A pineapple pizza, four hours of gooey special effects, the song Master of Puppets of Metallica screaming under a sky carpeted with carnivorous bats, raging Russian demogorgons, a helicopter named Katinka and a lot of eye and nosebleeds, the last two episodes of Stranger Things 4 went, like the Olympics, further, higher, stronger.
Posted at 7:15 a.m.
Before hibernating until 2024, Stranger Things 4 smashed everything: budget explosions and airtime (the last episode lasts 2 hours 20 minutes!). Never has a TV series embodied the definition of a summer blockbuster so well.
Was it perfect as a final? Of course not. The Soviet portion was stretched to the limit, the pizza-surf van run was redundant, and why brought back the Hawkins sports militia at the last second, when the demon Vecna crushed the body of the brave Max? Not necessary.
But was it satisfying? Yes, absolutely. These classic Coke-inflated final episodes were a pop culture mega-festival for anyone who grew up watching VHS of the Claws of the Night orAlien rented from the local video store. Like Vidéo Éclair or Club International Vidéo Film with the famous velcro pads.
And this tribute to the classics of the 1980s has been expertly concocted by the creators of Stranger Thingsbrothers Matt and Ross Duffer.
Have you captured all the references that have tumbled onto our screens? The cult movie Halloween was entitled to two big winks. First, rocker Eddie donned the white mask of killer Michael Myers, and then, Vecna – quit this now Upside-down world full of spoilers, thank you – perished the same way as the psychopath filmed by John Carpenter: he was shot, before falling two stories and disappearing in the mist.
At a breakneck pace, the nostalgic allusions continued their procession. A known replica of Star Warsa lookalike of Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles at the gun shop, cylinders of formaldehyde identical to those in the movies Alientwo Hulk Hogan t-shirts, Victor Creel’s house modeled on that of Norman Bates in psychologythe winter ball modeled on that of Carrie and Lucas reading The talisman of Stephen King, the master of horror.
The detail that has eluded most die-hard fans concerns Hopper. In the Soviet prison arena, it is with the real sword of Conan the Barbarian Hopper beheads the last demogorgon. A brilliant scene punctuated by the song Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) of Journey.
Very briefly, the mythical blade wielded by Arnold Schwarzenegger appears for the first time in the seventh episode, as the inmates try to survive a fight against the devil bugs. Did you see her?
Music also occupies a prominent place in Stranger Things. Kate Bush and her song Running Up That Hill have experienced a mind-blowing renaissance since the release of the fourth installment of the TV series, even peaking at number four on the Billboard charts. Not bad for a piece launched in 1985.
It’s Metallica’s turn to take advantage of the “lifting” effect of Stranger Things. The song Master of Puppets, dropped on a swarm of killer bats, is climbing the charts at an exponential rate. It’s crazy steep.
The last scene of Stranger Things 4 sets the stage for the story’s fifth and final chapter, slated for 2024. No, Vecna hasn’t been wiped out, and he’s preparing his final assault, as evidenced by the chills Will feels.
Speaking of Will, who has a crush on Mike, his sexual orientation was brought up, but never named. Quite the opposite of the verbomotive Robin, who finally got her moment of flirtation with her bandmate.
The plot scattered between the USSR, California and Indiana weakened the camaraderie between the main characters, so strong and so important in the previous seasons. The story would then jump from region to region and awkwardly interrupt pivotal scenes. To rethink.
That Stranger Things accomplished brilliantly, is to put young women at the heart of the action. The series started with little nerds who tripped over Dungeons and Dragons to mutate so as to terminator, where emulators of Sarah Connor killed the bad guys. Think of Eleven telepathically doing battle with Vecna, think of Nancy shooting point-blank range at that same Vecna, and think of Max who was the bravest of the bunch by offering herself as bait to the most terrifying creature in the world. universe.
And finally, fans’ patience was rewarded with the exchange of a long-awaited first kiss between Hopper and Joyce. All together: awww! Let’s say it changes the (too) many scenes where Eleven grimaces, frowns, distorts her face, stretches out her left arm and opens her hand in front of an enemy to be thrown at the wall. Insert a death cry here.
