By: Phoenix Rivera
Stranger Things is a supernatural, horror fiction TV series that includes the fan favorite, Eleven, also known as Jane Hopper, with her signature nosebleed and Eggo waffles. The plot of Stranger Things is not solely about the vanishing of Will Byer and the powers of a girl named Eleven to tap into the parlous, supernatural world crashing into theirs to stop the invasion of the creatures residing in that realm, it is about so much more and the plot of many more characters. Eleven almost took over the “main character” role when the series took the media by storm. Because of this, the production crew threw the original plot away and improvised the majority of the show, while still following the original storyline and throwing in some pizazz for the fans.
Recently, in late May of this year, The Duffer brothers released volumes one and two of the long-awaited season 4 of Strangers Things, and unfortunately, there has been some negative feedback. And new fans have not made it any better. I personally viewed the season with my friend group, and we could not make it halfway through the hour-long episode without a condescending or hilarious comment about everything. In my opinion, I really enjoyed it, but still agreed with other fans that there was room for improvement.
To fully understand the complexities of this season, it is important to address the characters in this show, and the fanbase/actors.
A problem I have with the characters is the inclusion of random, but important side characters. A good example of this would be Eddie. He has an important role in the story for a small while, but once his purpose is served and he has generally no reason to be there, his character is killed. This is normal for the industry, but why do they always turn out the best characters? Eddie Munson’s character connected with millions of viewers and created a whole new community based on expressing yourself, even if it’s as wild as Eddie’s. He also re-branded/revived the punk, rockstar, and metalhead communities and made it more relevant, even after he died. Speaking of Eddie, this leads me into the actors and fanbase.
I LOVE Eddie with every fiber in my being, but with good, comes bad. The fanbase previously was a normal fanbase with the occasional hazing and petty rumors, but now it is full of weirdos. No offense to the good kind of weirdos, but these are the bad kind. The kind of fans that make your face contort and physically revolt; the kind that reminds you of your cringe 6th-grade phase. These people have over-sexualized minor characters, validated purposefully problematic characters, and on top of it all, they doxed and harassed some of the kindest actors.
While they infect the fanbase with all the negative comments and vile opinions, there are some good fans. For example, Joseph Quinn went to his first Comic Con and within the first couple of days, he was verbally harassed by an overly enthusiastic fan. The next day, he was holding a panel and one of the fans addressed the issue and thanked him for opening an amazingly supportive community and praised him for being so sweet, to the point it led him to tears. We love him. Also, they are super creative! I have seen some very interesting ideas and conspiracies that have even made me speculate about what is to come.
Ultimately, the last point I wanted to make was about actors, or more rather, the acting. I believe in acting? TOP TIER. The disconnected and confounding emotion Sadie Sink provides for Max, the unbelievable vehemence booming from Joseph Quinn, the unconditional love and blooming concern emitting from Lucas, and even Mama Steve or Joe Keery made my day with his rants. I genuinely am infatuated with how the actors portray the characters and I think they do an amazing job.
Despite my opinions and personal vendetta against some of the new fans, it is safe to say that I really enjoy being a “stranger” and cannot wait for season five of this blessed series.
