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In this extra-long deep dive, we unpack  the entire “epic” and “metal” Stranger Things Season 4. This season is a tonal shift from goosebumps to true horror. We’ll explore Vecna/Henry Creel/001, Max’s near-death escape thanks to Kate Bush, as well as the way the show blends horror, sci-fi, action, and 80s nostalgia. We discuss each character’s best moments and arc, as well as our favourite scenes, the Russian prison plotline, Eddie’s heroism, our hopes and dreams for Season 5, and the show’s major themes: grief, depression, friendship, shame and sacrifice.

Spoiler + Content Warning:

Torture, Body horror, including eye mutilation, broken bones, Violence against teenagers, Psychological distress, including depression, suicidal ideation, and severe bullying. A tortured bunny, Child abuse, cult hysteria, and vigilante violence.

*Always check Does the Dog Die? before viewing if you have specific triggers or phobias.

Palette Cleanser

• Nobody Wants This (Netflix) – Caroline’s romcom pick featuring Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) and Kristen Bell.
• Go touch grass and go camping

Other Recommendations

• Thunderbirds because David Harbour is in it.
• Fantastic Four and A Quiet Place day One to see Eddie! 
• Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves for a fun fantasy adventure 
• Men in Black, evoked by the “Weekly Watcher” newspaper reference.
• Dick – Watergate references.
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Girl, Interrupted for depictions of institutionalisation paralleling Eleven’s confinement.
• The Exorcist – possession and floating 
• Weeds becauseof  Matthew Modine (Papa) 
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler – dystopian, psychological, and thematically similar.
• The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub because Lucas is reading it to Max in the final scene.
• Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and Piranesi for parallel-realm narratives.
• Halloween because Vecna’s disappearance echoes Michael Myers
• The Ring – Max’s countdown mirrors the “seven days” curse.
• NeverEnding Story, Silence of the Lambs, Nightmare on Elm Street, Jurassic Park, Carrie, It, and any classic Spielberg – all noted as season influences or direct references.
• Guide to the Unknown – a podcast about real-world Stranger Things-style lore.
• Ghosts in the Burbs – especially early episodes exploring suburban darkness.
• 10 Cloverfield Lane – evoked by bunker/silo scenes.
• The Crucible, Frankenstein, and I Am Legend (novel) – literary parallels to hysteria, monstrosity, and alternate worlds.
• You’re Wrong About – Dungeons & Dragons episode – for understanding Satanic Panic context.
• Strange Indeed podcast – episode-by-episode Stranger Things breakdown.
• Mean Girls – because Angela is the meanest girl.
• Parks and Recreation – for the town hall scene reference.

Homework:

• Grey Gardens (1975) – the documentary about Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s eccentric aunts living in a decaying manor, chosen because of the “crumbling Vecna manor vibes.”

Thanks for listening and to the Duffer brothers, don't you dare lay a hand on Steve or Dustin!

Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryjkidd)