When stranger things Season 3 was canceled on July 4th, 2019, no one could have predicted the lengthy hiatus that would follow.
After the success of the third season of the series stranger things was renewed for a fourth season just a few months later. The fans’ hope was that the season would begin in a few years, with many looking to 2021 as a possible landing spot for the season. Then 2020 happened.
As with many shows, production is ongoing stranger things Season 4 was postponed, causing the show to go on its longest hiatus to date — one that lasted nearly twice as long as fans were expecting.
It had been a long time coming, but season 4 finally came to Netflix this summer. And boy was it worth the wait.
Stranger Things was the best Netflix series of 2022
With Netflix keeping fans waiting between seasons, it was unclear if interest in the show might wane. It was also unclear how the show would manage to top its previous seasons, which were considered some of television’s best seasons ever produced. Those concerns were all quickly addressed when the first part of the season arrived on May 27 with the release of the first seven episodes of the new season.
These new episodes managed to quickly reintroduce us to the many characters we knew and loved, while also introducing a handful of new characters that went on to become some of the most talked about characters of the season.
We see the protagonists of teenagers growing up and facing new challenges, both personal and supernatural. Meanwhile, the adults on the show continue to wrestle with their own demons and mysteries, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. The end result is another beautiful, character-driven season filled with compelling performances from the entire cast.
Of course, one can’t talk about the season without praising some of the season’s standout cast members, including newcomer Joseph Quinn as Edward “Eddie” Munson. From the minute audiences first met Eddie, a nerdy metalhead and leader of the Hellfire Club at Hawkins High, they quickly fell in love with the character, whose humor and warm demeanor made the character the scene-stealing breakthrough of the season .
Speaking of scene-stealing performances, pages could be filled with compliments on the entire cast’s performance this season; However, I would be remiss not to directly highlight Sadie Sink’s Emmy-worthy performance throughout the season. Sink’s performance in Dear Billy alone should have been enough to earn the young actress an Emmy nomination for Best Actress, and it’s bewildering that she somehow went unnoticed as the episode is one of her brightest moments in a season full of amazing highlights was.
Another strength of the season is its ability to balance nostalgia with fresh storytelling. The show continues to pay homage to the sci-fi and horror classics, inspiring and introducing new elements and twists to captivate audiences while continuing to be read as a love letter to the ’80s.
Just look at how the show’s use of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” as part of the season’s central storyline managed to propel the song to the top of the charts or Dungeons & Dragons once again bring to the forefront of pop culture through the storytelling of the season.
stranger things was not only the best show of 2022, but cemented its place as a cultural phenomenon. With its gripping storyline, lovable characters and nostalgic 80s setting stranger things has managed to once again win the hearts of audiences around the world upon his return this season.
While we know there’s another long wait ahead with the final season scheduled for 2024, it’s if Season 4 proved anything that no matter how much time may pass between seasons, fans will continue to pop up and become the most passionate fans will count.
stranger things Seasons 1-4 are now streaming on Netflix.