Warning: Spoilers for Stranger Things season 4 volume 1
The most critically-acclaimed seasons of Netflix’s hit Stranger Things season 1 subplot saw the harried single mother, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), attempt to find her missing child Will (Noah Schnapp), another was a thrilling mystery that focused on Will’s friends and telekinetic newcomer Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). And Stranger Things season 4 is only upping the ante.
Stranger Things should have been a tonal mess, with devastating moments like discovering Will’s corpse clashing with sweet scenes like Eleven’s new friends giving her a makeover. The show struck a balance between keeping the plotlines of its adult characters gritty and keeping the teens' stories appropriately dramatic. In contrast, the younger kids' stories are fast-paced and fun, despite the genuine peril they were in almost constantly. However, later seasons of Stranger Things struggled to keep this balance. For example, where season 1 saw Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) besting his bully Steve (Joe Keery) and prompting a change of heart from the humbled, redeemed character, Stranger Things ruined Jonathan’s character arc by instead focusing on Steve as a central figure in season 3 and side-lining Jonathan. Similarly, where Stranger Things season 2 saw Hopper struggle with becoming a surrogate father for Eleven, season 3 made him a boorish and mean-spirited patriarch, losing the sweetness of their earlier dynamic. But Stranger Things season 4 finally changes this trend, returning to the show's compelling roots.
Stranger Things best avoids pitfalls when the show creates new, unexpected character pairings instead of revisiting familiar duos or over-relying on new characters. Without the introduction of late additions like the Mayor, Alexei, and Robin, Stranger Things season 3 might have had more screen time to flesh out Jonathan and Nancy’s subplot. Without revisiting season 2’s story of Hopper becoming a father to Eleven, season 3 could have avoided this plot feeling stale and second-hand instead of taking things in a new and fresh direction. Fortunately, the Stranger Things formula gets a much-needed makeover in season 4 while also staying true to the character work that made the show so great to begin with.
The Best Character Pairings In Season 4 (And Where They Are)
Some of the best features of the Stranger Things formula are the creation of new, unexpected character pairings and the well-timed introduction of new, interesting characters. While season 3 took this concept a bit too far at the expense of properly developing all its characters and relationships, season 4 does an excellent job of giving its protagonists and side characters room to develop. Here's every character team-up in Stranger Things season 4 volume 1 and where they're currently located.
- Hopper, Dmitri, Joyce, and Murray In Russia: Hopper spends season 4 volume 1 in a Russian prison that's using Demogorgons as gladiators. He's rescued by Joyce and Murray, who are a delightful dynamic in season 4, and Yuri's interplay with Hopper showcases the emotional core of the season.
- Mike, Will, Jonathan, Suzie, and Argyle in Salt Lake City: On the hunt for Eleven after she's taken, the Byers, Mike, and comedic newcomer Argyle visit Suzie and her wild siblings in Salt Lake City for help tracing the NINA project (and, by extension, Eleven) for one of season 4's best moments.
- Steve, Eddie, Nancy, Robin, Dustin, Max, Lucas, and Erica in Hawkins: The Hawkins gang gets plenty of development, with Steve and Nancy rekindling their chemistry and newcomer Eddie providing another maniacal, layered character addition.
While splitting the gang is nothing new for , season 4 volume 1 has offered a wider range of locations and storylines while still offering enough time for relationships and individual arcs to feel authentic. Likewise, the season has limited its addition of new characters and given each one a real reason for being included, which is a refreshing change from season 3. All told, Stranger Things season 4 shakes up the formula while still utilizing the elements that work best.
How Stranger Things Succeeded (By Splitting Up Its Heroes)
Despite the advice of many horror characters ("Don't split up!"), taking the Scooby-Doo route and dividing the gang has not only worked for Stranger Things but was also central to the success of its early seasons. Stranger Things' changing seasons split up the gang by pairing off Jonathan and Nancy, Steve and Dustin, and Lucas, Max, Mike, and El — among others. Stranger Things season 4 has seen a continuation of the team-up model, but this time it actually feels founded and purposeful rather than a flat attempt at diversifying the story.
Before, whenever a Stranger Things character’s story grew stagnant — like the bizarre choice to focus on Steve after Nancy and Jonathan got together — they were paired off with an unexpected character to create a new dynamic. The addition of Dustin, for instance, helped make Steve a fan-favorite character and ed Steve's redemption arc. However, this Stranger Things formula wore out pretty fast. In season 4, though, because the characters are dispersed geographically, it makes more narrative sense for them to be having distinct experiences in different groups. Likewise, the season has deftly balanced the rekindling of old pairings (like Steve and Dustin or Steve and Nancy) with the effective introduction of new ones (adding Eddie to Steve and Dustin, Yuri to the adult group, and more).
Why Stranger Things Splitting Up The Gang Worked In Season 2
Stranger Things season 2 was a masterclass in rearranging existing characters for maximum fresh drama. Pairing Dustin and Steve off produced unexpectedly funny results, which also let Mike and Will’s Mind Flayer story get seriously dark without Dustin’s comic relief. Taking Jonathan and Nancy out of the A-plot gave their romance a chance to blossom. The comedy, romance, and cute kid genres each got subplots of their own, which gave each set of characters a distinct tone; Jonathan and Nancy’s season 2 romance subplot feels like a teen rom-com, Dustin’s scenes are a coming-of-age story, and Mike and Will’s arc becomes a dark possession horror. Stranger Things' formula for season 4 continues in this fashion, as each grouping has not only its own tone but also its own distinct location, vibe, and objective.
What Went Wrong In Stranger Things Season 3
As Stranger Things season 3 added more characters, the tonal jumps got more dramatic between scenes. Dustin, Steve, Robin, and Erica lived in a goofy Adventures In Babysitting-style comedy. At the same time, Jonathan and Nancy’s story combined grim workplace sexism with gruesome The Thing-style body horror, making the eventual meeting of their plots feel far from harmonious. The characters were too separate, and the stories were too different, with plot strands never fully coalescing even in the Stranger Things season 3 finale. With Stranger Things spinoffs looking more likely, it is understandable that the creators would want to keep adding more and more characters to the show’s growing stable. Still, the Netflix hit will eventually run out of screen time to keep all these plot plates spinning—as the uneven tone of season 3 proved. With Stranger Things season 4 reuniting most of the group, these previous mistakes have been avoided.
Why Stranger Things Can’t Keep Adding More Characters
The problem with continually adding more characters — even fan favorites like Erica and Robin — is that Stranger Things' core cast keeps growing, necessitating more and more subplots. This resulted in the messy “four lines, all waiting” structure of Stranger Things season 3. Any scene focusing on Hopper and Joyce left viewers wondering what was happening with Mike and El, Steve and Dustin, Max and Lucas, Billy, Jonathan, and Nancy. Stranger Things season 4 has fixed season 3’s mistakes (mostly) by taking more time and harmonizing its various tones better – and Eddie Munson is a treasure. Moving into Stranger Things season 4, part 2, though, Stranger Things should stop adding more characters and take a leaf from season 2’s playbook, rearranging familiar faces to tie up existing threads in new and interesting ways.
Stranger Things season 4, volume 2 releases on Netflix on July 1.
Want more Stranger Things season 4 articles? Check out our essential content below...
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