One of Netflix's most beloved original series, Stranger Things, is set to return to the streamer just one week from today. The horror phenomenon returns for Season 4 after an excruciating three-year hiatus, and now we know that the series will be the longest to date. Not only that — it will be over five hours longer than each of the previous seasons.
When promoting upcoming seasons for shows, creators usually say it as “the biggest season yet” without really meaning it. However, I think we can safely say that Matt and Ross Duffer, the minds behind Stranger Things, definitely mean it. We already knew that Episodes 7 and 9 of Season 4 would be feature-length epics, but we got even more clarity on what that means. Volume I will consist of the first seven episodes, with Episode 7 clocking in at 1 hour and 38 minutes. If that is too short for you Volume II will consist of the final two episodes with Episode 8 having a 1-hour-and-25-minute runtime and Episode 9 totaling out at a whopping 2 hours and 30 minutes long according to Netflix. This makes the final two episodes of the season have a run time of almost four hours. This should have any horror fan excited for the new season, and it is not like the previous seasons were short by any means. Most episodes in the first three seasons came in around the hour mark which is the standard for most Netflix dramas.
This is all very consistent with what The Duffer Brothers have stated in previous interviews. When talking to our own Steven Weintraub, the Duffers revealed that Episodes 7 and 9 would be on par with feature-length films with Ross saying, “Episodes 7 and 9 are very, very long episodes," and Matt adding, “Oh, yeah. Those are full-blown movies." They also revealed that most of the episodes this season would clock in over 1 hour and 15 minutes long. The Duffer Brothers have compared this season to Game of Thrones in terms of the epic and emotional scale of the narrative. The story was so big that they needed an additional episode to tell it and, thankfully for The Duffer Brothers, Netflix was very supportive of that.
It is hard to believe that we are just a week away from Season 4 — after the three-year hiatus. hearing that this is the biggest season yet is extremely exciting. While long runtimes don't guarantee quality, Stranger Things has been nothing but quality in its first three seasons and has added so much to the horror renaissance genre fans are currently living in. The fact that the Season 4 finale is longer than most big blockbuster films is just insane. It gives other streaming companies a run for their money in terms of its length and makes you wonder what crazy things The Upside Down has in store for us this season.
The trailer that was released last month reinforced the massive scale and Netflix just dropped the first eight minutes of Season 4 online for fans to get a taste of this upcoming terror’s gleeful madness. Stranger Things Volume I arrives on May 27 and Volume II arrives on July 1. Until then, you can watch the first 8 minutes of Season 4 down below.
Here's the full synopsis for Stranger Things Season 4:
It's been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn't made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.