Rick'n Reality

Onto the penultimate episode of Stranger Things 4 volume 1. Things are intense. Let’s pick in Hawkins. Eddie has escaped, and Jason is convinced Eddie is possessed by a demon. The police arrange a town hall meeting to address the deaths. However, Jason declares Eddie and his satanic cult, the Hellfire Club, to be responsible. Him and the other jocks hand wanted posters of the Hellfire Club. There's a unique moment when Karen (Mike/Nancy’s mother), Lucas’ mother, and Dustin’s mother all make fearful eye contact. Mom goals, I guess.   This particular plotline was inspired by the actual Satanic Panic of the 80s, and I thought it was adapted well. It felt like two dots naturally being connected. Eddie tells the gang he is hiding at Skull Rock. Steve and Dustin lead but argue over directions. Dustin is following his compass, but Steve, who made Skull Rock into a popular make out spot, claims otherwise. Turns out Steve was right.  Nancy and Robin have a one-on-one moment, where Robi...

Officially passing the halfway point of volume 1. All the gears have been set and are in motion, so let’s get into it. Eleven has arrived at the laboratory but comes face to face with Brenner. Not only did I wince, or flinch, or something like that, but my heart turned cold. I thought Owen’s was on the good side–what the heck?! El, being smart, attempts to escape, but we all knew it was futile. We then discover Brenner’s plan to get Eleven her powers back, titled the Project Nina, which requires her to relive memories in the original Hawkins lab. Intriguing… When she awakens with her head shaved, wearing the hospital gown, the PTSD effect was definitely accomplished. I especially liked the bit where Eleven kept opening the door to escape but the scene reset each time. I know it’s a movie staple, but it does the job. At the end when Eleven’s powers briefly activated, my thought was: Oh great, it’s working. But then she goes back with Brenner hand-in-hand and I was left disgusted and m...

In Stranger Things, Episode 4 is notorious for holding the big, first climax of the season. This one is no exception.  Pressure is on for the Hawkings gang, as they have to figure out how to save Max from Vecna. Luckily, we have the new duo of Nancy and Robin for that. Their plan is to sneak into Pennhurst Asylum and talk to Victor Creel, as he is the only one who managed to escape from Vecna alive. However, they first have to bypass the head administrator, so they take on the personas of psychology students, and Robin is forced to wear her worst nightmare. Nancy’s sweet talk wasn’t cutting it, so Robin, more out of exasperation, steps in and delivers an emotionally charged yet fake story about how Victor Creel was the reason for her pursuing this career. I was quite taken aback at this scene. Even though the story was made up, Maya Hawke’s delivery made it actually sound emotional, and I felt myself drawn in. This was also a huge character moment for Robin, both individually and h...

Episode 3 is honestly my least favorite of the season, but it’s by no means bad and has many high points. Let’s pick up in California. Eleven is reeling from the roller skate incident, while Mike and Will are in shock. Not a happy ride back. In the house, they encounter Joyce and Murray who conduct a poorly acted skit to hide the fact they’re going to Alaska. El storms off after Mike makes a remark about the incident. Will is just frustrated. We see El laying in bed crying, the flashbacks of the massacre clearly haunting her. There is a direct parallel of Brenner and Mike saying “What have you done?!” which establishes an interesting duality that will hopefully play out in volume two. The next morning Mike tries to talk to El, but they get into an argument. El feels that Mike doesn’t understand how she will never fit in, as well as he can’t say he loves her.  This argument is very real. It addresses the reality that even without her powers, El can’t be a normal teenager with a norm...

Let’s get right into Season 4 Episode 2: Vecna’s Curse We left off with Chrissy’s death. Eddie has fled, and he has also been labeled suspect number one. Max saw Chrissy going into Eddie’s trailer, so she confides to Dustin, and both of them end up going to the video store where Steve and Robin work (rip Scoops Ahoy). Dustin and Steve’s interaction is gold with how Steve is jealous of Dustin and Eddie; it’s nice to add light tension. Robin asserts herself as the genius again, using their customer database to locate “Reefer Rick,” Eddie’s drug supplier, by Lover’s Lake. They manage to find Eddie, who’s not doing great. Also in Hawkins, Nancy, editor of the school paper, sets out with assistant Fred to the murder site. The upside down transition of them walking out to the trailer site was pure cinema. Fred, being inquisitive, asks Nancy why Jonathan is not coming for Spring Break. They’re quote-unquote fine. Upon entering, they get halted by a police officer, who recognizes Fred. Turns o...

I’ve been talking about Stranger Things 4 nonstop everyday (mostly to my Mom). I watched the first two episodes late at night after I had returned from a school trip, and then I couldn’t fall asleep until after 1 a.m. I was invested.  I ended up finishing the next day and was left with thoughts ever since. However, it was only late at night yesterday that I realized I can share them–I have a blog! AND… I’ve been reading online reviews this whole time. I am going to be discussing EVERY episode of the new season, giving my own thoughts and analysis on everything: story, characters, relationships, cinematography, etc. There is a lot to discuss, so let’s start with Chapter 1: The Hellfire Club . We open with a bright morning in a serene neighborhood, very different and unusual from previous season openings, where 3/3 times, something bad is happening. This definitely sets a false illusion. The slow reveal and indirect characterization of Brenner was intriguing, specifically him speedr...