23rd August, 2022.
Yes: it’s Tuesday,
And, as I speak?
Vegetables are having the proverbial boiled out of them.
It’s OK: I’m cooking dinner!
Slightly hurriedly, to be honest.
After all, it’s Tuesday: which means I’ll be having dinner … then watching The Piggyback, the last episode of series four of Stranger Things.
As ever?
I’ll have my written and video reviews up, tomorrow night!
24th August, 2022.
Chapter 9 — The Piggyback — opens with snow falling over Kamchatka: as Yuri (Nikola Đuričko) tries to repair the helicopter that will take Joyce, Hopper and Murray (Winona Ryder, David Harbour and Brett Gelman) back to America.
Whilst Joyce and Hopper catch up … ? Murray and Ivan (Nikolai Nikolaeff) watch Yuri: convinced he’s stalling in his repairs.
The group’s discussions? Are interrupted by a phone call.
Meanwhile, in Hawkins?
Nancy is giving a pep talk to the group that’s planning to try stop Vecna in his tracks.
Phase One? Involves meeting Erica (Priah Ferguson) at the playground: she’s going to be communicating with Lucas and Max (Caleb McLaughlin and Sadie Sink) at the Creel House, trying to lure Vecna into action.
Phase Two? Max baits Vecna: he’ll be vulnerable to attack at this point.
Phase Three? Dustin and Eddie (Gaten Matarazzo and Joseph Quinn) will distract the bats: so they don’t interfere.
Phase Four? Steve, Robin and Nancy (Joe Keery, Maya Hawke and Natalia Dyer) will attack Vecna: with Molotov cocktails.
The group has to make sure they keep in touch.
And, as Nancy puts it? “Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what!”
Post titles?
Post titles, we rejoin Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown) and her group: Mike, Will, Jonathan and Argyle (Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Charlie Heaton and Eduardo Franco) are still in Nevada: hoping — but not sure how — to contact the group in Hawkins.
Whilst Jonathan is trying to deal with an unco-operative airline?
Eleven slowly realises she could contact — or, at least eavesdrop — on Max and the gang: and protect Max from where they are.
The only complication? She’s going to need a flotation tank.
In other words, a lot of cold water, some salt, a pair of glasses that block out everything, some warm clothes, and an empty freezer to put this lot in …
Oh, and possibly some food.
As Argyle points out? There’s really only one place in town …
~≈🧟♂️≈~
Now …
What did I make of The Piggyback, the cliffhanger of a season finale?
And what did I make of the season?
Let’s start with the episode, shall we?
It has to be said, The Piggyback does have its emotional moments.
The persecuted Eddie Munson — well played by Joseph Quinn — dies: and dies a hero after distracting the bat-like inhabitants of the Upside Down with a superb guitar solo.
A heroes death … seen only by Dustin, the one person to be able to pass on the news to Eddie’s family.
There’s many other things, as well.
Robin gets to meet Vickie, the (now single) love of her life.
We see Jonathan and Will become closer: with the older Jonathan reminding his younger brother that he’s always there to talk, if needed.
Lucas … ? Of all the friends, Lucas, played by Caleb McLaughlin, is one of the more deeply affected by events. Max, the love of his life, is now in a deep coma: one caused — in part — by Vecna’s attack, and in part by other forces.
His scenes are touching: as is the episode, itself.
Arguably, at two hours and nineteen minutes, The Piggyback may be a little too long.
But it’s a very well paced two hours and nineteen minutes.
Certainly on a par with The Massacre at Hawkins Lab.
Frankly?
The episode may be long: but is an emotional final episode.
To a series that is genuinely watchable.
Granted? I’ve felt some episodes have been too long: something that may have been solved by having more episodes … and that may be remedied in season five.
But, equally … ?
Series four held my attention, grows the characters … and leaves us with a wrecked Hawkins, a cliff-hanger and the distinct possibility that Vecna is still alive.
Knowing that? And that the fifth season has been commissioned, and that writing has started … ?
Knowing that mean I’m looking forward to the fifth and final season airing.
The Piggyback.★★★★Season 4★★★½
~≈🧟♂️≈~
At any rate … ?
Having finished watching Stranger Things, for now?
That leaves my Tuesday and Wednesday nights free.
I may well start on something new: but whether that’s a film or another TV show, I don’t know.
Yet.
Keep you eyes peeled on both Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar, and @Cuddy2977, my Youtube channel.
Actually … ?
Do that, anyway.
As Friday, 26th August, is when I’ll be watching Farewell: the last episode of Star Trek Picard’s second season.
I’d love it if you joined me for that.
I’ll see you then.
* If you’re going go give Argyle a suitable Dungeons and Dragons character name? Argyle the Perpetually Stoned seems entirely appropriate.
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