The Stranger Things writers dished the dirt on which season four volume two lines were improvised and surprise, surprise! They’re all literally heartbreaking.
I’m assuming if you’re reading this you’ve watched the Stranger Things season four finale and, if so, you wept heavily virtually every ten minutes or so.
As you might expect, there were a couple of pretty fucking devastating deaths-slash-almost-deaths in the finale.
Beloved nerdy bad boy with a softie centre Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) sacrificed himself in the Upside Down in a bid to buy the rest of the gang more time. He tried to get Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) to safety and then lured a massive swarm of Demobats to him. The bats killed him, mirroring Steve Harrington’s (Joe Keery) brush with death in season four volume one.
While Eddie’s death isn’t unexpected — Stranger Things loves killing off a beloved new character (RIP Bob) — it was heartbreaking. Part of his character arc during season four was deciding not to be a coward and, ultimately, he died a hero. But it was a bittersweet end because most of Hawkins was left thinking of Eddie as a serial killer.
Part of what made Eddie’s character so compelling was his friendship with Dustin. Honestly, Dustin latches on to accidentally-paternal young men like a fkn baby duckling. Steve and Eddie? Dad goals TBH.
While it’s a relief Steve made it through season four volume two, Dustin lost the other person he was closest too.
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In his last moments, when Dustin is sobbing over his dying body, Eddie tells him: “I love you, man”.
Of course, Dustin tearfully says it back. The whole scene is truly one of Gaten Matarazzo’s best performances on the whole show. Perhaps even better than his performance of “A Never Ending Story”.
And it turns out Eddie’s “I love you man” was actually improvised by Joseph Quinn.
“I love you, man” was improvised by Joe pic.twitter.com/z5gYyl18KF
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) July 2, 2022
It’s such a beautiful scene because it shows the depth of affection these two have for each other, and also highlights what a massive loss Eddie will be for Dustin. Oops, tearing up again!
The other saddest scene in the whole Stranger Things finale revolved around Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin).
Max was the core of season four: she’s the group’s strongest link to big bad tentacle boy Vecna and in the finale she essentially sacrifices herself so the rest of the group can try to kill him. Her death scene is played incredibly by McLaughlin and Sink.
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Throughout the season, Max is shown as someone who is understandably consumed with her grief and the complex feelings she continues to have about her step-brother Billie. Sink plays her with an incredibly vulnerable sense of self-loathing which makes you literally went to jump in the TV and yell: “it’s not your fault!!!! You deserve happiness!!!”
So it made it even more upsetting that while Max was dying, she was telling Lucas how scared she was and that she didn’t want to die.
While Lucas was holding on the Max’s body, begging her to hold on, he shouts for his younger sister Erica (Priah Ferguson) who’s locked outside.
“Erica, help!” he calls desperately.
It turns out that specific line was improvised by McLaughlin. Oof, all the awards for this cast please.
Throughout Stranger Things, Lucas and Erica are shown to have a classically contentious sibling relationship. This moment shows not just how much Lucas actually loves and relies on his sister, but also the desperation he feels to save Max. But ultimately, there’s nothing Lucas or Erica can do to save Max.
Until Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) stepped in and brought Max back from the dead into a comatose state, of course.
If these revelations have resulted in an absolute slew of tears on your laptop/phone/iPod touch screen: big mood.
But luckily, the final improvised scene was incredibly wholesome.
Amid all the absolute devastation of Stranger Things season four volume two, we finally got a kiss between Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Hopper (David Harbour). Jopper Army, rise! We’re eating well after waiting four fucking seasons for a little smooch.
The couple’s first kiss on the show was scripted. But when Hopper, Joyce and Murray (Brett Gelman) broke back into the Russian base the duo had a second kiss.
The context? Hopper using himself as bait for a Demodog. God, this show amps up my heart rate.
Ryder and Harbour actually improvised the second kiss.
This kiss wasn’t scripted, Winona and David added it on the day of filming pic.twitter.com/9vSWwYliWU
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) July 2, 2022
It’s one of the Stranger Things season four finale’s few genuinely wholesome moments and honestly, it makes sense! These two have just gotten each other back! Joyce spent eight months thinking Hopper was dead!
And if the person I was pining for decided to use themselves as bait for a fucked up monster, you best believe I’d want another kiss.
In short: Stranger Things season four volume two deserves literally all the awards and also owes me compensation for emotional damage.
