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STRANGER THINGS Season 4 Episode 4 REACTION!! Netflix | Running Up That Hill | Sadie Sink | Vecna

2025-08-23 Entertainment
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Reel Rejects
Reel Rejects
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Stranger Things S4E4 Reaction: Max’s Life-or-Death Battle with Vecna and High-Stakes Plot Convergence

Experience a deep dive into Stranger Things 4x4, "Dear Billy," where Max Mayfield faces Vecna's ultimate psychological assault, saved only by the power of music. Readers gain insight into the episode's critical plot movements, acting masterclasses, and the successful blending of four distinct, high-tension storylines.

Short Summary

  • Max Mayfield successfully fights off Vecna’s curse using Kate Bush’s "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)."
  • Nancy Wheeler and Robin Buckley secure a valuable meeting with Victor Creel, revealing Vecna’s human origin.
  • Hopper executes a daring, sound-free prison escape in Russia, regaining his mobility.
  • The hosts declare the episode a phenomenal balancing act of suspense, emotion, and cinematic scope, despite missing key leads Eleven and Eddie.

This breakdown covers the emotional peak of Season 4 so far. Host Andrew Gordon and Tara Erickson dissect every major confrontation: Max’s confrontation with her guilt regarding Billy, the investigation into Vecna at Penhurst, and the Russian breakout. This episode successfully elevates the stakes across the board, making it one of the series' best entries.

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ONE OF THE MOST EMOTIONAL EPISODES!! Stranger Things 4 Full Reaction Watch Along: https://www.patreon.com/thereelrejects - Visit https://huel.com/rejects to get 15% off your order - Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ With Stranger Things 5 on the way this winter, it's time for Tara & Andrew to continue their marathon with their Stranger Things Season 4x4 Reaction, Recap & Breakdown! Netflix’s Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers, continues to be one of the most beloved sci-fi horror series of the decade, blending supernatural suspense with heartfelt coming-of-age drama. Set in the 1980s in Hawkins, Indiana, the series follows a group of kids, teens, and adults as they battle the sinister forces of the Upside Down. In Season 4, Episode 4, “Dear Billy,” Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink, Fear Street, The Whale) takes center stage as she struggles with haunting visions from Vecna. Her emotional letters to her loved ones and the unforgettable climactic sequence—set to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”—have already become some of the most iconic moments in television history. Meanwhile, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Enola Holmes, Godzilla vs. Kong) confronts the painful memories of her past under the supervision of Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser, Aliens, Mad About You) and Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine, Full Metal Jacket, Weeds), while Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder, Heathers, Beetlejuice) and Murray (Brett Gelman, The Other Guys) track down Hopper’s (David Harbour, Hellboy, Black Widow) imprisonment in Russia. The ensemble cast also features Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler (It, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson (Prank Encounters), Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair (Concrete Cowboy), Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler (Yes, God, Yes), Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers (The New Mutants), Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), and Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson (Catherine the Great). This episode is packed with emotional stakes, supernatural terror, and one of the most famous needle-drops in recent TV history. Join Tara Erickson and Andrew Gordon as they break down all the thrills, scares, and tear-jerking moments in this landmark episode of Stranger Things! #StrangerThings #StrangerThings4 #DearBilly #KateBush #RunningUpThatHill #Netflix #Vecna #SadieSink #MillieBobbyBrown #DavidHarbour #WinonaRyder #StrangerThingsReaction #TheRealRejects Stranger Things 4, Episode 5 Reaction: https://youtu.be/1_yDaAZJ5so Stranger Things 4, Episode 3 Reaction: https://youtu.be/7u8_re2RyEo Peacemaker Season 2, Episode 1 Reaction: https://youtu.be/4N7zOWoA38M Alien: Earth Episode 3 Reaction: https://youtu.be/yeqAfwC3hfQ Severance Season 1, Episodes 1 thru 3 Reaction: https://youtu.be/o8g87tzO_ro Dexter Season 3, Episode 1 & 2 Reaction: https://youtu.be/Duv5qP_z9mk Follow Andrew Gordon On Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieSource Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agor711/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/Agor711 Follow *Tara Erickson* on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraErickson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taraerickson/ twitter: https://twitter.com/thetaraerickson 0:00 Checking In! 2:00 Stranger Things Reaction 46:26 HUEL 48:32 Patron Q&A + Stranger Things 4x4 Review Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ RR Clips & Shorts Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ReelRejectsClips Follow TheReelRejects On The Socials: IG: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereelrejects?lang=en TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thereelrejects FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad: Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Supervising Producer: https://twitter.com/nerdchronic?lang=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Follow & Listen to Us Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!! - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3XHMwbveiznxSOGxN9XT0M - Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vc3Rhci13YXJzLXRhbGs - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-reel-rejects-tv-movie-recaps/id1616339990 - Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Apocalypse-Podcast/B08JJP58FG Follow GREG On INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thegregalba

Top Comments (10)

@josemaldonado9801 2025-08-23

One of the best cinematic episodes in TV!!! So excited to see yall's reaction!

556 14 replies
@nicuneole35 2025-08-23

YES!! Every time Andrew mentioned Nightmare on Elm Street over the past few episodes I got more and more excited for him to meet Victor Creel! 🤭❤

440 1 replies
@timothydeweese6931 2025-08-23

Sadie Sink not getting an Emmy nomination was a crime

356 5 replies
@MaleSummers 2025-08-23

Nancy talking with the og Freddy Krueguer in The Silence of Lambs style is AMAZING

300
@princessabuttercup 2025-08-23

1:03:23 I’m not so sure about that. Given Max’s mental state, it’s likely she would have pushed El away too. The Running Up The Hill scene was not only an incredible scene to watch, but also a great metaphor for what it’s like to struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. Sadie Sink was robbed of an Emmy nomination for this episode. But she was nominated for a Tony this year, so good for her lol. I knew somebody was going to ask what song would save you lol. That was a really popular topic when season 4 released.

299 3 replies
@MaleSummers 2025-08-23

the beautiful metaphor that music can help you overcome depression or grief or any type of mental health problem... BEAUTIFUL

198 2 replies
@kaysqrd 2025-08-23

Oh, Andrew! If only you would've experienced this episode in 2022. The cultural impact it had. 💯👐

139 1 replies
@anette0118 2025-08-23

I love that they used Vecnas character as a metaphor of depression and other mental health issues and Max choose the life and the light instead of the darkness and death. Beautiful episode.

135
@leonthesleepy 2025-08-23

This is EASILY one of my fav Stranger Things episodes. That entire kate bush sequence was amazing, and Max shot up to one of my favorite characters.

88
@ReelRejects 2025-08-23

Stranger Things 4, Episode 5 Reaction: https://youtu.be/1_yDaAZJ5so Run up that Hill to Squelch That LIKE & SUBSCRIBE Button 👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/TheReelRejects?sub_confirmation=1 - Visit https://huel.com/rejects to get 15% off your order - Full Reaction Watch Along & MORE For Royal Rejects : https://www.patreon.com/thereelrejects - Become A Righteous Reject By Grabbing One Of Our RR Tees! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/

27 4 replies

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