WARNING: Contains Stranger Things Season 4 spoilers
It feels like forever since fans have spent time in Hawkins, but Stranger Things has returned to Netflix at last, and fans already have a lot to say about the long-anticipated first half of season 4. So much has happened in the break between season 3 and Vol. 1, both to the fans and the characters they love, and Reddit is busier than Vecna hatching his evil plans.
It’s almost impossible for season 4 to live up to the expectations of the fans, but the overwhelming majority of them find Vol. 1 to be every bit as exciting as its predecessors, full of the three elements that make Stranger Things so special; horror, humor, and heart. Despite its overall success, Reddit fans have a lot of unpopular opinions about the show, from not finding Vecna to be that scary of a villain, to disliking Millie Bobby Brown’s acting as Eleven. Hopefully, they’ll change their minds when Vol. 2 arrives on July 1st, 2022.
Some Characters Look Too Old To Be Teens
Scrutiny is expected of any new characters to the cast of Stranger Things, but casting choices have been so solid over the years that new actors have been incorporated right into established storylines without a problem. Even characters who appear older than their teen counterparts, like Eddie and Jason, have been welcomed with open arms because of what they bring to the plot. Besides, according to Mental Floss, Judd Nelson was 26 when he played a teenager in The Breakfast Club.
Dexmo thinks Eddie “just looks too old” and that he just seems like “a creepy old dude that leans into certain cliches to impress young girls,” and Daze_Confuse thinks Jason looks like “the 30-year-old basketball coach.” But most fans like forwardseat remember that in “80s era high school yearbooks […] all the seniors look like 35-year-old real estate agents.”
Millie Bobby Brown’s Acting Is Wooden
Much of the plot of the entire series has centered on Eleven, her strange powers, and her connection to the Upside Down. Millie Bobby Brown was appropriately eleven when she was cast in Stranger Things and has proven herself a strong actress with a lot of narrative responsibility. Some fans feel like in season 4, however, her performance has been a letdown.
Outoftimeman asks, “Is it just me who thinks MBB’s acting is wooden and not that good?” Accomplished_Move875, like most fans, disagrees. “MBB always showcases an intense range of emotions very well.” Adjusting to a new life outside Hawkins has given Bobby Brown the chance to showcase a wide range of emotions for Eleven, including an intense vulnerability, and she gets some of the best quotes of season 4.
Eddie Is An Annoying Character
Beginning with Max and Billy in season 2, Stranger Things set a precedent for including new characters that could disrupt the core cast but end up becoming quickly beloved. With his ringleader theatricality and surprisingly sensitive arc with Chrissy, it was inevitable super senior Eddie would be a fan-favorite character despite early tension with Dustin and Mike.
Whatifyournamewas states, “I guess I’m in the minority but I thought the performance and the character was super annoying.” THE_Batman_121 thinks he “absolutely killed his role. I want to play DnD with him so bad lol.” It appears most fans feel that Eddie, the metalhead Dungeon Master with a heart of gold and a complex arc, has become the season’s breakout star.
Joseph Quinn Does A Horrible American Accent
Just like Millie Bobby Brown, Joseph Quinn is a British actor playing an American, and most fans can’t tell. Eddie is certainly a larger-than-life personality with a lot of scenes, but to most fans, Quinn’s accent never falters and he steals season 4 away from even some of the more established cast members.
Proof_One9974 could tell “immediately that his American accent was not authentic, which further sacrificed any illusion that this character was an American high schooler.” The vast majority of fans agree with Tiedy3dturtle, who really “cannot believe he is british. he not only got the american accent perfected but also the physical pronunciation.”
Steve & Nancy Possibly Reuniting
Given that Nancy is still in Hawkins with Steve, and Jonathan is living in California with Eleven and the Byers family, there are a lot of opportunities for the two to reunite. Fans have felt that Nancy and Jonathan have lost what chemistry they have, and see Nancy rekindling a romance with Steve (or possibly a wildcard like Robin).
Haircombsnightmare didn’t care for “the sudden Steve x Nancy,” while many fans like Penguins9022 “actually miss Nancy and Steve together.” The two characters have definitely done a lot of growing up since season 1, and it’s possible that the middle of an apocalypse is the perfect time to grow together.
Anything Not About Hawkins Or Vecna Is Boring
Season 4 has three major storyline locations; Hawkins, Russia, and California. Clusters of characters are split up between them, and most fans see the development as a chance for underrated relationships to have more screen time, like Hopper and Murray, who’s been upgraded to a series regular.
Shikaria1996 thinks that “anything that wasn’t Vecna related” was boring, and didn’t care at all “about this Russia expedition.” By contrast, gt120581 recognizes that “scattering them in different remote locations means that whole “why can’t they just call everyone and get them involved” thing can’t happen.” It also means that the group in Hawkins has to make an effective team without regular leaders like Mike, or support like Eleven.
Eleven’s Plotline Is Boring
Though the series focuses a lot on Eleven and her mysterious past, there’s still more to learn about her training at the Hawkins National Laboratory. Season 3 ended with the loss of her powers, and season 4 sees her set out to regain them in order to stop Vecna. Most fans have been excited to see if Eleven will become even more powerful than before, resulting in an explosive showdown at the end of season 4.
Posthuman_Aperture doesn’t like “the scenes of 11 finding her powers again [because they’re] boring and a waste of time. We already know she’ll get them back.” Ambassador_of_Mercy “really liked the Eleven plotline,” indicating that just because the destination of a plotline is known, doesn’t mean the journey to get there isn’t full of surprises.
Lack Of Upside Down Lore
The Upside Down has always been a mysterious realm that only becomes slightly more defined with each subsequent season. Season 4 has heavy implications about who could have created it, Dr. Brenner’s relationship with the Creels and Eleven, as well as the backstory on Vecna. It’s the most information fans have received so far, yet for some, it isn’t enough.
CommanderCody1138 complains that “it’s season 4 and we still have no idea what the upside-down is, why it exists, [or] why the mind flayer exists.” While Mr628 praises its “great writing and phenomenal world-building,” and oreohunter00 thinks “tapping more into how the Upside-down works is really cool.” Learning even more about the Upside Down is one of the things that need to happen in the second half of season 4, but fans will just have to wait until July.
The Horror Element Makes It Unwatchable
A lot of movies have influenced season 4, but none more so than the horror genre. Taking cues from IT, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Silence of the Lambs, the season has led fans like Marshmallow09er to declare “the vibe of this season “Horror films”. It had so many homages and just the most horror feel overall.”
SunnyDay27 felt that even from the “Horrifying/Macabre Opening Scene” the series was “unwatchable,” going on to condemn “degenerate characters, drugs, alcohol, [and] MEAN girls.” Just like in the aforementioned films, season 4 shows how the horrors of adolescence are often represented by supernatural threats. Horror metaphors have been a foundational element of Stranger Things since season 1.
Vecna Is A Boring Villain
Vecna is the newest villain to terrorize Hawkins; a humanoid lich from Dungeons & Dragons lore that feeds on the guilt of his victims. For some fans, he’s a much more accessible villain than some of the more abstract monsters of past seasons, like the Mind Flayer.
Hoggos disagrees, stating that “anytime they verge into a more human threat I never find it as entertaining.” Most fans will side with dmrob058 who thinks “Vecna is an INCREDIBLE villain [with] a seriously epic backstory.” Considering that Vecna is, according to Dustin, the Mind Flayer’s “five-star general,” fans should be excited to see how the two work together against Eleven and her friends in the season 4 finale.
