show. After the brutal murder of his classmate Chrissy, Eddie finds himself on the run from Hawkins police, along with Jason Carver and members of the Hawkins High School basketball team, who strongly believe Eddie is a killer. However, the dream team consisting of Dustin, Lucas, Max, Nancy, Steve, and Robin all come together to help Eddie. They know that he's innocent, and couldn't have killed Chrissy in such a brutal fashion. They convince Eddie that Vecna is responsible for possessing Chrissy and crippling her body before her death.
Eddie initially appears like a typical slacker who enjoys selling drugs, but he does display his sensitive side to Chrissy when they talk about their younger days in school and their opinions about one another. Eddie is also quite the heavy metal fan with his leather jacket and casual wardrobe, along with his long curly hair (he even tells a clueless Steve about his love for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath). While Eddie has a fun and comical demeanor, he is fearful for his life, and when he is aware of the danger he and his new friends are in, he is adamant about fighting back (especially in a scene in which he saves Steve from ugly bats in the Upside Down). As the leader of the Dungeons & Dragons Hellfire Club at Hawkins High School, Eddie is no stranger to supernatural characters like Vecna.
Murray Bauman
The former investigative journalist turned private investigator has been moved up to a series regular this season after recurring appearances in seasons two and three. He once again joins forces with Joyce Byers after she receives a mysterious package from Russia that confirms Jim Hopper is alive. Murray helped Joyce and Hopper in the past when they investigated Russia's involvement with Hawkins Lab and the Upside Down. With his beard, high energy, and manic sense of humor, Murray continues to display his paranoia and comedic side, while also showing off some cool skills.
After telling Joyce that he has obtained a black belt in Karate, Murray impresses with his fighting abilities, including an intense fight scene with a mischievous and greedy Russian pilot on an airplane. He also fights off Russian guards at the prison in which Hopper is being held captive. Murray also speaks effective Russian and has useful equipment that can track down people and monitor phone calls. Making Murray a series regular is understandable because of the friendships he's formed with Joyce and Hopper, and his involvement could be pivotal in upcoming episodes.
Max Mayfield
Out of everyone so far this season, Max is the most evolved and transformative character following the emotional rollercoaster she has endured since season three. After her abusive brother, Billy, sacrificed himself when stabbed by the Mind Flayer, Max has become more distanced from her friends, including her now ex-boyfriend, Lucas. Max has also been seeing a therapist due to suffering from migraine headaches and the inability to sleep due to nightmares.
Everything Max has witnessed from the Upside Down and the evil forces within has caused her to become more vulnerable, not only with herself, but around those closest to her. She doesn't want to share her emotional feelings with Lucas and her friends, because she doesn't want anyone else to get hurt and/or killed like Billy. In one of the best moments this season, Max finds herself trapped in the Upside Down by Vecna, but thanks to her favorite song ("Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" by Kate Bush), Max finds the will to fight back and escape. Max proves that despite her emotional and vulnerable state, she is still powerful in her own right.
Eleven
Eleven's history has been established, but this season delves deeper into her past, along with more horrifying memories that signal how her journey at Hawkins Lab began. Her reunion with Mike is also compromised thanks to a group of bullies who give Eleven a hard time at a roller skating rink. Eleven also lies to Mike about her adjustments in a new town with the Byers family.
Eleven has grown more vulnerable because she doesn't have her powers anymore, even though everyone at school believes that she is an outcast. She always said that friends don't lie, but she does precisely that to Mike because she doesn't want to upset him and ruin their relationship. Her reunion with Dr. Brenner ("Papa") also brings Eleven's story full circle because she tries to regain her powers to defeat Vecna (the villain most likely responsible for starting the Upside Down). Whether Eleven will fully understand her past to save the world once more will be determined in Vol. 2 of season four.
Jim Hopper
The biggest question looming over this season is: what happened to Jim Hopper? In what appeared to be certain death, Hopper, fortunately, survived the final attack at the end of season three. Now the former Hawkins Police Chief finds himself in a Russian prison, but thanks to a rogue Russian prison guard (perhaps the work of Deus Ex Machina), both men hatch up a plan to escape.
With a nearly bald head and a quieter demeanor this time around due to his complex situation, Hopper is in limbo thanks to his state of depression. He may be alive, but he's imprisoned in a world of hell (along with cold and snowy weather). In a powerful moment, Hopper tells his ally about the people closest to him (including Joyce and Eleven), but that he may not deserve to go back home because he believes his actions hurt them. Hopper also gets into some action in Russia, including a fight scene with a couple of prison guards, and a confrontation with a Demogorgon.
Stranger Things: Season 4 Vol. 1 is currently available on Netflix.