In July of 2016, a quirky little science fiction show debuted on Netflix. Stranger Things delivered proper 1980s nostalgia and introduced us to memorable characters brought to life by an unforgettable cast. The perfect blend of raw humanity set against the mystery and terror of the supernatural was sublime.

The show did more than harken back to the 1980s though, it emulated the very best of the horror, sci-fi and drama pics of the era. The music, sets, costumes and even the camera work and editing all contributed to creating a small screen moment, not to be missed, each episode.

The story centers around a the goings on of a local research laboratory in small town Indiana and a group of off-beat tweens and teens who band together to solve the mystery of a missing boy. The leader of this ragtag group is Eleven, a girl with a super natural connection to the mysterious place known as the Upside Down.

Its been a long three years since the last season of Stranger Things debuted but faithful fans never lost hope that the next chapter of Eleven’s story would yet unfold. On February 17, 2022, showrunner and brother, Matt and Ross Duffer, tipped their hand and finally dropped some details on what fans can expect.

Season 4 will debut on May 27 AND July 1. The next season premier is too big, too juicy to be contained in just one single episode so it is being split in two. Here’s the reasoning, “With nine scripts, over eight-hundred pages, almost two years of filming, thousands of visual effects shots, and a runtime nearly twice the length of any previous season, Stranger Things 4 was the most challenging season yet,” the Duffer brothers wrote in a letter to fans. “But also the most rewarding one. Everyone involved is incredibly proud of the results, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”

Season 4 has been touted as “the beginning of the end.” In the same letter, the brothers let it drop that the series will be wrapping up in season five. So while this isn’t the end for Stranger Things, it almost is. They had always planned for a four or five season run for this story and by all accounts, they feel that to try to stretch it out any more than that would do the characters and the story an injustice.

We’re not in Hawkins anymore. That’s right, the Stranger Things crew is branching out. While this has been speculated for some time, it has finally been confirmed that much of the coming season will unfold outside of the quaint Indiana town. cast members have confirmed the change of venue isn’t the only new development for this season. Apparently we can expect new characters and new storylines that bring fresh connections between some of our favourite Stranger Things folks.

While some changes are anticipated, we can look forward to seeing Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp and the rest of our favourite small town adventurers light up our screens and fuel our obsession once again in just a few short months.