Stranger Things: Season 4

[JasonEvans]

It debuts this Friday. Early reviews are pretty strong, close to 90% on Rotten Tomatoes

Here is the latest teaser:

[JasonEvans]

They have also released the first 8 minutes of the first episode of the season. Welcome back, Matthew Modine!

[JasonEvans]

It really is a pity Netflix is not rolling these out on a weekly basis, because the length of each episode absolutely justifies a slower roll-out versus dumping all episodes at once (well, the final 2 eps won't be released until July 1).



And I totaled up the run time... you need to see this tweet: https://twitter.com/JasonDukeEvans/s...52591945060352

[aimo]

Gonna have to watch the last season again to refresh my memory.

[Skydog]

It really is a pity Netflix is not rolling these out on a weekly basis, because the length of each episode absolutely justifies a slower roll-out versus dumping all episodes at once (well, the final 2 eps won't be released until July 1).



And I totaled up the run time... you need to see this tweet: https://twitter.com/JasonDukeEvans/s...52591945060352

Wow - this is an unexpected/pioneering move for 'prestige TV.' I say unexpected because the cost of creating this much content must have been astronomical. I hope the quality of the material justifies the full movie length episodes; I suspect it will. The success of this Stranger Things: Season 4 may well determine if movie length episodes and/or mega-finales become a thing in the world of high quality TV.

[JasonEvans]

Wow - this is an unexpected/pioneering move for 'prestige TV.' I say unexpected because the cost of creating this much content must have been astronomical. I hope the quality of the material justifies the full movie length episodes; I suspect it will. The success of this Stranger Things: Season 4 may well determine if movie length episodes and/or mega-finales become a thing in the world of high quality TV.

It has already been announced that each episode on season 4 cost $30 million, which is easily the budget of a medium-scale movie. By comparison, the final season of Game of Thornes was $10 mil per episode.

[cato]

By comparison, the final season of Game of Thornes was $10 mil per episode.

In retrospect, this was a Lost opportunity.

[Skydog]

It has already been announced that each episode on season 4 cost $30 million, which is easily the budget of a medium-scale movie. By comparison, the final season of Game of Thornes was $10 mil per episode.

So a $270m TV series. Netflix really wants/needs a hit these days.

[JasonEvans]

So a $270m TV series. Netflix really wants/needs a hit these days.

Guess what Netflix spends each year on producing and acquiring content? $17 billion. $270 mil on what has been arguably their most successful show (just ahead of Orange, Squid, and Tiger) seems like a sound investment.

[Wander]

That was awesome, right up there with the first season to me. That scene with Max might be the best scene in the entire show.

[aimo]

I've only watched the first episode and am already WTF?!?!?!?

[JasonEvans]

That was awesome, right up there with the first season to me. That scene with Max might be the best scene in the entire show.

Episode 4 (which features the Max scene) is a really great hour of TV, for sure. There is so much going on!!

I really wish Netflix would have broken their model and parsed the show out over several dates. There is a collective conversation and unraveling of the stories/mysteries that could have been really fun for all of us to have together. Instead, we get like 10 hours of story dumped at one time (plus 4 more a few weeks later) and the shared "wow, did you see that!" moments get passed over as we whisk on to the next episode. I'm currently in the middle of ep 5 and have trouble talking about the show with friends who are all either ahead of or behind me in their viewing experience.

I'm glad I am getting fast resolution to questions and mysteries, but I think it would be more fun if I had more time to ponder it and let it sink in.

Netflix, which is really struggling lately with subscribers who bounce on and off the service, would have bene wise to spread something this expansive and important over 2 or 3 months.

Anyway, it is great fun and I am hoping the Duffer Brothers are soon given control of the DCEU or Star Wars or some other IP that can use their crackerjack storytelling abilities.

[Wander]

Episode 4 (which features the Max scene) is a really great hour of TV, for sure. There is so much going on!!

