The Stranger Things 4 Scene That Makes No Sense
Contains spoilers for "Stranger Things 4" Volume 1
Now that we've had numerous trips to another dimension and seen a shopping mall get torn apart by a giant meatball with tentacles, it's safe to say we've managed to extend our disbelief when it comes to the world of "Stranger Things." Netflix's biggest show, which is part "Scooby-Doo," part "The X-Files," and wrapped in '80s neon, is as out there as it gets, and we love it for that. However, one's acceptance of the implausible can only go so far, and it might have etched ever so slightly over the line with a particular plot point that wouldn't be such an issue if it wasn't constantly revisited throughout Volume 1.
The issue involves Hawkins' toughest former sheriff, Jim Hopper (David Harbour), who is locked up in a Soviet prison this season. Since the beginning, Harbour's hero of Hawkins has always come across as a tough old dog when the supernatural world breaks into his reality, but there's a point in the fourth season that fans can be pretty sure even he would struggle with — and yet, somehow he doesn't. Cut off from his friends (most of whom believe him to be dead), Hopper makes a deal with one of the guards ("Game of Thrones" alum Tom Wlaschiha) to get him out and goes to great lengths in planning his escape. He's willing to do anything and goes to extreme, totally unbelievable lengths that become more farcical as the season progresses.
Hopper's ankle (and viewers' patience) is tested in Stranger Things' latest season
One crucial part of busting out of this Soviet joint involves Hopper risking one of his own. He asks another inmate to hammer one of his ankle bracelets, making for an easier escape when the time is right. There's no denying Hopper gets an "A" for effort, but it's a choice that not only defies biology but is something revisited on several occasions, making major dramatic beats borderline laughable.
Even by keeping Hopper's foot flush against a steel train track to allow his prison buddy to take a steady swing, our hero's ankle should now match the consistency of a bag of pulled pork. Instead, he somehow walks it off, putting on a brave face after seemingly changing the shape of his shackle (and his ankle, realistically) to make it one he can now easily slip out of. It would be a genius move ... if it weren't for the prison guards who regularly check the chains are intact to keep their inmates from cutting loose. Can he avoid being discovered?
Well, not to worry, because after Nasty Soviet Captor #27 gives Hopper's chains a good shake, he somehow misses the fact that one now has the shape of an Easter egg and has also injured an inmate's ankle. Somehow this is glossed over, allowing Hopper to test his recent adjustment back in his cell. Sure he can slip in and out of his chains now, but he's also got a gaping wound that he continues to shrug off until his attempted escape. Is it one that sees him limping away to freedom? Of course not; he's a Hopper only in name. Instead, he runs up a snowy hill, steals a snowmobile, and proves they don't make heroes like this anymore – and that "Stranger Things" fans should apparently believe anything now.