Dear Billy
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Chapter Four: Dear Billy" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the American
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...
drama television series ''
Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American television series created by the Duffer brothers, Duffer Brothers for Netflix. Produced by Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment, the Stranger Things season 1, first season was released on N ...
'', and the 29th episode overall. It was written by Paul Dichter and directed by
Shawn Levy Shawn Adam Levy (; born July 23, 1968) is a Canadian and American filmmaker and actor. He is the founder of 21 Laps Entertainment. His work has spanned numerous genres, and his films as a director have grossed a collective $3.5 billion worldwid ...
. The episode was released on May 27, 2022 on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
, alongside the six other episodes comprising volume 1 of the season. Set on March 24, 1986, "Dear Billy" centers on
Max Mayfield Britt Max Mayfield (born September 19, 1948) is an American meteorologist who served as the director of the National Hurricane Center from 2000 to 2007. As director, Mayfield became a trusted voice in preparing for weather-related disasters, par ...
's mental struggles, and her attempt to survive
Vecna Vecna ( ) is a fictional character appearing in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Vecna has been named one of the greatest villains in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' franchise. Originally appearing in the ''Greyhawk'' campaign ...
's preying. The episode received universal acclaim and was noted as a standout of the season. Praise was directed at the performances, visual effects, cinematography and emotional impact. Particular praise went to Max's storyline and
Sadie Sink Sadie Elizabeth Sink (born April 16, 2002) is an American actress. She began her acting career in theater, playing the title role in the musical '' Annie'' (2012–14) and young Elizabeth II in the historical play '' The Audience'' (2015) on ...
's performance, the use of
Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...
's "
Running Up That Hill "Running Up That Hill" (also titled "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)") is a song by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was released in the UK as the lead single from Bush's fifth studio album, '' Hounds of Love'', on 5 August 19 ...
" during the episode's climax, and the themes of depression and
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
. Critics also praised the guest appearance of
Robert Englund Robert Barton Englund (born June 6, 1947) is an American actor and director. Englund is best known for playing the villain Freddy Krueger in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise. Englund has received multiple accolades and honors, incl ...
as well as Dichter's writing and Levy's directing, the latter most notably for a
long take In filmmaking, a long take (also called a continuous take, continuous shot, or oner) is Shot (filmmaking), shot with a duration much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general. Significant camera mov ...
sequence.


Plot

After
Eleven Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number) * One of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *''Eleven'', a 1970 collection of short stories by Patricia Highsmith *''Eleven'' ...
accepts Sam Owens' offer to retrieve her powers again, Owens sends Agents Stinson, Harmon, and Wallace to inform Mike Wheeler and
Will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
and Jonathan Byers that, while Eleven will complete her training, they are confined to the Byers home in Lenora Hills,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, with Harmon and Wallace providing guard. Meanwhile, in Hawkins, Indiana,
Max Mayfield Britt Max Mayfield (born September 19, 1948) is an American meteorologist who served as the director of the National Hurricane Center from 2000 to 2007. As director, Mayfield became a trusted voice in preparing for weather-related disasters, par ...
informs her friends that she fears
Vecna Vecna ( ) is a fictional character appearing in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Vecna has been named one of the greatest villains in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' franchise. Originally appearing in the ''Greyhawk'' campaign ...
is targeting her as his next victim. While
Dustin Henderson This is a list of characters from the American science fiction horror television series ''Stranger Things''. The first season, set in November 1983, focuses on the investigation into the disappearance of a young boy named Will Byers while su ...
,
Lucas Sinclair This is a list of characters from the American science fiction horror television series ''Stranger Things''. The first season, set in November 1983, focuses on the investigation into the disappearance of a young boy named Will Byers while su ...
, and
Steve Harrington Steve Harrington is a fictional character from the Netflix television series ''Stranger Things'', portrayed by Joe Keery. Though initially characterized as a stereotypically unlikeable jock, Steve has progressed throughout the series into a mo ...
accompany Max as she writes and delivers goodbye letters for her friends and loved ones,
Nancy Wheeler Nancy Wheeler is a fictional character from the Netflix television show ''Stranger Things'', portrayed by American actor Natalia Dyer. She is the sister of Mike Wheeler, the girlfriend of Jonathan Byers, and the ex-girlfriend of Steve Harrin ...
and Robin Buckley pose as university students to interview Victor Creel at Pennhurst Asylum. At Pennhurst, they discover that the Creels experienced supernatural occurrences and illusions at their home, with the horrors culminating in Victor's wife and children being murdered and his subsequent arrest. Nancy and Robin also discover that music was key to Victor's survival. Elsewhere,
Joyce Byers Joyce Byers (née Maldonado) is a fictional character from the Netflix science fiction horror drama television series ''Stranger Things'' and is played by Winona Ryder. She is portrayed as a resilient and fiercely protective mother to her son ...
and Murray Bauman land in
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
, where they deliver the ransom payment to Antonov's contact Yuri in exchange for Jim Hopper's release. But, he drugs them, planning to turn them, along with Hopper and Antonov, over to the Russians for a larger profit. In
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, Hopper escapes the prison camp but is soon recaptured. Back in Lenora Hills, Mike and Will reaffirm their friendship as they and Jonathan begin plotting an escape back to Hawkins in order to warn their friends of what's happening. Yet, their plans are derailed when armed soldiers attack the Byers home, injuring Wallace, while Harmon protects them. With the help of Jonathan's friend Argyle, Mike, Will, and Jonathan escape, bringing a wounded Harmon with them. After Max suffers another vision while speaking with her mother, she visits Billy Hargrove's grave to read her letter for him. She is soon possessed by Vecna, eventually finding herself at an altar within his mind. Lucas, Dustin, and Steve attempt to awaken her but to no avail. Nancy and Robin tell them that playing music breaks Vecna's control, and they play Max's favorite song, "
Running Up That Hill "Running Up That Hill" (also titled "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)") is a song by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was released in the UK as the lead single from Bush's fifth studio album, '' Hounds of Love'', on 5 August 19 ...
", on Max's cassette player. This opens a portal within Max's mind, and after she recalls happy memories of her friends, Max is able to run toward the portal, narrowly escaping Vecna.


Reception

On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the episode holds an approval rating of 100% based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 9.0/10. The episode was included in many publications' list of best TV episodes of 2022. ''British'' ''GQ'' ranked it the second best episode of the year, '' Mashable SEA'' placed it at number five, ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' put it at number nine, and ''
Mashable Mashable is a Online newspaper, news website, digital media platform and entertainment company founded by Pete Cashmore in 2005. History Mashable was founded by Pete Cashmore while living in Aberdeen, Scotland, in July 2004. Early iterations o ...
'' named it the 11th best, while ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' included it in its unranked list of "The 33 best TV episodes of 2022". The episode was nominated for the
Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...
for
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation is given each year for theatrical films, television episodes, or other dramatized works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year. Originally the award covered both ...
.


Impact

The use of
Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...
's "
Running Up That Hill "Running Up That Hill" (also titled "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)") is a song by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was released in the UK as the lead single from Bush's fifth studio album, '' Hounds of Love'', on 5 August 19 ...
" during the episode's climax revived the popularity of the track, which topped the UK Singles Chart, and in a number of other countries: Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chapter 4: Dear Billy Stranger Things episodes Television episodes set in the 1970s Television episodes set in the 1980s Television episodes set in Alaska Television episodes set in California Television episodes set in Indiana Television episodes set in Siberia 2022 American television episodes Television episodes about demonic possession Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television