Stranger Things greatest moment still hits hard three years later - season 4 rewatch
Our Stranger Things rewatch reaches one of the most iconic moments - but does it hold up? 👀📺
- Hawkins is in grave peril with Vecna on the loose.
- Eleven is at the centre of a shadow war.
- But how does Stranger Things' most memorable moment hold up?
Things have never looked quite this grave for our Stranger Things gang. A murderous psychic being is on the loose and Hawkins is bubbling with danger.
Our re-watch club has arrived at one of the most iconic moments from the whole show. If you are watching along, you might find yourself firing up your Kate Bush playlist again.
But how does the iconic Dear Billy hold up three years later? Join me for my re-review of episode three and four.
Chapter Three: The Monster and the Superhero
Synopsis: Murray and Joyce fly to Alaska, and El faces serious consequences. Robin and Nancy dig up dirt on Hawkins' demons. Dr. Owens delivers sobering news.
The term table-setting episodes is often used in a derogatory way when talking about Television. It suggests wasted time and wheel spinning, despite often being essential.
While it can often lead to clearly signposted exposition, when done elegantly it is vital. Viewers need to get a sense of the stakes of a season and the general direction it is heading in, to fully buy in.
Stranger Things has sometimes fumbled this part of the journey, the one that takes you from the excitement of the start to the bombastic conclusion. But in season 4, they’ve got it down to an art.
Nothing particularly happens in episode 3, if you were to simply list out the events. Yet it is an episode that flies by, places the pieces on the chessboard and lays the groundwork for what comes next.
We get some new fun character pairings - particularly Robin and Nancy. The danger facing Max is elegantly set up, by having our characters discover it themselves.
Eleven is set on the path to recovering her powers, at a moment when it felt like she was about to be sidelined again. Plus we get a very cool moment when Vecna chooses a victim.
Given what comes next, this episode might get lost in the season but it is really good TV. Sometimes that’s all you can ask for!
Chapter Four: Dear Billy
Synopsis: Max is in grave danger... and running out of time. A patient at Pennhurst asylum has visitors. Elsewhere, in Russia, Hopper is hard at work.
What comes to mind first when you think of Stranger Things? Perhaps it’s the bike scene from season one, 11 using her powers, or the demogorgon.
But more than likely it is a picture of Max floating above the cemetery that appears in your mind’s eye. Despite not arriving until the fourth series it’s a singularly powerful and dare I say iconic moment.
I was worried that it might have lost some of its magic on rewatch. But I sit here, having just finished the episode, typing these thoughts with tears in my eyes.
Dear Billy might just be the best episode of Stranger Things and it culminates with arguably its single greatest moment. It is an episode with incredibly high stakes and a ticking clock - literally and figuratively.
The Hawkins gang are on a literal deadline and it injects the hour and 20 minute runtime with an incredible thrust. Every action is important and any mistake could prove fatal for a beloved character.
Despite not even being the midpoint of the season, Dead Billy feels climatic in a huge way. Not only do we have Max at risk, Hopper’s escape plan in Russia goes into action, and the governmental shadow war hits a boiling point in California as Mike, Jonathan and Will are caught in the crossfire.
It all culminates in the jaw dropping final scene at the cemetery where Vecna comes for Max. There’s a reason Running Up That Hill became a major hit in 2022 upon release of this episode.
It is the perfect choice to soundtrack such an emotional moment. But what I think makes it truly work so well is that it is ultimately Max who saves herself.
She wants to live and makes it happen. I am glad I get to sit with this moment for another week!
Netflix has confirmed the release dates for Stranger Things season five. The remaining episodes will be split across three different parts - see when.