After initial worry about the second half of season 4, Stranger Things returns with a strong conclusion to the season finale. With the cast on various journeys to stop Vecna, it gives a powerful and entertaining demonstration to each individual character and their own roles in stopping Henry/One/Vecna.

From the very beginning of the season, we see some development between Steve and Nancy as they show sparks of their old romantic feelings for one another. As Nancy and Jonathan drift further apart, as we find out in a moment of dramatic irony that Jonathan decided to attend a different college than Nancy, unbeknownst to her. Just as the viewer becomes resigned to any hope of rekindling the flames of Steve and Nancy, we can see a definite foreshadowing of Nancy and Jonathan coming to an end and the romantic feelings between Nancy and Steve grow stronger throughout the season and Nancy jumping in to save Steve from the Upside Down. Though nothing officially happens between them, Eddie points out to Steve how Nancy did not hesitate to jump in after him. Nancy’s courageous act shows her love for Steve as well as her undeniable character development from a meek girl to a strong, independent woman.

In the heavily-anticipated season 4 of Stranger Things, fans were able to see their favorite characters return (along with a few new faces). After a 3-year hiatus, the cast returns as high school students trying to make it in their new surroundings.

Millie Bobby Brown makes a sensational comeback as Eleven, now under her birth-given name, Jayne. She gives a fantastic performance as a normal girl struggling to fit in her new city and school while continuing her long-distance relationship with Mike Wheeler. The classic fish-out-of-water persona portrayed by El is seen to come to an ugly head when she hits the school bully in the face with a roller skate, thus demonstrating El’s struggle to focus her anger without her powers. Given all the change and growth of the characters, physically, El’s character has been surprisingly unchanged in terms of her innocence and mild manner until her realization of her friends’ peril. This is the truly pivotal moment in which Eleven turns from her sweet demeanor into the powerful force of good between the two worlds.