All 4 Seasons of Stranger Things, Ranked

The hit Netflix series just wrapped its record-shattering fourth season. How does it compare to the other seasons?

4. Stranger Things 3

With a budget and scale larger than anything the show had previously done, season 3 was when Stranger Things started to lose its charm and devolve into a shell of what it once was. More and more of the writing becomes cartoonish and strays away from the Steven Spielberg meets Stephen King roots, such as an increase in immersion-breaking humor and an entire subplot revolving around easily sneaking around Russian bases. Hopper’s character assassination is the biggest misfire of the entire series, turning the gruff hero who has a tragic backstory into an aggressive buffoon who lacks any of the subtlety that made him initially compelling. What made this season foreign is an absence of the grounded horror that the first two had, which is replaced with goofy humor from nearly every character and more relationship problems. Tonally, it strayed too far away from what made the writing originally work to make it more broadly entertaining, creating a multitude of plot holes and betrayal of the starting realism (this clip is a prime example of how Hopper and Mike became dumbed down into caricatures).

Conversely, a bad installment of Stranger Things still functions as solid entertainment. The visual ascetic of this season is the best out of them all, the bright lighting radiating in every frame and the fashion standing out as precisely capturing the ‘80s style. Not only are the visual effects tip-top, but the impressive setting of the mall and light aura of the summer gives the season an overall sense of fun. There are no shortage of memorable moments throughout like Robin’s genuine confession to Steve, Alexei’s death at the funeral, or the spry camaraderie of the Scoops Troop. Like every season, the finale is an obvious standout with so many wow-inducing scenes that showed the creativity of this backdrop that the Duffers could’ve reached, the shattering deaths of Hopper and Billy meshing surprisingly well with bombastic firework action or the iconic Never Ending Story duet. The characters are also kept together and allowed to bounce off of each other in a way that was unseen since season 1, the progression of their ages being wonderfully incorporated into the new relationships. The third chapter has all of the flash and style on the surface to be appealing, but the substance is broken and abandons much of what made the show special at the start.

3. Stranger Things 4

After nearly three years off the air, Stranger Things returned bigger, darker, and longer than ever before. Cleverly avoiding the trap of repeating the formula with more of the same Upside Down shenanigans, the Duffers upped the ambition and spread themselves among multiple genres and countries to utilize their colossal budget. This brought back the suspense that was missing and a mystery that was wildly intriguing, bringing unexpected revelations and grand sequences like 001’s reveal, Hopper battling the Demogorgons alongside other prisoners, or Max’s escape from Vecna that brought a forgotten pop song back into the mainstream. Speaking of Vecna, he was a welcome retreat from the Mind Flayer that clearly paid homage to his Freddy Krueger inspirations, but had a unique personality that changed up the dynamics and weaknesses of the core cast in a fresh way (Max thrived here as someone so guilty yet relieved over the death of Billy, enhanced by Sadie Sink’s sincerity). The ensemble is better balanced throughout the episodes to give everyone a significant moment, yet Will, Jonathan, and Mike are struggling for screen time with entirely undercooked arcs. Some of this excitement is jaw-dropping in a way that wasn’t reached before, but can be undercut by jumping from so many locations and characters became exhausting from the overstuffed runtimes. Since the Duffers insist on adding every side character to the poster, nearly every episode winds up running over 70 minutes and bouncing around without feeling as cohesive as possible.

Since I have yet to discuss volume 2 on here, I will say it adequately lived up to my expectations with all of the heroism and heart to pay off the hours of previous setup, playing it a bit too safe to become truly shocking. Clocking in at around four hours, the crowded closing chapters were stuffed to the brim with as many action-centric set pieces as possible to satisfy the fans, working overtime to tie up every possible loose end that the Duffers swore was necessary, though I could’ve lived without a redemptive arc for a random Russian pilot or the subplot about a flash mob formed by a basketball team that led nowhere. However, the plan to invade the Upside Down (wisely using one electric guitar), Hopper fighting a Demogorgon using a sword ripped from The Legend of Zelda, and Max and Eleven bravely prevailing against Vecna were executed in sheer glory. What stopped those episodes from catapulting into the best of the series is that they were shining examples of the biggest current problem, which is the refusal to take any substantial risks. Max or Steve would have been poetic sacrifices that immediately shatters the plot armor of every single major player, but the Duffers chose the safest possible option of killing Eddie, a character so predictable yet random that it was utterly baffling and forced a happy ending. No matter how powerful the high points of this season are, the lows are blatant enough to hold it back from greatness. No matter how enjoyable a giant bowl of ice cream is while you’re eating it, too much of a good thing only ends up making you feel nauseous and questioning some of your choices.

