A new season of Stranger Things, like a monster from the Upside-Down, is a rare occurrence. The show premiered on Netflix in 2016, becoming one of the streaming platform's biggest hits and a pop culture phenomenon. Now, in 2022, the show is back for its fourth season, with the first volume of episodes currently available to stream before the last two drop later in summer.
The show's biggest draw has always been its characters, who are equally likable and complex. Across four seasons, many scenes stand out that showcase the best qualities of Stranger Things. Whether it be action-packed, exposition-heavy, or an intimate moment between characters, these examples are the best scenes of the show so far.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
10 Bob Becomes A Superhero
Poor, poor Bob. The character debuted in the first episode of Stranger Things 2, as the new boyfriend of Joyce Byers. Played by The Goonies veteran Sean Astin, Bob Newby became an immediate fan favorite during the early episodes of Season 2, as he slowly became exposed to the mysteries surrounding Hawkins and how they relate to Joyce's son, Will.
Bob's bravery was finally put to the test in Episode 8 "The Mind Flayer." Bob helps Joyce and the others escape Hawkins Lab by distracting a rampant Demogorgon running loose. Unfortunately, Joyce watches Bob get attacked by one at the last second as Hopper pulls her to safety. It's a heartbreaking end for Bob, but at least he got to be a superhero.
9 Steve Rescues Jonathan And Nancy
Steve Harrington has become a fan favorite of the show, but he wasn't always the likable babysitter he is now. In Season 1, he was an antagonistic figure towards Jonathan when he teamed up with Nancy to investigate the disappearance of Barb. Steve's callousness and jealousy towards Jonathan become a distraction towards their discovery of Hawkins' mystery.
Steve is able to achieve redemption in the Season 1 finale, "The Upside-Down." After stumbling upon the Demogorgon in the Byers' house with Jonathan and Nancy, Steve helps distract the monster with his now-iconic spiked baseball bat. With Steve's help, the two are able to lure the monster into a trap and set it on fire, exposing its greatest weakness.
8 An Upside-Down Fight
Steve's heroism would continue in later seasons, particularly in Season 4. In the final episode of Volume 1, "The Massacre at Hawkins Lab," Steve ends up in the Upside-Down being attacked by Demobats, his unfortunate fate seemingly certain. It seems like all hope is lost for our favorite mom in Hawkins until he's saved by his friends.
Following after him, Nancy, Robin, and Eddie rescue Steve from the Demobats. What follows is a kick-ass fight sequence featuring the four battling these vicious creatures of the Upside-Down. Seeing Steve treat one like Hulk treated Loki in The Avengers is extremely satisfying given how likely it seemed like this would be the end for him.
7 Hopper And Eleven Argue
Season 2 finds Hopper and Eleven adjusting to having a family. Hopper's determination to keep El safe results in a list of rules she must follow while hiding out in a cabin in the woods. Eventually, her distrust of Hopper and desire to see Mike finds her escaping in Episode 3, only to be confronted by Hopper in Episode 4, "Will the Wise."
It can be harrowing to see these two lose their temper, but it makes for a good contrast to their more wholesome interactions. It's even scary when Hopper's attempts to discipline are thwarted by Eleven's powers, resulting in a climactic end of the argument where she breaks all the windows. Fortunately, they get to have a reconciliation later in the season.
6 Steve And Robin In The Bathroom
One of the most acclaimed scenes from Season 3 takes place in the seventh episode, "The Bite." Leading up to the season's final episode, this episode takes time to slow things down and learn more about our favorite characters. That includes Steve and Robin, who end up in a bathroom at Starcourt Mall waiting for Russian drugs to wear off.
Steve almost confesses his love for Robin, but his Scoops Ahoy co-worker has a confession of her own. She admits to having a crush on a female classmate of theirs at Hawkins High, coming out to Steve as gay. It's a sweet moment when Steve responds to her confession with playful banter and acceptance.
5 Vecna's Backstory
There are many great scenes in the first volume of Season 4, but few are as satisfying as the montage at the end of Episode 7, "The Massacre at Hawkins Lab." This moment does an impossible job of tying together many plot threads from the season, all while revealing the identity behind the mysterious Vecna who's been terrorizing Hawkins.
It's revealed that Vecna is both the son of Victor Creel and the first test subject of Dr. Brenner, whose powers were replicated, resulting in the birth of Eleven. Eleven unknowingly helps One massacre everybody at Hawkins Lab, before sending him to the Upside-Down to stop him. With two episodes left of the season, the threat of Vecna has only begun.
4 The Discovery Of Will's Body
The first season of Stranger Things plays out like a beautiful 80s mystery. However, it's not until the third episode, "Holly, Jolly," that things are cranked up a notch. After an episode of several characters investigating the disappearance of Will Byers, their journey hits a snag when Will's body is uncovered at the bottom of Sattler Quarry by police.
This leads to a very emotional moment from Mike, who snaps at Eleven for misleading him and his friends. It also makes use of the song "Heroes" by David Bowie, covered here by 80s legend Peter Gabriel. Of course, fans of the series will know that the mystery doesn't stop here, as Will's body is actually a dummy created by Hawkins Lab.
3 The Never-Ending Story
Leave it to Stranger Things to combine tense action sequences with iconic needle drops. In the finale of Season 3, "The Battle of Starcourt," Dustin radios his girlfriend, Suzie, needing her to help Hopper and Joyce break into the Russian base below Starcourt Mall. However, Suzie's help comes with an embarrassing price.
On a walkie-talkie in front of all his friends, the teens, and Hopper and Joyce, Dustin is forced to sing the theme song from The Never-Ending Story. Meanwhile, everyone listens on with puzzled expressions. The real kicker comes at the end of the episode when Max and Lucas sing the song to Dustin as a form of mockery, despite it saving their lives.
2 Hopper's Letter To Eleven
"The Battle of Starcourt" doesn't leave audiences on as silly a note as Dustin singing the theme to The Never-Ending Story. In the episode's final sequences, Eleven discovers a letter written by Hopper during the season's first episode. Hopper intended it as a discussion of boundaries between her and Mike, but it becomes a confession of his fears about parenting.
No Stranger Things fan had dry eyes as Hopper narrates shots of the Byers moving out of Hawkins. At this point, Hopper was presumed dead, so it was an even bigger tearjerker not knowing he'd return in Season 4. It even results in a teary-eyed laugh from viewers and Eleven when he insists she keeps the door open three inches.
1 Running Up That Hill
One scene, in particular, has fans talking after Season 4's release. The episode "Dear Billy" focuses on Max nearing her own death at the hands of Vecna. She, Lucas, Dustin, Steve, Robin, and Nancy race to find a cure as Max prepares for the worst-case scenario, visiting her dead brother Billy's grave to read a letter she wrote to him.
However, she's interrupted by Vecna trapping her in the Upside-Down. Fortunately, the gang finds a cure by playing Max's favorite song to help her snap out of it: Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)." Max escapes Vecna's clutches and returns to her body in the show's most epic sequence yet.
Stranger Things 4, Volume 2 will premiere on Netflix on July 1, 2022.