Note: NYC’s Stranger Things Experience has now officially ended.
It’s been just a few short weeks since season 4 of Stranger Things absolutely tore up the internet, from Kate Bush rising to the top of Spotify to Eddie Munson’s kick-ass concert in the Upside Down. Even now, it’s hard to ignore the show’s impact both on- and off-screen. Here are 13 moments we just can’t stop thinking about.
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13. On-screen: Demogorgon vs. prisoners
One of the most ruthless and impactful scenes in the entire series was the gorey Demogorgon fight at Kamchatka Prison. The 15-second scene is a masterpiece of highly-coordinated stunts and epic VFX. That last moment when Jim Hopper throws a spear straight into the Demogorgon’s mouth is the icing on the cake.
12. Off-screen: Millie Bobby Brown’s water balloon prank on Noah Schnapp
Millie Bobby Brown revealed that she went to great lengths to prank her best friend Noah Schnapp during filming. When he came to set after a tearful phone call from Millie, she and the rest of the cast and crew ambushed him with water balloons. See Millie tell the story in the above clip (starts at 2:40).
11. On (and off) screen: Robert Englund as Victor Creel
Stranger Things one-upped itself when bringing in legendary Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund to play Vecna/One/Henry’s father, Victor Creel. His nails scratching on the table were a nice ode to Krueger’s famous bladed glove.
10. Off-screen: Gaten Matarazzo unknowingly spoiled season 4 back in 2016
An old 2016 interview with actor Gaten Matarazzo has revealed that he may or may not have spoiled Vecna’s origin story. In the interview, Gaten discusses one of his favorite fan theories, in which “other test subjects, besides Eleven, like, one through ten…most of them are dead… but others were banished to the Upside Down… They transformed into what was the monster.” Sounds familiar, no?
9. On-screen: Chrissy’s death
Chrissy Cunningham’s death may be old news from episode 1, but it’s still a shocking scene that really let us know what we were in for. We’re still devastated that she and Eddie didn’t get to know each other more.
8. On-screen: Vecna house fight
When Robyn Buckley, Steve Harrington, and Nancy Wheeler try to kill Vecna with some well-placed Molotov cocktails and gunshots, Vecna falls out of the window engulfed in flames. But the three soon discover that Vecna is nowhere to be found when they go outside to investigate… in a cheeky nod to Michael Myers in Halloween.
7. Off-screen: “Running Up That Hill” tops the charts
If you’re like us, then you’ve been listening to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” on a loop nonstop. And we know you have, because the song has topped Spotify’s charts for weeks now. At this point, it would probably save us all from the Upside Down.
6. On-screen: Shootout at the Byers’ house
Nothing could have prepared us for that white-knuckled shootout at the Byers’ house with Mike Wheeler and Will and Jonathan Byers. It’s even more impressive when you realize the whole thing was done in one take.
5. Off-screen: Jamie Campbell Bower’s Vecna transformation
One of the most viral behind-the-scenes videos to come out of this season was Jamie Campbell Bower’s insane transformation into Vecna. Impressively, the whole look was achieved using almost entirely practical effects, meaning that it took a whopping 7 hours to get him camera-ready.
4. On-screen: Eddie Munson’s death
Eddie Munson captured fans’ hearts early on in the season. That made his sacrifice and death all the more heartbreaking, although he goes out with honor, saying “I didn’t run away this time, right?” Yeah.. we’re still not over it.
3. On-screen: Max escapes Vecna
Viewers absolutely lost it after episode 4’s nail-biting scene where Max Mayfield escapes Vecna’s clutches (with a little help from Kate Bush). She runs for her life, dodging falling rocks, and ultimately awakens in the graveyard surrounded by her friends. Then in the final moments of episode 9, she narrowly survives Vecna’s second attack after Eleven revives her, but we have yet to see if she’ll wake from her coma…
2. Off-screen: Noah Schnapp, Doja Cat, and Joseph Quinn drama
At this point we’re all obsessed with actor Joseph Quinn, who plays Eddie Munson – and rapper/singer Doja Cat is no exception. She DM’d Noah Schnapp asking him to set them up, and when Noah revealed the messages online to the delight of fans, Doja Cat was not pleased. After she called him out in a ranting Instagram live, fans seemed to take Schnapp’s side – he gained almost 1 million followers while Doja Cat lost over 200K.
1. On-screen: Eddie Munson shreds Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” in the Upside Down
Three words: MOST. METAL. EVER.