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What an amazing way to return to Hawkins! The first episode of Stranger Things Season 4, called “The Hellfire Club,” immediately throws the audience into a mix of confusion, fear, and reminiscence. The opening night that everyone had been waiting for introduces a dark, more grown-up plot, hinting at the possibility of the scariest episode in the series to date.
Everything, from the creepy retro flashback to the unexpected character’s demise that marks the end of the episode, has been carefully thought out and planned to reveal the emotional lifeblood of the series and its new psychological horror.
The first episode introduces various storylines that unfold simultaneously, featuring supernatural suspense, teenage drama, and the sense of loss that pervaded the previous seasons.
The unfolding of events is, so to speak, dark in tone, the magnitude is larger, and the haunting is done to perfection.
Let’s find out what is going on in the very dynamic beginning of Stranger Things Season 4.
The shocking 1979 flashback in Stranger Things Season 4
The dreadful event characterized is one of the most unbelievable in the series’ timeline, a retrogression to the year 1979 at Hawkins National Laboratory, the setting of the episode's opening scene. The supposedly deceased physician, Martin Brenner, who hasn’t been seen since, is shown as cruelly treating the gifted children and performing various kinds of experiments on them.
The suddenness of the massacre that comes after the calm setup transforms the scenery into horror, and multiple children and staff are left dead. The camera comes to focus on young Eleven, who is the only one alive among the casualties, her eyes expressing both rage and terror.
This sequence of events immediately gives an edge to the psychological aspect of Season 4. It also raises the question: Was it Eleven that caused the massacre, or is there a deeper layer to the story that has to do with the eye?
Life in 1986: A new start for Eleven in Stranger Things Season 4
The timeline of the season leaps to 1986, which is the main timeline of the season. After losing her powers, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is now trying to adapt to “normal” life in California, where she lives with Joyce, Will, and Jonathan Byers. However, her struggles cannot be hidden by the sunshine and skateboards. The school, particularly from Angela, is a source of constant bullying for her, and the attempt to fit in with a regular teenager just amplifies her feelings of isolation.
Now the horror side of the show has moved to a suburban area where the real monsters are social shame and trauma. From a small town, it has become a suburb. The metaphor for her identity crisis, which makes the character one of the most emotionally broken in the entire episode, is her inability to express herself with telekinesis.
Back in Hawkins: The rise of The Hellfire Club in Stranger Things Season 4
Hawkins, undoubtedly, has not lost its charm and chaos. The kids are Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), who are in the thick of their fantasy adventures, joining the D&D group of The Hellfire Club, ruled by the wild but lovable Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn).
Their adventure parallels the group's real-life worries and friendships, with the fantasy world representing the difficult times of growing up. Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), on the other hand, decides to show a new version of himself, and so he joins the basketball team, which leads to a split from his friends.
The editing is extremely good, as it combines the last basketball match and the last D&D fight in a brilliant way, creating a visual clash of the different choices overlapping one another.
The death that changes everything in Stranger Things Season 4: Chrissy Cunningham
A somewhat negative aspect of Stranger Things Season 4, Episode 1, is the disturbing storyline of Chrissy Cunningham (Grace Van Dien), the most popular girl in Hawkins High, who happens to be a cheerleader. This story is the main focus of the episode. An innocent character arc turns quickly to nightmare when Chrissy is subjected to her very own frightful visions; in a way, her suffering is quite similar to that of people around her and ceases to be merely guilty parts of her psyche.
When the episode comes to a close, Chrissy’s hallucinations direct her to the residence of Eddie with the intention of getting help in getting rid of her psychological suffering. To her horror, she is already in the clutches of Vecna, the new and terrifying antagonist of the season, and she ends up being the first casualty.
Her death has signaled the return of the curse of Hawkins, only that this time it is much more profound and psychological than before.
The return of Joyce and Hopper’s mystery in Stranger Things Season 4
Although most of the story takes place in Hawkins and California, Stranger Things still touches on the unresolved mystery from Season 3. In another subplot, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) is confused when she receives a Russian doll with a note inside as a gift from an unknown sender in California, suggesting that Jim Hopper might still be alive.
The end of Season 3 hinted at this Russia storyline, which is now resurfacing. Additionally, Joyce's discovery will drive the rest of the season.
Expanding the world and the stakes
Stranger Things is venturing into new territories with the first-ever opening of the story that goes beyond Hawkins. The emotional gap between the characters is a direct result of the narrative route taken from the bright neighborhoods of California to the snow-laden jails of Russia. Obviously, the series could utilize this very large view for the purpose of discussing and portraying trauma, isolation, and the loss of innocence from various perspectives.
The evil has changed its form and is now more human than ever; that’s the one and only common trait among such disparate plot lines as Eleven’s inability to use her powers, Lucas’s quest for identity, or Chrissy’s tragic demise.
Stranger Things Season 4, Episode 1, marks the start of a new tone. The Hellfire Club is more than just a name; it represents the unpredictability of growing up, the traumas faced, and the inner struggle between one’s true self and the persona projected to the world. The brutal laboratory flashback and Chrissy’s shocking death set a new standard for the series, not only in depth but also in its sense of fear.
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The Hellfire Club stands out as a striking opening episode, demonstrating that Stranger Things has grown beyond its nostalgic appeal and become something darker and more human.
Also read: Stranger Things Season 3 Episode 4 Recap: Mind Flayer's Control Over Billy Exposed in Sauna Showdown
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