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As the season progresses towards its final episode, things are getting out of control, but the kids maintain their winning ways in Stranger Things.
This episode of Stranger Things was titled Chapter Four: Dear Billy, directed by Shawn Levy and written by Paul Dichter. It featured Max's hallucinations as the group tried to keep her from getting stuck in Vecna's trance and eventually dying. While Nancy and Robin reached out to Victor Creel, Dustin, Lucas, and Steve kept Max from dying.
Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions.
Stranger Things Season 4 Vol. 1 Episode 4 review: Unconventional is the way to go
The fourth episode of Stranger Things Season 4 gave the season's most suspenseful, exciting, and bone-chilling episode where Kate Bush’s unconventional lyrics saved a life. The episode opened with El's note to Mike after she left for Hawkins with Dr. Owens. It read,
"I have gone to become a superhero again. From, El."
Dr. Owens left behind agents of his own and asked Mike, Will, and Jonathan to stand down as the government, who wanted to stop El, was actively searching for her. Meanwhile, Dustin, Max, and Steve go over Max's revelation - a grandfather clock.
Ticking time
They went over the school counselor's notes and realized that Chrissy died after a week, Fred died six days later, and Max was on the fifth day since she had symptoms similar to the former. This got Max thinking about her life and how it would end soon, so she started writing letters to all her friends to understand if anything happened.
On the other hand, in Stranger Things, Robin and Nancy forged some documents for themselves that would allow them to get an interview with the director of the facility that had Victor Creel. They wanted to gain information to save Max, but they were denied access upon their visit to the facility.
Saying goodbyes
But, Robin's big #MeToo speech to the director about how women were not taken seriously in psychiatry and how a man would have gained access to the serial killer in seconds changed the entire game. Steve found himself as a babysitter as he watched over Dustin, Lucas, and Max. He drove the kids out of town so that Max would not spend her last hours in Hawkins.
Max made Steve blast Hard Feelings by Al Kerbey on the radio during their car ride, something she related to. The group then made a stop at Max's house so she could drop off the letters. She then met her mom, but while giving her a long hug, she saw the sky turn dark, and her mom tightened her grip, who was now Vecna. Max was now stuck in a trance with Vecna.
Hopper's escape
Back in Alaska in Stranger Things, Hopper finally made his escape. He broke the sledgehammer and approached the guard for a new one in the shed. He ambushed him and removed his shackles. A fight soon ensued, and Hopper looked like an assassin trained in jujutsu as he broke a man's neck.
He then found some dynamite and escaped off the rooftop, fleeing in a snowmobile with no shoes on. Somehow, about twenty Russian soldiers managed to miss him even though they were all armed with AK-47s, giving Hopper his James Bond moment. He then made it to the smuggler's house, which was equipped with peanut butter.
The big betrayal
Meanwhile, in Stranger Things, Joyce and Murray watched Yuri count the money for hours and later learned that it was all a setup, and they had been double-crossed. Yuri called Dmitri and told him that he had happily betrayed them, alerting the prison warden about Dmitri's plan, and had reached the KGB to take the Americans.
This betrayal was somewhat predictable as Yuri was a smuggler who had gotten his hands on $40,000, knew a corrupt Russian soldier, and had two Americans sitting in front of him. Due to this, Hopper got caught, Dmitri was taken into custody, and Joyce and Murray were drugged by Yuri so that he could fly them to Russia.
Creepy Creel
Moments later in Stranger Things, Victor Creel is seen after the girls convince the director to interview him alone. The two then approach Creel and tell him what they know and how they believe in him. When Creel turned around, his face could be seen where his eyes had been removed from his head years ago and were sewn shut, similar to Chrissy's hallucinations of her father.
Creel then went on to tell the story of how the demon killed his family and how Vecna used his memories against him. This scene in Stranger Things, by far, had to be one of the saddest yet creepiest moments ever. Hearing Creel's backstory was heartbreaking, especially learning about his family's murder, but seeing Creel's current condition was extremely scary.
Vecna's world
This was not the end but the beginning of an intense episode of Stranger Things. The Byers house was then invaded by the military, where the first agent got shot while the other was keeping the kids safe. This agent managed to take down a dozen of soldiers and made his escape with Mike, Will, and Jonathan in Argyle's van.
On the other hand, Nancy and Robin's detective work helped save Max in Stranger Things. When Max visited Billy's grave, she found herself in another trance. This time, she was in the Upside Down and was levitating off the ground in the real world. Vecna was now using her memory of Billy to frighten her. When Max managed to run away from him, she found herself in a place resembling Mordor.
Music is always the answer
Vecna then taunted her as he attempted to get his grip on her, just like his other victims, but as soon as Dustin learned about the solution to help Max break away from it, he played Running up that Hill by Kate Bush. Apparently, one can break out of the spell by playing music, something Vecna probably does not like.
Upon hearing the music, Max saw herself and the boys in the distance through a closing portal window. She managed to rip one of Vecna’s vine-like hairs, making him drop her and letting her run away. Max ran towards the portal door while Vecna tried to throw everything he possibly could. The last scene of this episode of Stranger Things shows that she made it while falling to the ground and crying in Lucas’ arms.
Shine Sadie, shine
This specific scene in this episode of Stranger Things was bone-chilling as it helped viewers see what was going on in Vecna's Upside Down world and how he approached, manipulated, and killed his victims while also showing how he could be stopped. The star of the episode was Max, a.k.a. Sadie Sink, who never fails to amaze viewers with her performance.
Catch this intense episode of Stranger Things in the new season, now streaming on Netflix.