I really wish Netflix would have broken their model and parsed the show out over several dates. There is a collective conversation and unraveling of the stories/mysteries that could have been really fun for all of us to have together. Instead, we get like 10 hours of story dumped at one time (plus 4 more a few weeks later) and the shared "wow, did you see that!" moments get passed over as we whisk on to the next episode. I'm currently in the middle of ep 5 and have trouble talking about the show with friends who are all either ahead of or behind me in their viewing experience.

I'm glad I am getting fast resolution to questions and mysteries, but I think it would be more fun if I had more time to ponder it and let it sink in.

Curious to hear if you still feel that way after you finish this set of episodes. I actually really liked the decision, for reasons I'll put in a spoiler tag (huge spoilers for episode 7, the last in this set – no one read until you've finished volume 1 of season 4!) below:

Spoiler!

If there had been a week in between each episode, I have no doubt the internet would have easily figured out that 001, Vecna, Victor's son, and the nurse guy are all the same character and responsible for the massacre. Even as an unconfirmed spoiler, the case would have been convincing enough that it would have completely ruined the ending of Volume 1 to me. I'm glad that didn't happen – I figured 001 would show up as the main villain but with the quick pace of the show, I didn't put together all the connections in time.

.

[Bob Green]

I have watched six episodes and will watch number seven tonight. Season 4 has exceeded my expectations to date.

[aimo]

Loving the Durham nods! In case you don't know or missed it, the opposing basketball team in Episode One are the Falcons, in red uniforms. Nod To Jordan High, the Duffers' alma mater. Although blue unis would have been better . . .

[Skydog]

Loving the Durham nods! In case you don't know or missed it, the opposing basketball team in Episode One are the Falcons, in red uniforms. Nod To Jordan High, the Duffers' alma mater. Although blue unis would have been better . . .

And the home team is the Tigers (Chapel Hill). Not sure why they reversed them that way.
In episode 4 Max talks about her father leaving them poor, and her and her mom moving to a crummy trailer park off Kerley. I used to live right around the corner of that trailer park. It is half-way between Durham and CH and a couple miles from Lochnora, the neighborhood referenced in Season 1.

[aimo]

And the home team is the Tigers (Chapel Hill). Not sure why they reversed them that way.
In episode 4 Max talks about her father leaving them poor, and her and her mom moving to a crummy trailer park off Kerley. I used to live right around the corner of that trailer park. It is half-way between Durham and CH and a couple miles from Lochnora, the neighborhood referenced in Season 1.

My sister-in-law taught Matt for two years at Duke School. Their class pet was Yertle the turtle, also Dustin's turtle in Season 2.

The roller skating rink in this season could be a nod to Wheels b/c I think that Skate Inn that was on the boulevard was closed by the time the Duffers would have been big enough to skate.

[rsvman]

Episode 4 (which features the Max scene) is a really great hour of TV, for sure. There is so much going on!!

I really wish Netflix would have broken their model and parsed the show out over several dates. There is a collective conversation and unraveling of the stories/mysteries that could have been really fun for all of us to have together. Instead, we get like 10 hours of story dumped at one time (plus 4 more a few weeks later) and the shared "wow, did you see that!" moments get passed over as we whisk on to the next episode. I'm currently in the middle of ep 5 and have trouble talking about the show with friends who are all either ahead of or behind me in their viewing experience.

I'm glad I am getting fast resolution to questions and mysteries, but I think it would be more fun if I had more time to ponder it and let it sink in.

Netflix, which is really struggling lately with subscribers who bounce on and off the service, would have bene wise to spread something this expansive and important over 2 or 3 months.

Anyway, it is great fun and I am hoping the Duffer Brothers are soon given control of the DCEU or Star Wars or some other IP that can use their crackerjack storytelling abilities.

You do realize that they aren't forcing you to binge watch, right? I mean, you could choose to watch one episode a week if you wanted to, no matter how many episodes they dropped all at once.

[acdevil]

I just rewatched all 3 seasons to remember what was going on.

Title needs to be fixed. It’s Stranger.

[aimo]

I just rewatched all 3 seasons to remember what was going on.

Title needs to be fixed. It’s Stranger.

Maybe this one is just Strange. And no more.