Sci-Fi Stranger Things (Netflix) - Part 1

[MadVillainy]

Have to agree big time on the pacing. Glad I’m not the only one. I remember when i initially found out that the episodes this season were going to be oversized, my initial reaction was excitement because…that means more content, right? And more time with Stranger Things cant be a bad thing. But i think that this was a prime example of why most tv shows stay within that 40-50 min range with their episode times.

I found myself mentally checking out a few times and I dont think ive ever been bored with ST before. Now I definitely believe its directly linked to the supersized runtimes and how everything was paced. Dont get me wrong, its not that was happening on screen was bad or anything but i found it hard to be engaged at times.

To the bolded: exactly.

No huge complaints about what happened but there was too much going on

 

[Broseph44]

 

[MadVillainy]

 

[MadVillainy]

 

[MadVillainy]

This one month wait is gonna feel long. Hopefully they stick the landing.
And Better Call Saul coming back too

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

'Stranger Things 4' Beats 'Bridgerton' for Netflix's Biggest Premiere - Variety

They made the episodes longer so that this stat they tout (instead of viewership by account profile) goes up.

Recently, the show made headlines after Netflix announced Season 4’s unusual runtimes. The shortest episode is 63 minutes minutes long while Episode 7 clocks in at a movie-length 98 minutes — which certainly helps to boost the show’s chart ranking — and the as of yet unreleased Season 4 finale will run for nearly two and a half hours.

 

[MadVillainy]

I feel like every Netflix show...hell most popular streaming show "breaks records"

Viewership reporting is still so vague especially for binge shows

 

[DyeLorean]

Liked this first part of the season but some storylines went for waaaay too long specially the Russia subplot and everything with Eleven. Just way too long I felt like I was watching the same thing over and over again.
Everything with the kids' investigation was great though. Eddie is a good adition. They forgot about one team of kids! Will and company dissappeared like two episodes ago.

 

[Drizzle]

They forgot about one team of kids! Will and company dissappeared like two episodes ago.

Spoiler

Yeah, they've been stretching their plot thin once they sought out Suzie in Utah. They were in the sixth episode but not the seventh.

 

[Sawyer]

Just finished this batch of episodes. Lotta good stuff, but… their editing game could use some tightening up.

The last episode was roughly 100 minutes long without so much as a scene of Will and Mike? Russia got way too much focus, the Anti-Satanist crusaders got way too much focus…

That 2.5 hour finale better be absolutely turnt or that runtime is going to look even more ridiculous than it does already.

 

[DyeLorean]

I miss the simplicity of the first season to be honest. I don't mind the bigger scale of this later seasons (I thought the third one was really good) but this one in particular had too many characters that didn't particularly matter to the overall story.

 

[samsnee]

I miss the simplicity of the first season to be honest. I don't mind the bigger scale of this later seasons (I thought the third one was really good) but this one in particular had too many characters that didn't particularly matter to the overall story.

That’s how it always goes with hit shows that have mythology around it. There’s always a sense you need to expand go bigger.

The last big bad that we faced? Oh he’s just a foot soldier compared to the new big bad this season!

 

[MadVillainy]

That's not a hit TV show with mythology thing at all. It's a very common fiction troped

"oh we saved the world. What next?"
"We just saved the universe. What's next"
"Oh now we need to save the multiverse"

This happens in comics, films, etc. Just look at the MCU. Saved the world in Avengers 1, Avengers 4 they're saving the whole universe (well half of the life). Now they're doing multiversal threats.

Even look at The Wire, Sopranos, and BB. The stakes were raised each season. It's a common thing.

Stranger Things is fine. It feel organic. ST1 had a more direct villain. Evil scientist and an extradimensional monster. ST2 had multiple extra dimensional monsters, etc. I think Stranger Things has handled the stakes well. It feels very organic and at least they have a clear end game. The scale when it comes to the stakes is fine.

The problem is too many storylines and characters. That doesn't really have to do with the stakes.

 

[DyeLorean]

Just for example, the guy with long hair. I like the actor, but he was annoying af and could've easily been cut to shift the focus on the three characters we know from the first season, and expand their relationship in interesting ways.
I think the season needed to be tightened up because there's good stuff all around, is not like the quality dropped... just that it has bitten off more than it can chew.

 

[Arachnerd]

Guess I'm in the minority on here then. I thought this was a vast improvement from season 3 which to me is the low point in the series, especially with how they flanderized Hopper for instance.

The last big bad that we faced? Oh he’s just a foot soldier compared to the new big bad this season!

Spoiler

Dustin literally speculated that Vecna could be working for the Mind Flayer in that one scene, and if that ends up being the case, it entirely contradicts your argument. No clue why you're assuming it's vice-versa in this instance.

 

[MadVillainy]

Just for example, the guy with long hair. I like the actor, but he was annoying af and could've easily been cut to shift the focus on the three characters we know from the first season, and expand their relationship in interesting ways.
I think the season needed to be tightened up because there's good stuff all around, is not like the quality dropped... just that it has bitten off more than it can chew.

Said the same thing. That seems to be the consensus for everyone who's not like "This is the greatest thing ever" or "This is the worst thing ever"
It's not that what's happening is bad or low quality...but there's a bit too much going on.

