amr elayyat

Latest Follow Up: (Season 4 Review) Season 4, Volume 1 of Stranger Things doesn't lose sight of what made its first season so unique in terms of tone, story, mystery and character building. Since the end of season 2, the show was really going downhill and pretty much almost lost focus on what made it "Stranger Things" in the first place, indulging into a stereotypical teen drama, cliche character developments and having very little of its crucial story elements in season 3. This season however really hits it home back to season 1 and 2, and especially season 1. The dose of Horror is much more heightened and entangled in a darker, more complex storyline that isn't as direct as last seasons' and only unfolds by the last episode. New additions of new characters have the right motivations and make each episode filled with tension. The only downside is the pacing and the overly long episodes but they do give cinematic vibes to each and every episode which is a wholly different vibe, even if sometimes the narrative continuity may struggle abit in the middle. The show isn't that much different in terms of plot lines and direction but you can see the creators truly taking the risk and trying something new with the continuous flashbacks, mature narrative and dark villain. On a thematic level, the show works and this is the first season where the show is very mature and resonant with its main themes that was kickstarted in season 1 but left out in seasons 2 and 3, about trauma and the past haunting all of the characters where the new villain seems to work on this weakness that exploits our characters and especially Eleven who now has no powers and is struggling with her faith and so eventually has to make ammends with her past struggles and self. This season hits Eleven and most of our characters back to reality as it takes them on a journey where they begin to re-identify with their past and undergo a full redemption arc. Some few details in character progression in this first volume hint at a gut wrenching finale of Volume 2 and it is not going to be pretty but let's hope the creators value the story and incomplete character arcs first over shock value.