2. Stranger Things 2

An effective sophomore outing that captures more of the enjoyable experience than the later two installments, but sticks too closely to the original’s blueprint in an attempt to live up to the expectations of the fans. The cast are just as charming as ever, with their snappy banter improving while it dives even deeper into their mentalities and matures their growth as characters, within Dustin’s heartbreak or Will’s struggle to overcome his PTSD (bolstered by Noah Schnapp’s devastating that ranks amonh the best of Stranger Things’s child actors). Likewise, it introduces new additions like Billy, Max, and Bob (Poor, sweet Bob) that all round out the cast’s diversity, with the MVP for best character progression goes to Steve Harrington, going from insufferable douchebag to the most lovable babysitter since Nanny McPhee. The heightened complexity of these dynamics adds to this season’s growth and makes everyone more nuanced, proven in the relationship between Hopper and Eleven or the climactic warmth of the Snow Ball dance. Equally as strong, the sci-fi action is ratcheted up to eleven (no pun intended) and involves twice as many Demogorgons, twice as much creepiness in the Upside Down (The scene centered around Demogorgons running rampant throughout the lab is a nail-biter, culminating in the tragic death of Bob), and immediately twice as much action badassery when you have Steve killing monsters using a baseball bat.

The overall story isn’t as improved upon as those individual elements, retreading many of the same beats such as Will being a damsel in distress, Joyce communicating with Will through a house redesign, and mostly the same villain of the Upside Down. Another issue that arises from diving so deep into a dark perspective is that lots of the fun is drained from the interactions, focusing more on conflict and gloom than the initial hilarity of the group. Lastly, Eleven’s new sidequest is an absolute mixed bag that’s received plenty of scorn from fans, mining raw emotion from her tension with Hopper and the insanity of her mother but fumbles when the mythology tries to be expanded in a cringeworthy standalone episode that was solely created to set up a spinoff. Many of these problems have luckily faded at the phenomenal final pair of episodes, brilliantly staged and concluding all of the established elements in an execution that will either make the audience bite their nails or cry their eyes out. Though it struggles with aspects that unfortunately weigh down many sequels, it makes up for this inferiority by developing everything we loved before and even adding in characters and set pieces to produce some of the series’ best moments.

1. Stranger Things 1

The original season remains the best, as the Duffer brothers crafted a world that was both inventive and proudly drew from its inspirations. Right out of the gate, the main group of kids spoke organically and had seamless chemistry with one another that was naturally funny, while everyone was relevant and charismatic in their own way. Hopper remains my favorite of the season, developing a poignant arc about him redeeming himself as a cop after using his loss as an excuse to give his skills up, finding inspiration once again to help Joyce (still Winona Ryder’s best performance in the show) find her child. On a recent rewatch, what stood out is how fleshed out every side character such as Jonathan and Brenner are given their own evolution that proves the benefits of a smaller cast. The immediate standout was Eleven, as a child so endearing from her naivete and blossoming relationship with Mike but being someone who has a mysterious, deadly past. The only cracks are involving Nancy and Steve, the former being so unlikable and unappealing and the latter’s actions can seem too over-the-top at times.

Simply put, season 1 had a perfect story that blended sci-fi, horror, and a coming-of age outlook that was so compelling from the opening scene to the closing. The aesthetic of the ‘80s was instantly winning to every first-time viewer, using a flawless set design and iconic imagery to transport you back in time. Something as simple as a synth score only assisted in bringing this pulsing mood to life, and even helped to create new staples of pop culture like Eleven’s Eggos or Joyce’s Christmas lights. Every episode builds on the questions of the last to form a binge-worthy puzzle, bursting onto the scene with something as spine-tingling as the Upside Down but managing to appeal to a mass audience by surrounding it with a sharp, smart journey that was simply fascinating. Likewise, the season feels refreshing after seeing the future three, the Duffers forgetting that the simplicity and grounded cast worked to their advantage of making an enthralling final product. While the plot is fantastical, the setting feels organic through the fantastic performances and whimsical premise of this adventure blending together to create memorable characters that all share realistic bonds. Season 1 of Stranger Things is a near-perfect season of television, and whose out-of-nowhere surprise coupled with an authentic atmosphere will be tough to ever beat.

Thanks for reading this ranking, and if you want more like it, subscribe to and share Almost A Critic for more content! My full review of Stranger Things 4 (Volume 1) can be found here, while more Stranger Things coverage will be posted over the next few days!