In regards to Eddie (I assume that's who you mean by "guy with long hair") I really enjoy his character. And dude gives a great performance...but yeah he's a new character who probably wasn't needed. I feel like there's a way you could've had either Steve or even Jonathan be the murder suspect. Again nothing against Eddie. But think about it. Not that many of the characters have any ties to Eddie. Imagine if Jonathan was the suspect. Obviously you'd have to restructure the whole season but that would've worked much better. And it would've given Jonathan something to do

 

[MadVillainy]

Guess I'm in the minority on here then. I thought this was a vast improvement from season 3 which to me is the low point in the series.

Spoiler

Dustin literally speculated that Vecna could be working for the Mind Flayer in that one scene, and if that ends up being the case, it entirely contradicts your argument. No clue why you're assuming it's vice-versa in this instance.

Most of the consensus is that it's better than season 3 from what I've seen.
But even then the funny thing is though that I've never seen a show where there are so many different rankings of the seasons by the fans. Of course everyone has their own opinion but for most shows there's usually at least one season that holds the general consensus of being the best. At least from what I've seen over the years

 

[Arachnerd]

I think season 1 was lightning in a bottle that they'll never be able to replicate. That being said, they have still made good content imo. As much as I'm not a fan of a lot of decisions in season 3, I wouldn't go as far as to call it bad by any means.

 

[DyeLorean]

In regards to Eddie (I assume that's who you mean by "guy with long hair") I really enjoy his character. And dude gives a great performance...but yeah he's a new character who probably wasn't needed. I feel like there's a way you could've had either Steve or even Jonathan be the murder suspect. Again nothing against Eddie. But think about it. Not that many of the characters have any ties to Eddie. Imagine if Jonathan was the suspect. Obviously you'd have to restructure the whole season but that would've worked much better. And it would've given Jonathan something to do

No, no. Not Eddie. The stoner with the pizza van. Eddie was a great addition.

 

[BatsAndNights]

Honestly I'd contend S4 has been the best so far since S1. As Arachnerd said though, S1 was lightning in a bottle in the same way that Breaking Bad S5 was lightning in a bottle. You could never hope in your wildest dreams to replicate it. But at the same time, episode 4 of S4? In my top 3 episodes of ST, without a shadow of a doubt. Episode equivalent of S1, genuine lightning in a bottle.

My only real issue so far is that everything with the Mike part of the crew this season has felt like filler. The runtime definitely isn't justified and it feels like that almost entirely comes from that aspect of the story. They weren't even in the last episode and that was one of the better ones of this season lmao

Also I think the choice to split the season up is kinda stupid. 7 episodes and then the last two in a month? What? Just...release them all on the July date. This is arguably one of if not the most bingeable show going right now. If there's any shows to release everything at once, it's this one

Either way though, my rankings of the seasons are S2, S3, S4 (so far), S1. Can't wait for more.

 

[The Joker]

Overall an enjoyable season but a step down from season 1 and 3. I feel like Mike, Will, and Jonathan were short changed big time. They were given very little to do. The Russia stuff really dragged on and descended into pure camp several times. Didn't enjoy most of the Eleven back in the lab plot. A lot of it felt like a repeat. I was bored for the majority of it. The bonehead vigilante jocks were irritating and got way too much screen time. I feel like we saw them more than some of the other main cast.

The good stuff came from Vacman who is a compelling villain. Max was the MVP of the kids getting the meatiest material and knocking it out of the park. All the stuff with the kids investigating Vacman was great. Eddie was a solid addition to the cast. Very likable character.

I hope the last two episodes are tighter to send the season off with a bang.

 

[Arachnerd]

This isn't the final season btw.

 

[Sawyer]

I get trying to preserve a bit of secrecy regarding the final episodes of the season, but I do have to roll my eyes a little at the cast and crew playing coy about Will (almost certainly) being gay.

Like, come on, y’all. Come ON.

 

[Arachnerd]

Yeah, I'll be surprised if they don't have him coming out to Mike in the finale. It definitely feels like they're building up to it, plus we still don't know what Will's painting is and they've kept some focus on that.

 

[CaptainWagner]

Just got all caught up tonight!

I for one didn't really have any HUGE issues with the pacing and really enjoyed the Russian storyline. "Enzo" and Hopper had really good chemistry and it's always nice to get Tom Wlaschiha a good role. Dude deserves to be a much bigger star than he is. And it certainly doesn't hurt that the snowy arctic setting really complements his eyes.

I will say that the pacing was rough with two plotlines:

Spoiler

The California plotline was way too drawn out and left three of the original leads spinning wheels for a major stretch. They should have kept up the "on-the-run from the government" angle for another episode or so, to give them more interesting stuff to do. The crazy Mormon family was a fun scene though. Big fan of Eden.

The basketball vigilantes. The Satanic Panic angle is an obvious thing to include, and it especially makes sense given the events of the season. But it seems a lot of them must have ended up on the cutting room floor. They started off a big deal, then had that big mob scene, but so far it seems to have sputtered out. Should have been cut if there wasn't space to fully commit.

One thing that could have saved time was trimming the NINA project scenes. I get wanting to keep El's presence throughout, but it felt really stretched thin without much progress being made.

All in all, I'm loving it. Amazing work from the cast across the board, a super compelling villain, effective horror and comedy balance. Everything you could want from Stranger Things.

I do miss Cary Elwes, though. There were several scenes where it was weird he wasn't around. And Rob Morgan, while he does get some fun moments so far, is still criminally wasted. There was so much potential for him to have a decent storyline - trying to fill Hopper's shoes in the face of both supernatural crimes and burgeoning mob violence. Butting heads with Elwes' Mayor if he were back. If I could make one change it would be trimming down some of the excess to give him more room to shine.