This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things Season 4 Vol. 1Season 4 of Stranger Things has been one of the most anticipated shows of 2022, and with the first seven episodes available now on Netflix, fans are passionately discussing the biggest reveals, character moments, and surprises in the first half of this new season. While there are some sweet, smaller scenes like Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) finally seeing each other again when Mike visits California during spring break, there are some shocking and unbelievable moments as well.
From fans getting a good look at the new monster to Eleven working through some tough emotions, there are many surprising moments from the first part of season 4 of Stranger Things.
Eleven Throws A Rollerskate At Her Classmate Angela
After telling Mike that everything is great in California and she has a big group of friends, fans learn the cold and harsh truth when Eleven is bullied by her classmate Angela (Elodie Grace Orkin). Angela is so mean to Eleven at the town roller rink that, in the second episode called "Vecna's Curse," Eleven throws a rollerskate right at Angela's face. This is a shockingly violent moment on the show with a ton of blood and Eleven immediately feels terrible about her behavior.
Of course, Eleven has never fared well with authority figures, and Eleven gets arrested and is unable to show remorse and negative emotions about what she has done, which doesn't bode well for her future. The first part of the two-part Stranger Things season 4 is especially well-crafted because fans see how sad Eleven is to be away from Mike and how she worries she will never fit in.
Sam Owens Seems To Rescue Eleven
Fans remember Paul Reiser's Stranger Things character Sam Owens from previous seasons, and he shows up at what seems to be just the right time in the first half of season 4. In episode 5 called "The Nina Project," Owens asks Eleven if she wants to come with him, and they end up at a silo in Nevada where Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine) wants Eleven to remember the day when all of the other test subjects died in a horrible violent event.
Does Owens try to help Eleven or is this another moment in Eleven's life when someone is taking advantage of her and manipulating her? Fans aren't really certain about the answer to that question, but either way, the scenes at Nina allow Eleven to realize what really happened that day, which is important for her.
Vecna Kills Chrissy
Season 3 of Stranger Things is a lot of fun and season 4 is definitely darker and more violent. The mystery deepens in episode 1 "The Hellfire Club" when Chrissy Cunningham (Grace Van Dien) is killed by a creature. At first, this creature got into her mind and gave her terrible headaches, and she began having weird and terrifying visions. Then, at the end of this episode, the monster kills Chrissy and in a strange and unforgettable moment, twists her joints into weird positions.
Chrissy's death is one of the biggest things that happens during these seven episodes as this is when fans and the other characters realize that Hawkins is still a dangerous place and no one is safe.
Hopper And Joyce See Each Other Again
Fans had questions about Stranger Things before season 4 premiered, including whether Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) would ever see each other again. Watching Joyce and Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman) travel to Alaska to meet Yuri (Nikola Đuričko) and see if they can find Hopper.
This storyline is really intense but well-done. While some fans definitely wish that Hopper and Joyce could see each other again much earlier, as some might say that the scenes of Hopper being tormented in Russia go on for too long, it's beautiful and moving when the characters see each other after so much time has passed.
Fans Find Out How Vecna Came To Be
Gaten Matarazzo said Stranger Things season 4 is the "scariest" and that is definitely thanks to Vecna, an absolutely horrifying monster. Vecna torments and stalks his victims and really gets under their skin, making them see disgusting things before murdering them. He also seems to pick people who have gone through grief, loss, trauma, and tough times, which adds an extra layer to the horror.
In episode 7 called "The Massacre at Hawkins Lab," Eleven realizes that she didn't kill all of the children at the lab like she had been led to believe. Eleven thought that Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower) was her friend and ally. But Eleven realizes that Henry Creel was 001, the dangerous test subject who became a legend in the lab. Eleven pushes him toward the Upside Down because she's so angry and upset. Henry then turns into Vecna. This is one of the most visually stunning and terrifying moments in Stranger Things history, proving that the show still has what it takes to wow fans.