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STRANGER THINGS Season 4, Episode 1 REACTION!! Netflix | Millie Bobby Brown | Sadie Sink

2025-08-02 Entertainment
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Stranger Things Season 4 Episode 1 Viewers' Reaction and Analysis

Dive into the intense, horror-influenced premiere episode of Stranger Things 4 and discover why fans believe this season might be the best one yet, focusing heavily on psychological horror and character separation.

Short Summary

  • The episode dramatically shifts tone toward explicit horror, heavily borrowing stylistic elements from A Nightmare on Elm Street during the introduction of the villain, Vecna.
  • The main cast is geographically separated across California, Nevada, and Hawkins, leading to immediate relationship strain and feelings of isolation, especially for Max and Eleven.
  • The narrative introduces the indispensable Hellfire Club, centered around Eddie Munson, which provides a vital social anchor for Dustin and Mike.
  • Reviewers highly praised the mature handling of complex themes like teenage grief, the pressure to conform, and the necessity of finding community.
  • The premiere successfully raises the stakes by hinting at Hopper's survival while throwing the main characters directly into a terrifying, high-stakes conflict without Eleven's powers.

This episode marks the return to Hawkins High School dynamics while dealing with the lingering trauma from Season 3. Readers gain insight into the critical character developments, the show’s new stylistic direction, and the immediate conflicts facing the core group as they navigate grief, high school politics, and supernatural terror simultaneously.

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ONE SEASON LEFT BEFORE STRANGER THINGS 5!! Stranger Things Full Reaction Watch Along: https://www.patreon.com/thereelrejects - Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Aparrel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ With Stranger Things 5 on the way, Tara Erickson & Andrew Gordon CONTINUE their journey thru the Upside Down giving their Stranger Things Season 3 Episodes 7 & 8 Reaction, Breakdown, Analysis & Review! Tara Erickson & Andrew Gordon dive into the chilling and cinematic Stranger Things Season 4 Episode 1 in this YouTube Reaction & Review of the global Netflix phenomenon created by the Duffer Brothers. Set in the 1980s in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, Stranger Things follows a group of kids as they face off against terrifying supernatural forces emerging from the mysterious Upside Down. Season 4 picks up six months after the Battle of Starcourt, with the group now separated across different locations, still reeling from the trauma of past events. Episode 1, “Chapter One: The Hellfire Club,” reintroduces us to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown – Enola Holmes, Godzilla vs. Kong) as she struggles to adapt to life in California without her powers, while Mike (Finn Wolfhard – Ghostbusters: Afterlife, IT), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo – Prank Encounters), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin – Concrete Cowboy), and Max (Sadie Sink – The Whale, Fear Street) continue their lives in Hawkins. Meanwhile, the Hellfire Club D&D group becomes a central part of the high school social dynamic, led by the eccentric Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn – Game of Thrones). Joyce (Winona Ryder – Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands) receives a mysterious package from Russia, hinting that Hopper (David Harbour – Black Widow, Violent Night) may still be alive. One of the most haunting scenes involves cheerleader Chrissy (Grace Van Dien) encountering a monstrous new threat—Vecna—for the first time, setting the terrifying tone for the season. With darker horror influences, expanded locations, and cinematic scope, Stranger Things 4 kicks off with intense emotional stakes and ominous foreshadowing. From the ‘80s nostalgia to the Hellfire Club, and the first glimpse of Vecna’s psychic terror, this premiere episode is packed with Easter eggs, callbacks, and jaw-dropping moments that fans won’t want to miss. #StrangerThings #StrangerThings4 #TheHellfireClub #NetflixSeries #MillieBobbyBrown #JosephQuinn #Vecna #TaraErickson #AndrewGordon #MikeWheeler #Eleven #HopperLives #DufferBrothers #SadieSink #StrangerThingsReaction #ChrissyWakeUp #NetflixOriginals Stranger Things Season 4 Episode 2 Reaction: https://youtu.be/koj50XorO68 Stranger Things Season 3, Episodes 7 & 8 Reaction: https://youtu.be/9owDXDLuRHc Eyes of Wakanda Season 1, Episodes 1, 2, 3, & 4 Reaction: https://youtu.be/rRqs7XjQJx8 Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996) Movie Reaction: https://youtu.be/H5hNnkZsH4A Addams Family Values 1993) Movie Reaction: https://youtu.be/T5_J55w3H8M 28 Years Later (2025) Movie Reaction: https://youtu.be/06HoK-fs6es Follow *Tara Erickson* on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraErickson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taraerickson/ twitter: https://twitter.com/thetaraerickson Follow Andrew Gordon On Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieSource Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agor711/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/Agor711 0:00 Checking In! 2:38 Stranger Things Reaction 48:22 Stranger Things 4 Review 1:28:38 Patron of the Day SHOUT OUT! 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

Top Comments (10)

@belpop 2025-08-02

I am SOOOOO excited you’re finally to season four. Yall are NOT ready.

904 14 replies
@cobrian45 2025-08-02

I think it's nuts that Sadie didn't get any nod for an Emmy. The timing of the series and the awards sucks, but she crushed it this season.

456 3 replies
@hasenaali2010 2025-08-02

I love how Joseph Quinn became a huge star after his supporting role in this show. Starring in films like Gladiator 2, Fantastic Four/Avengers, Beatles biopic

391 7 replies
@allietolentino 2025-08-02

Not me singing Chrissy wake up 😂

376 20 replies
@finalgirlfriends3753 2025-08-03

A lot of people ignore or don't consider the fact that Lucas isn't just a nerd like his friends, but he's also Black, in a small town in the 80s. His situation will always be different to Mike and Dustin's. We saw that with Billy's violent racism. There's nothing wrong with him wanting to do something that he enjoys as a way to make his life at school easier.

283 13 replies
@Pride_nJoi 2025-08-02

I don’t think I cried more on any other season than I did this one . Yall buckle up for this one

190
@nickjcreates 2025-08-02

Andrew a diehard Nightmare on Elm Street fan?? Oh this is gonna be his favorite season

150 1 replies
@jonathanpowell7256 2025-08-02

Young Eleven was a CGI face swap on a younger actress with a de-aged Millie Bobby Brown.

138 1 replies
@ReaLuvsTurtles 2025-08-02

I’m so freaking excited I’ve been waiting for this season forever YOU GUYS ARE NOT READY it’s INSANE like seriously the best season yet and the plot twists are SHOCKING they did not hesitate or hold back for this season AT ALL also episode four might be one of the best show scenes like ever in my opinion it’s honestly insane

91
@ReelRejects 2025-08-02

Stranger Things Season 4 Episode 2 Reaction: https://youtu.be/koj50XorO68 - Hitting that *LIKE* & *SUBSCRIBE* Button Is How It's Done! https://www.youtube.com/user/TheReelRejects?sub_confirmation=1 - *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/

28 1 replies

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