What is the Scariest Scene in Stranger Things Season 4?
Stranger Things brought back Matthew Modine in season 4 as Dr. Brenner, the Hawkins Laboratory "father" of Eleven.
The opening sequence features a flashback of Brenner working with Ten when things begin to go awry. Brenner, after being knocked out, comes to his senses and navigates his way through bloodied corridors to the Rainbow Room where Millie Bobby Brown 's character Eleven is surrounded by brutally contorted and gruesome bodies of her comrades. This shocking display sets the scene for what will be the most thrilling and horrifying season of Stranger Things to date.
The season is full of hold-your-breath moments and moments when even the bravest of souls find themselves wincing and cowering behind their hands. But what is the scariest scene in Stranger Things season 4? Let's look at some contenders.
Chrissy's bathroom vision
The first time we see action from the Upside Down is through the newcomer Chrissy Cunningham, a cheerleader who's seen throwing up in the bathroom at Hawkins High. Chrissy, played by Grace Van Dien, hears the voice of her mother asking about trying on a dress.
When there's no reply, we see some gruesome feet appearing under the door to the stall. The voice of Chrissy's mother announces and distorts, "Open the door, Chrissy, or I'm gonna gut you like the fat pig that you are." As Chrissy screams, the lights flicker rapidly and the door to the stall shakes.
Though not particularly gruesome or jumpy, it's safe to say that this scene helps set the tone of things that are to come – hallucinations, distorted voices, and something messing with people from the realms of the Upside Down.
Chrissy's gruesome and shocking death
After meeting Eddie (Joseph Quinn ) at his trailer to buy drugs, Chrissy has another vision. This time her mother is sewing her cheerleading uniform. At the same time, Eddie tries to rouse Chrissy from her trance. In her hallucination, Chrissy comes across spider-infested, rotting food and ultimately, Vecna. It's our first glimpse of the season's baddie and just after he declares "it's time for your suffering to end," Chrissy levitates, contorts unnaturally with bones snapping, and her eyes bleeding and exploding.
Viewers are left somewhat shellshocked as the credits then roll to mark the end of the first episode – and what an episode it was!
Fred Benson's unpleasant, yet expected death
After Chrissy's demise, we all know what's in store for Fred when he starts hallucinating at the beginning of the second episode. It's obvious that Vecna has found a new victim in Fred but despite knowing his death is coming, it's still absolutely terrifying. Not only that but we see his visions of a car accident he was in a year prior. After finding his friend dead in his hallucination – his body crawling with spiders, naturally – Fred sees Vecna too and dies in the same limb-snapping way as Chrissy.
Vecna's victims' bodies in the Upside Down
As Vecna moves on to his next victim, Max (portrayed by Sadie Sink ), he preys on her still-fresh grief for Billy, her dead brother. Max manages to glimpse Vecna's lair in the Upside Down and sees the bodies of Fred and Chrissy, gruesomely contorted, preserved, and encased in vines. Though not as horrific as the death scenes, it's still a scary scene in which the audience is on the edge of their seats not knowing what's coming next.
The death of Patrick
Vecna's third victim, Patrick, is a basketball star with Hawkins High who pursues Eddie Munson into the water of a lake. This time, however, we don't see any of Patrick's hallucinations. Patrick's death is just as gruesome as the two before him. Coupled with the bone-cracking and dark water, viewers are left in shock that once again, Vecna has struck.
Things come together when Vecna's identity is revealed
Episode seven finally reveals to viewers the series of events that led to all of the events in season 1. Eleven remembers what went on in Hawkins Lab and she comes to the realization that the lab's "friendly orderly" is Henry Creel, who is also One, who is now Vecna. Are you still with us?!
At the same time, Nancy is hallucinating and seeing for herself who Vecna really is too. Henry Creel, on falling into the hands of Dr. Brenner after torturing his family, becomes the lab's first subject – One.
Though he shows himself to be an ally of Eleven, he tricks her into removing a chip that stops his powers and ultimately massacres the rest of the subjects. When Eleven refuses to join him, he tries to kill her. As a result, she opens the first gate to the Upside Down and sends him into exile down there – where he then turns into the monster we see as Vecna in season 4.
This shocking twist brings together many different plot threads from all seasons, is it the scariest though?
There's no doubt about it, Stranger Things season 4 is the scariest of all seasons so far. With so many edge-of-your-seat moments, it's hard to choose which scene is the scariest. Overall, though, it has to be the first death scene. Chrissy's limb-snapping actions make even the strongest of audiences wince. The timing is perfect, the sights and sounds unexpected. For what was once just a thrilling, 80s sci-fi show, the Duffer Brothers have really turned things into a horror drama that we can't wait to watch.