- Stranger Things season 4 was split into two parts
- Vecna was the main antagonist
- The group worked to uncover Vecna’s origins
It’s already been two years since Stranger Things season 4 came out and with the final season due in 2025, there is a lot to cover.
Stranger Things premiered on Netflix in July 2016. The show immediately became one of Netflix’s top productions. In 2022, it was Netflix’s most-streamed show. Season 4 of the show continued to break streaming records in May 2022 when it premiered. According to Deadline, The final viewership for both parts of season 4 combined was 1.352B hours in the first 28 days of the show’s release.
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Season 4 also gave us many original viral moments, including the obsession of Eddie Munson. If you know, you know. But apart from the silly and touching moments it provided, season 4 of Stranger Things covered a lot of ground in its two parts, things you probably can’t remember since it’s been so long since we’ve seen it.
Season 4’s villain was Vecna, a mind-controlling villain from the Upside Down which the Hawkins gang spent season 4 trying to investigate and stop – but what else have we missed since the show premiered?
Stranger Things season 4 recap
Warning: Stranger Things season 4 spoilers lurk below
Stranger Things Season 4 opens with a shocking revelation about Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) past. A flashback to 1979 shows Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) discovering her covered in blood after she seemingly killed the other children in the lab. This horrifying scene reveals a side of Eleven the audience hadn’t seen before and raises questions about her capabilities.
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The story shifts to 1986 when the Byers family appears to have embraced a fresh start in California. Joyce (Winona Ryder) works as a telemarketer, Will (Noah Schnapp) enjoys a quieter life, and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) bonds with his new stoner friend, Argyle (Eduardo Franco).
Having moved west after the Starcourt Mall battle, Eleven struggles with losing her powers and coping with bullying at school. Grieving Hopper’s (David Harbour) apparent death only adds to her feelings of helplessness.
The Hellfire Club fights back
Back in Hawkins, Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) join the Hellfire Club, a Dungeons & Dragons group led by Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn). Their cheerful routine takes a dark turn when a local teenager, Chrissy Cunningham (Grace Van Dien), dies in Eddie’s trailer. Her brutal death sparks a murder investigation and introduces the season’s terrifying villain: Vecna.
Vecna, a humanoid monster from the Upside Down, uses trauma to manipulate and kill his victims. The gang discovers this link between Vecna’s curse and his targets. Meanwhile, Eddie, accused of murder, goes on the run with help from Dustin, and Max (Sadie Sink). Eddie shares that Chrissy was in a trance with her eyes missing before her death. Her death eerily resembles the murders committed by local man Victor Creel years ago.
Max becomes Vecna’s next target, because of trauma with her stepbrother Billy’s (Dacre Montgomery) death at the end of season 3.
What else happens in season 4?
Max endures Vecna’s terrifying hauntings but narrowly escapes with help from her friends and the power of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill Meanwhile, Nancy investigates Vecna’s connection to past crimes with her friend Fred (Logan Riley Bruner) whose efforts tragically end when Vecna claims him as a victim.
Elsewhere, Joyce receives a mysterious Russian doll in the mail, sparking an unusual adventure. She learns Hopper is alive but imprisoned in a brutal labor camp. With Murray’s help, she hatches a daring plan to rescue him, travelling to Alaska and Russia.
Back in the U.S., Eleven realizes she must regain her powers to fight Vecna. With help from Dr. Owens and Dr. Brenner, she participates in the Nina Project, reliving traumatic lab memories to restore her abilities.
A bittersweet ending
Meanwhile, Steve, Nancy, Dustin, and Eddie venture into the Upside Down, where Vecna traps Nancy in a trance. During a Nina Project session, Eleven recalls a key memory: Henry Creel, (Jamie Campbell Bower) a lab assistant, offers to help her escape, claiming Dr. Brenner wants her dead. Trusting him, Eleven removes a device from his neck, only to uncover his true identity. Henry is Victor Creel’s son and the first test subject, One.
He reveals his murderous nature, admitting to killing the other lab children. When Eleven fights back, she accidentally opens a portal to the Upside Down, banishing him and transforming him into Vecna.
As the group plans to defeat Vecna, Eddie makes a heartbreaking sacrifice to distract the Demobats. Despite their efforts, Vecna opens the fourth gate, leaving Hawkins in ruins. Two days later, Max lies in a coma, and Will senses Vecna’s lingering presence.
On a hopeful note, Hopper reunites with Eleven, closing Stranger Things Season 4 on a bittersweet yet tense ending.
