'Stranger Things' Season 4 Greatest Problem, According To Critics
Season four is just around the corner, and some critics have already watched the whole thing. Here's what they have to say.
The Duffer Brothers are preparing something special for fans of the small-town mystery saga, promising a larger scale of events and a massive duration for each episode, including a mind-blowing two-hour finale. But it seems that the main complaint of critics has to do with these epic plans, with many reviewers citing the breadth of the narrative as the main weakness of the upcoming season.
Arizona Republic's Bill Goodykoontz described his feelings about the multiple narratives coexisting together in each episode, stating that "it's fair to say there are entire storylines this season I don't care about at all," while adding that "it's also fair to say that, even if bloated, there are still a lot of things about 'Stranger Things ' I like."
Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics also noted the crushing weight of excessive narrative in season four, saying that "with seven episodes all hovering around feature film length, but...the sheer size and scope is enough to test even the most devoted fan."
Polygon's Petrana Radulovic didn't see the problem with the length of the season itself, but was disappointed with all of the episodes being "more or less the same thing over and over again."
However, some over critics found the excessive runtime to be a great idea, with Slashfilm's Chris Evangelista describing the season as "a summer blockbuster in TV form," while CBR's Lissete Lanuza Sáenz concludes that "there's no sense of bloat to Stranger Things Season 4, despite the supercharged episodes."
'Stranger Things' season 4 volume 1 arrives on Netflix on May 27, 2022, with volume 2 following on July 1.