Stranger Things has finally returned and fans are clamoring to see the new episodes as Season 4, Part 1 arrives on Netflix. While it hasn’t resolved many of the storylines that it begins, Season 4 is off to a strong start and introduces many new characters and developments to everyone’s favorite misfit ensemble cast.
While it is difficult to pick a single best storyline out of the ones in Season 4, there are a number of them that are undeniably excellent, either for the main story or just some fun scenes that develop over the course of the half-season we’ve seen so far, as fans eagerly try to guess what will come next.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
5 Eddie & Steve’s Competition
New character Eddie Munson is one of the greatest and most interesting additions to the cast since the beginning of the show. Stranger Things has used the character brilliantly but the strangest interactions he’s had so far have been with Steve Harrington.
A fan-favorite duo for years now has been Dustin & Steve’s sibling energy, and as Steve feels threatened by Dustin’s newfound devotion to Eddie and the Hellfire Club, he reacts with jealousy. Eddie later reveals that he feels similar emotions over the way Dustin talks about Steve, even though he can’t really define why he cares so much.
The comedy of this situation between these two men, where such a rivalry would normally be over a girl in a romantic situation instead, has been a brilliant part of the fourth season so far. And fans are hoping to see plenty more of Eddie Munson soon.
4 Max’s Grief
Shows that deal in dramatic events and so much death often skip the phase or gloss over it at least, where characters properly grieve for those lost. While Max never seemed to have a lot of love for her brother Billy, his death affected her deeply and the nature of the show’s new villain, Vecna, allowed them to delve deeper into how Max’s grief has affected her.
The fourth season picks up a year from Billy’s death, and the audience is shown that Max has been seeing a counselor at school but isn’t opening up to her. It’s shown that she has drawn away from the other kids left in Hawkins and isn’t dating Lucas anymore. Her mother is drinking, and her stepdad has left them, the reality of her situation is as uncomfortable to watch as Vecna’s brutal murders throughout the season.
Arguably the best of the seven episodes in th show came when Max was being haunted by Vecna and really had to confront her own grief and escape near death, choosing to fight to keep on living. That episode, with the amazing soundtrack by Kate Bush, is one of the strongest the series has ever had.
3 Eleven’s Recovery
As always, the bulk of the season focuses on Eleven’s story and journey. The most solitary character in the show, Eleven’s arcs are always a significant factor in new seasons. This season, the intriguing nature of her as more of an anti-hero that fears bringing her powers back may end in more death and destruction fascinated viewers.
As more is revealed about Eleven’s backstory, leading to the major reveal at the end of the half-season, many questions are asked about whether she can trust Papa again, or whether it’s really for the best that her powers return. While these questions are answered, many more are left behind and waiting for the final two episodes to be released in July. Fans have expressed concern that there are only two episodes left to wrap things up, but it looks like there's a lot of runtime between those two episodes.
2 Joyce & Murray’s Adventure
Murray has always been one of the strangest things in the entire show. His eccentric, conspiracy-loving character is proven useful time and again in a world where conspiracies are constantly coming into reality around the main characters. Whether he is a fan-favorite character is hard to say, he is constantly exasperating but ready and willing to jump into action again when Joyce needs his help to get Hopper back.
Their adventure, getting kidnaped by Yuri and almost brought into the hands of the KGB somehow managed to feel even less realistic than the other stories this season, which involved dark wizards from alternate demonic dimensions and children with superpowers. Joyce and Murray were a hilarious comedic duo this season without anyone else helping them, and it was a joy for fans to see her reaction to him talking about his karate training as he hyped himself up for taking Yuri down. It's worth noting that this duo has been easily responsible for many of the best quotes in this half of the season.
1 Robin & Nancy’s Friendship
While Nancy’s arcs in the series aren’t usually a fan-favorite aspect of the show, there’s one thing she’s never had. A true friend to hang around with, beyond the men that she’s associated with romantically, a problem which has followed actress Natalia Dyer in real life as well. She has been more involved with one of the bigger groups throughout this season’s adventures, but at the core of it (and besides her romantic interests still being a significant aspect of her character) is her blossoming friendship with Robin.
A much brasher and extremely fun character, Robin didn’t take Nancy’s initial disdain for an answer and forced her way into a great friendship that has been an incredibly fun story to watch as the season has continued. Hopefully, this and all the other stories will have satisfying conclusions as the season ends on July 1st with the final two episodes.