At the end of Stranger Things season four, Vecna – who was born Henry Creel – finally manages to achieve an aim that he’s been cooking up for a very long time, creating a rip between Hawkins and the Upside Down.

The first half of Stranger Things' final season has been unleashed on viewers, with many critics giving the return of the hit Netflix show glowing reviews - although others said it's past its prime.

The strength of these new "Stranger Things" episodes lies in their brisk pacing — a storytelling tool that's been increasingly wasted in the streaming era, with viewers often needing to stick out four...