This article contains major spoilers for Stranger Things Season 4 Vol. 1!
The first volume of Stranger Things season 4 dropped on May 27th and fans are already rating the ambitious new episodes. After waiting three years for a new installment in the Netflix hit series, this season has a lot of anticipation to live up to. The show became a cultural phenomenon when it first aired in 2016 and each season fans have returned to Hawkins to watch the residents fight the terrors of the Upside Down.
Each season of Stranger Things has done well with critics and audiences, but so far this season has pulled audience ratings higher than any season yet. While IMDb may not be a perfect measure for ratings, it can be a good way to see the general viewers' reaction to each episode of the season, as it aggregates the rating from a wide source.
The Hellfire Club — 8.2
The season opener finds half of the characters in California and half in Hawkins. As El struggles to fit in at the new school, Mike and Dustin struggle to find a new DnD teammate, and Lucas is playing in the school's championship basketball game. Even though the action hasn't ramped up yet, the eerie tension is starting to build with Eleven's brutal flashbacks, and the horrific death of Chrissy, which set a more mature tone for the season.
As the show is taking the time to reintroduce the characters to the audience, there is a good amount of character exposition to show where everyone is at in their life now. The season opener starts out a little slow, but most fans were okay with spending some time with these characters and being introduced to new ones.
Vecna's Curse — 8.4
Viewers finally find out what exactly happened to Hopper, seeing his harrowing time in a Russian prison near Alaska. The town reacts to Chrissy's death and Eddie is on the run from the police. Meanwhile, El has an altercation with the bully, and Joyce and Murray attempt to find Hopper.
As all the storylines are starting to develop, the second episode digs even deeper into the horror that the first episode teased. This episode features some good comedic relief with the California crew, and genuinely creepy impending dread as viewers watch Fred suffer the same fate as Chrissy. Overall the episode was a strong continuation of laying the groundwork for the story. Eddie and Argyle the cast of characters seamlessly even though initially some fans didn't want too many new faces.
The Nina Project — 8.5
"The Nina Project" finds the heroes deep in their journeys. Eleven is undergoing intensive memory therapy to try to get her powers back, and the Hawkins kids explore Victor Creel's decrepit house. The boys in California deal with a dead body and start a mission to Utah, home of the nearest computer they know of.
This episode had some callbacks to earlier seasons, with the following of flickering lights in the Creel house. Some of the highlights were the tense haunted house exploration and Joyce and Murray's epic plane crash. But there are also heart-wrenching scenes like Hopper's monologue, and Eleven's trippy exercises she is put through, which take an emotional toll.
The Monster and the Superhero — 8.6
Chapter 3 of the season follows El facing the consequences of the previous episode, and a plea from Owens that they need to get her powers back. Nancy links up with Steve, Robin, Dustin, and Max and they continue their investigation into the murders. Elsewhere, Enzo and Hop devise a plan for him to escape.
According to fans, this episode was slightly lacking in action, but that didn't take away from its successful narrative pace. The different groups of heroes are coming together in this episode. The pairing of relentless investigator Nancy and excitable yet genius Robin made for some delightful dialogue. Ending on a cliffhanger, it sets up Max's fate, and fans watch in horror realizing she is Vecna's next target.
The Dive — 8.9
The penultimate episode of Vol. 1 had the task of setting up the finale and it delivers. El, in her memories, shows her harsh environment, while the Satanic Panic sets into the residents of Hawkins, leading them on a witch hunt. Steve, Robin, and Eddie investigate the gate under the lake.
This episode ramps up the action in each storyline. When the California boys make it to Suzie's house it is a chaotic and welcome comedic break from the atrocities falling on the others. Fans enjoyed Steve getting a chance to take a leadership role, stepping outside of being the babysitter. The demobats attack in the finale scene had fans on the edge of their seat for the finale. Fans have been worried Steve would die and this scene capitalized on that fear.
Dear Billy — 9.6
Following the cliffhanger of episode three, the Hawkins crew are racing against time to save Max. Robin and Nancy infiltrate Pennhurst asylum to talk to Victor Creel. Hop attempts to break free from the prison, and Jonathan, Mike, and Will escape a shootout in California.
This episode is absolutely action-packed and has some of the series' most poignant and gripping scenes to date. Unsurprisingly, it is one of the highest-rated installments of the entire series. Hopper's thrilling escape followed by his devastating recapture had fans on an emotional rollercoaster. Viewers were holding their breath as "Running Up That Hill" plays in the final scene as Max recalls her treasured memories with her friends, finding the will to live and escaping Vecna.
The Massacre at Hawkins Lab — 9.7
The midseason finale reveals twists that intertwine multiple storylines together. Nancy, Steve, Robin, and Eddie are trapped in the Upside Down and attempt to communicate with Dustin, Erica, Max, and Lucas on the other side. Hopper and Enzo are forced to fight the Demogorgon, and El (and Nancy) find out the true identity of 001 and Vecna.
Fans are immensely impressed at the way the show combined the threads of all these stories into the villain. Viewers were mind-blown by the reveal that Victor Creel's son was the killer all along. Vecna is being considered the best villain Stranger Things has had so far. While answering many of the biggest questions, it still ended on a cliffhanger that left fans eager to finish the season.