TLDR: Season 1 is almost perfect, Season 2 is also great, Season 3 is not as good but a very fun ride, Season 4 is overrated with high highs and lower lows.

I love Stranger Things. It's a great season of television with likable characters, an interesting plot, solid writing with lots of heart, and it's very authentic to the 80s setting. It's a 10 in my book.

I think Stranger Things 2 is an incredible follow up to the first season. It builds upon the first season well especially with Will's character, some of my favorite scenes in the show take place in this season, the upside down becomes a more dynamic location with new but alike creatures, it's a strong sequel with great new additions. I'd probably have to give it a 9 because of how great the first season is... I also think this season is overhated for doing interesting stuff with it's story and being different from it's predecessor.

While Stranger Things 3 is in my opinion a welcome addition to the show, it is the least engaging part. Just about every aspect of the show besides certain characters is just not as good. My biggest gripe with the season is how they handle the 80s setting... in this season the nostalgia and 80s isms are dialed to 11, to the point where the show loses a lot of the authenticity that was cultivated in the first two seasons. Something this season has is it's comedy, though many characters will get pretty goofy for no real reason... it's entertaining if nothing else. I'd probably give this one a 7 just because this is kinda where the show fell off, it's still decently watchable.

Now on to Stranger Things 4, my least favorite part of the show. This time around the highs are high and the lows are really darn low. It seems that to be up in arms about how this is the best season of the show and that it's so much better is an acceptable reaction to Stranger Things 4. I'm not saying this to be a lame-o contrarian but I couldn't disagree more. What the show did poorly before this season does repeatedly and horridly, we bounce around between storylines very frequently occasionally giving less than a minute of screen time to a less integral piece every cutaway, the writing is the worst it's ever been (super predictable and uninspired at points), the acting in the now late-teenage main cast is somehow worse than it was when they were like 12, and this season is just kind of blah. Like is said earlier the lows are low, but the highs my friends... the highs are very high. Vecna is a pretty cool villain (could've been scarier but I digress), Sadie Sink is phenomenal as Max, this season gets pretty horrific (I personally am proud that the show went there), and Eddie Munson is probably the best character that will ever grace Stranger Things as a series. Over all this one is like a 6, still watchable just disappointing and polar while being one of the most overrated seasons of television in recent memory.

I'm totally watching ST5 the second it releases but the show sank in quality dramatically. Cant say I'm not worried that the finale will disappoint.