The Renegades Pulling The Strings! (Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2 Review) - Renegade Marquee #23
Tonight, on a MASTERFUL episode of Renegade Marquee, Captain Kaye is joined by OrganoidZero, Nick, AND Legault to discuss the second volume of Stranger Things' fourth season!
How’s it going, fellow Renegades? Tis I, THE DIRECTOR, back for a quick spell to tell you about the latest in the world of Hawkins as we’re here to talk about Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2! We’ve got a stacked episode for you guys, and we’ve got an equally stacked cast for y’all from OrganoidZero, Nick, and special guest Legault!
And likewise, I’ve got some things to add from my last post, as if you’ve kept up with the last episode, you’d remember that I hadn’t seen episodes of the latest season of Stranger Things, but I was optimistic, because the characters were something special (and in my opinion, the strength behind the Netflix phenomenon).
Well… I’ve actually started watching some episodes. I’m mostly done with Vol. 1, haven’t seen Vol. 2 yet, but I still have some thoughts.
I have to say, the Duffer Brothers have not lost a step with their direction and execution — regardless what people may think of the more playful and care-free writing they have taken off rather than the intimate touches that made that first season so much more impactful, it is remarkable to see them really feel themselves as an artist. The editing in the series has always been amazing, but the first episode has probably my favorite use of needledropping in the form of the crosscutting between Lucas and Erika with the football game and the D&D game. Not only that, but the series FINALLY returns to its horror roots, and the fatalities that the season does are honestly bone-chilling, a contortion of the body and uncannyness to the corpses that makes it hard to watch every time it happens.
And if you’ve thought the characters were under the threat of flanderization, you’d be sadly mistaken. Joe Kerry and Maya Hawke’s chemistry still remains unmatched, and only blends with Natalia Dyer having a proper chance to interact with the two since the second season maybe? (for sure, the first time for Robin). The kids are also amazing, too! I love that Caleb Mclaughlin has a bigger foothold in the story and the conflict this time around, especially as I’ve always felt that Lucas was one of the more underwritten characters of the show, and the relationship between his character and Max, played by the incomparable Sadie Sink, is just magnetic! Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard still play off each other very well, even as their relationship has growing pains, and Noah Schnapp remains probably my favorite actor of the kids. But Gaten Matarazzo is always there to add that touch of levity that still remains as charming as ever, and Charlie Heaton is probably giving my favorite performance as Jonathan Byers by playing his as a neurotic stoner this time around!
And as far as the new characters… I get it. I FINALLY get it! Joseph Quinn as Eddie is pretty goddamn cool! But as great as he is and how his character has clearly stolen the hearts of people everywhere, I honestly think he’s not my favorite inclusion. My personal favorite touch comes from one of the episodes that Shaun Levy (director of Dear, Billy) touched, which included Robert Englund as Victor Creel: a tortured man who allegedly killed his family and cut his eyes out after going insane… but may have more in his mad ravings than people let on. That whole sequence is perhaps one of the most riveting and disturbing material the show touched on, which makes the excellent Kate Bush sequence feel even more grand and nail-biting.
But there’s no good without bad, yin without the yang, and I’m just gonna come out and say it: THE RUSSIA STUFF IS ABSOLUTELY MEH. I love Hopper, Joyce, and I even love Murray (but I knew him back when he was Martin in Fleabag). But man, the way the show builds its pacing, I just wish personally that the Duffers did a whole thing where they did something similar to Season 2 where they had an episode solely dedicated to what the adults were doing with Hopper and Yuri and Enzo, really giving a sense that the kids and the adults are really on their own; then when the Russia stuff comes in for a whole episode, it all comes together. It’s especially jarring, because in-so-far, the stuff going on across the globe just feels so inconsequential and separate from the literal demon in Hawkins going around and killing traumatized teens. For all I know, everything does come together in the end, I’m barely on Episode 6 finally, but we’ll see later on.
Other than that, Stranger Things 4 is honestly on par with the first season in my opinion. The first season will always be special, the second season will always be nostalgic, and the third season will always be fun. But the fourth season will always be dark, gripping, and the most playful conversely. It brings itself back to the child-like wonder of mystery solving with a hint of the Stephen King influence with a big bad that actively taunts and mutilates those around the main gang. If the season finale sticks the landing? I think this could even top the first season!
But don’t take my word for it, take a listen to the Cap’n and the Zero themselves!
That’ll do it for this episode! Special thanks to The Streamin’ Demon for editing this episode! Keep some headphones gripped to your ears, because a new podcast’ll be running up your hill very soon…
