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The second batch of episodes of Netflix's flagship series Stranger Things Season 4 was released on July 1, 2022.
Set aside four hours for this behemoth of a finale as the Duffer Brothers have outdone themselves in the last two episodes of Season 4. The eighth and ninth episodes of Volume 2, 1.5 and 2.5 hours long respectively, can be likened to two action-packed films.
The explosive penultimate episode of Stranger Things Season 4 more than made up for the ponderous Volume 1 episodes. While still swinging between three locations, with different groups facing different obstacles, the episode managed to justifiably represent the massive cast the series has assembled over the course of four seasons.
Binding the various settings together is the central motif of impending doom brought about by this season's spine-chilling villain, Vecna. As the characters journey towards the epicenter of doom that is Hawkins, the eighth episode packs in galvanizing emotional performances with fast-paced action.
Continue reading this review for a breakdown of the 85-minute long eighth episode of Stranger Things Season 4 Vol 2.
Stranger Things Season 4 Vol 2: Where are the different contingents in the season's penultimate episode?
The eighth episode of Stranger Things Season 4 opens with Nancy in Vecna's possession. Vecna shows her terrifying visions of what his plan is and asks her to convey it to Eleven. Fortunately, he lets Nancy live, and she returns to Steve, Lucas, Dustin, Max, Eddie, Robin and Erica, all of whom are in Hawkins.
Nancy narrates the visions, which include dark clouds looming over Hawkins, monsters roaming the streets, dead bodies and gates being opened up as Vecna takes over Hawkins and onwards to world domination. The gang decodes Vecna's modus operandi and hatches a plan to kill him.
Meanwhile, in Russia, Joyce, Hopper, Antonov, Murray and a captive Yuri figure out an escape from Kamchatka to America. However, their path is not without its hurdles in the form of Russian guards, demodogs, demogorgons and caged, experimental creatures. Fortunately, Antonov discovers a way out, and the group breaks down the gates to freedom as they drive off in a van.
Somewhere in Nevada, under the desert, is the prison/lab where Dr. Owens took Eleven to restore her powers, and the two are joined by a very alive Dr. Brenner. Having found the coordinates to the lab with Suzie's help, Will, Mike, Jonathan and Argyle ventured to find Eleven in a pizza van.
Inside the lab, Owens and Brenner are helping Eleven get her powers back and reach her full potential. However, as El tries to get out to help her friends, Brenner's true intentions come to light, and chaos ensues at NINA.
Stranger Things Season 4, Episode 8: Max and the gang's plan to kill Vecna
Horrified by what she saw in Vecna's possession, Nancy recounted the visions to the rest of the gang. This prompted Max to figure out the mystery of four, which is a smart ode to the series being in the fourth season.
The grandfather clock had four strikes in the visions and four gates opened up by Vecna in the doomsday vision, which meant he was going to kill four people to bring down Hawkins.
Having decoded this, the gang realized three lives had already been claimed by him, and Max was the fourth. The urgency hit them like a rock, and Max volunteered herself as a tribute as part of the plan to kill Vecna.
The plan required the gang to load up on weapons. Max would lure Vecna towards herself, and the rest would fend off the bats and kill Vecna as he assumed his physical form.
The final scene of the eighth episode of Stranger Things Season 4 showed the gang about to set their plans in motion. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey played in the background, giving rise to a hair-raising sequence.
Stranger Things Season 4, Episode 8: Dr. Brenner's true intentions
Eleven's papa, aka Dr. Brenner, stops her from helping her friends until she is ready to use her powers. An infuriated Eleven confronts him and realizes that the monsters so far and the consequential deaths were all Brenner's doing. He was after Henry/One/Vecna, as Robin put it, and was using Eleven to find him.
This conclusion tied up the events of the previous episodes together as the fourth season of Stranger Things proceeds towards its finale. The episode still didn't reveal where Vecna has been all this time if Eleven banished Henry to the Upside Down all those years ago. However, it did showcase Brenner's twisted sense of fatherly love and value for his family.
Having seen how powerful Eleven could be so as to open up a gate to the Upside Down when she banished Henry, Brenner wanted her to reach that potential again so she could help him find Henry.
Eleven was more concerned about her friends and called Brenner a monster instead. She threatened to kill him if he stopped her from leaving, but he sedated her before she could leave.
Stranger Things Season 4, Episode 8 unpacks a lot but the 85 minutes runtime does justice to the various threads
The Hawkins storyline created the most tension in this episode and hinted at the possibility of the death of some fan-favorite characters. Viewers can't afford to take their eyes off the screen as the gang plan to walk right into the lion's den. Meanwhile, the Nevada storyline saw a lot of explosive action, with the military invading the lab and killing Dr. Brenner.
So, the episode had one death and a lot of nerve-wracking sequences. The storyline in Russia seems to be the least necessary, with Yuri's forced humor and nothing of significance taking place there. However, one can't really say for sure until the finale. The episode was in no way lacking in effects, production or stunts. It had a tightly-packed plot to keep the viewers engrossed.
The hour-and-a-half-long runtime also helped the episode fully explore the various storylines, giving all the characters appropriate screentime. The sprawling cast this season got to showcase their unique contributions in the episode, and even Argyle proved to be significant to the plot.
All in all, Stranger Things one-upped itself in this finale-defining penultimate episode, which is sure to lead to an epic and explosive conclusion.
The Duffer Brothers managed to accomplish a monumental task as the season comes to a close, akin to the blockbuster Avengers movies.
Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 was released on July 1, 2022, on Netflix.
