Stranger Things Seasons 1–4 Recap, Wicked For Good Review, TMNT Reboot & Hunger Games Prequel

Geek Freaks

In this episode of Geek Freaks, we get you ready for Stranger Things season 5 with a full recap of seasons 1 through 4, plus a review of Wicked For Good and reactions to the new Hunger Games prequel trailer, Sunrise on the Reaping. We also break down the new live action TMNT reboot news and what that means for The Last Ronin, along with George R. R. Martin's latest Game of Thrones spinoff teases.

Frank and Jonathan kick things off with some Thanksgiving week chatter, holiday prep, and a quick update on the redesigned GeekFreaksPodcast.com and this year's Patreon holiday swag bundles. From there, they talk about Sunrise on the Reaping, why the Hunger Games world still works, and why Wicked For Good might actually top the first film for musical fans.

The bulk of the episode is a big Stranger Things refresher. The guys walk through seasons 1 through 4, season by season, covering major story beats, character arcs, and the emotional moments that still hit, while calling out why Vecna, Max, Eddie, and the Starcourt Mall finale matter so much as we head into season 5. They wrap with current watch recommendations and a Thanksgiving thank you to the Geek Freaks community.

Timestamps & Topics

• 00:00 – Thanksgiving Week Check-In & Housekeeping Holiday plans, cleaning for family visits, and trying (and failing) to start Christmas decorating early.
• 00:59 – New Website & Patreon Holiday Bundles Frank explains the revamped GeekFreaksPodcast.com and reminds Patreon members to update their addresses for the holiday swag packs.
• 02:06 – TMNT Live Action Reboot & The Last Ronin Delay Reactions to a new live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, practical suits vs CGI, and frustration that The Last Ronin adaptation is being paused.
• 04:31 – Game of Thrones / Westeros Spinoffs Talk George R. R. Martin's sequel teases, who deserves a spinoff (Arya, Davos, the Manderlys, Dorne), and what corners of Westeros and Essos they most want to see.
• 13:06 – Sunrise on the Reaping Trailer & Hunger Games Worldbuilding First impressions of the new Hunger Games prequel trailer, why the tech vs poverty contrast in Panem still works, and how closely the films stick to Suzanne Collins' books.
• 18:30 – Roofman Ad Read Frank drops a mid-episode spot for Roofman and why the premise stands out.
• 18:30 – Wicked For Good Review (Spoilers Light) Why Frank loved Wicked For Good, how it runs alongside The Wizard of Oz, character growth for Glinda and Elphaba, and thoughts on musicals in general.
• 26:15 – What Did Not Work In Wicked For Good Some middle-act clutter, narrative complexity around Elphaba's sister, and how the dual narratives can get a little dense.
• 32:16 – Setting Up the Stranger Things Season 5 Rewatch Prep Explaining the plan to recap seasons 1–4 as a full refresher to get ready for Stranger Things season 5.
• 32:29 – Stranger Things Season 1 Recap & Reactions The disappearance of Will, the first trip to the Upside Down, meeting Eleven, and why the show's early mystery and 80s vibes hit so hard.
• 36:02 – Stranger Things Season 2 Recap & The Lost Test Subjects The Mind Flayer's first move, Max and Billy's introduction, Eleven's "sister" detour, and how fan reactions may have changed the direction of the show.
• 40:07 – Stranger Things Season 3 Recap & Starcourt Mall Finale Rats, Russians, mall culture nostalgia, the Billy redemption, and Hopper's "death" in the gate machine.
• 46:33 – Stranger Things Season 4 Recap: Vecna's Curse Chrissy's death, Max's "Running Up That Hill" escape, the Creel House, Hopper in Russia, Eddie's hero moment, and Hawkins merging with the Upside Down, setting the stage for season 5.
• 52:35 – Nostalgia Done Right: Stranger Things, Stephen King, Welcome to Derry Comparing Stranger Things' style of nostalgia to cheap reboots, thoughts on Welcome to Derry and Pluribus, and why good worldbuilding feels fresh even when it looks retro.
• 58:18 – Weekly Recommendations Jonathan: Rewatch Stranger Things as season 5 approaches, and check out Pluribus on Apple TV. Frank: Make Some Noise on Dropout and why good improv feels like magic.
• 59:52 – Thanksgiving Wrap-Up & Five-Star Reminder Thanking the Geek Freaks community and reminding listeners to drop those five stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Key Takeaways

• The new GeekFreaksPodcast.com is live with a cleaner layout that makes it easier to share news and highlight shows across the network.

• Patreon holiday bundles are going out soon, so supporters need to confirm or add their mailing addresses to actually receive the swag.

• The new live action TMNT film has fans worried that The Last Ronin adaptation is getting shoved aside, and there is a strong preference for practical suits over full CGI turtles.

• George R. R. Martin continues to develop Westeros spinoffs, and there is a lot of interest in stories about Arya's travels, Dorne, the Manderlys, and Davos rather than revisiting the same old angles.

• Sunrise on the Reaping, the new Hunger Games prequel, looks like classic Hunger Games with the same sharp contrast between Capitol excess and district poverty that made the original films land.

• Wicked For Good nails its character work, deepens Glinda and Elphaba, and cleverly runs parallel to The Wizard of Oz, even if the middle stretch gets a bit tangled.

• The Stranger Things recap walks through all four seasons to give listeners a full refresher before Stranger Things season 5, hitting major character arcs, big deaths, and how the Upside Down threat has evolved.

• Season 4's Vecna twist, Max's near death, and Eddie's "Master of Puppets" distraction set up a darker, more apocalyptic final season, with Hawkins literally merging with the Upside Down.

• Stranger Things is praised for doing nostalgia the right way, feeling familiar without just copying older stories, similar to the best of Stephen King adaptations.

Memorable Quotes

• "If this looks at all good, I know I'll be seeing it." – Frank on the new live action Ninja Turtles movie.

• "Just stop doing these retellings of the same story and continue to make us fresh content that just happens to be related to the things we already like." – Jonathan on constant reboots.

• "Northern mermaid folk with tridents on their banners? Come on, man, how are we not doing a show about them?" – Frank on the Manderlys.

• "That 'Running Up That Hill' scene basically broke the internet." – Jonathan on Stranger Things season 4.

• "It is not the same song, but it sounds familiar. That is what good nostalgia should feel like." – Frank on Stranger Things and Goonies-style stories.

• "I officially give you permission to yell at people who sing full volume in the theater." – Frank on musical movie etiquette.

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow or subscribe to Geek Freaks on your favorite podcast app so you do not miss our Stranger Things season 5 coverage. Drop a 5-star rating and a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more geeks find the show. Share the episode with a friend who is rewatching Stranger Things, and use #GeekFreaksPodcast when you post your reactions online.

Links & Resources

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Listener Questions

Have thoughts on Wicked For Good, the TMNT reboot, or your own Stranger Things season 5 theories? Send your questions, hot takes, or predictions to us on Twitter, Instagram, or Threads at @geekfreakspod / @geekfreakspodcast and we may feature them in a future episode.

Apple Podcast tags

stranger things, stranger things recap, stranger things season 5, wicked for good, wicked movie review, teenage mutant ninja turtles, tmnt reboot, hunger games, sunrise on the reaping, geek culture podcast, tv review podcast, movie review podcast