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May 28, 2022 · In the second chapter of Stranger Things Season 4, the Duffers bring us another shiver-inducing episode that will fuel our nightmares for weeks. Does Hawkins have its very own Michael Myers?...
- Features Editor
May 27, 2022 · Episode 2 of Stranger Things Season 4 whisks us back in time to see exactly what happened to Hopper and how he survived his ordeal. During the explosion in season 3, he actually jumped off the platform just before the whole thing exploded.
The fourth season of the American science fiction horror drama television series Stranger Things, marketed as Stranger Things 4, was released worldwide on the streaming service Netflix in two volumes. The first set of seven episodes was released on May 27, 2022, while the second set of two episodes was released on July 1, 2022.
- Overview
- Synopsis
- Plot Summary
- Cast and characters
- Production
- Marketing
- Notes
, the fourth season of Stranger Things, was announced on September 30, 2019. Unlike previous seasons, this season was released in the form of two volumes; the first volume, consisting of seven episodes, premiered on Netflix on May 27, 2022, followed by the final two episodes five weeks later on July 1, 2022.
The fourth season takes place in March 1986, eight months after the Battle of Starcourt that concluded the previous season. Notably, the season follows several storylines across a range of locations, including Hawkins, California, Nevada, Alaska and Russia. It also introduces Hellfire Club ringleader Eddie Munson, pizza delivery boy Argyle, basketball players Jason Carver and Patrick McKinney, Robin's love interest Vickie, prison guard Dmitri Antonov, eccentric "peanut butter smuggler" Yuri Ismaylov, cheerleader Chrissy Cunningham, student reporter Fred Benson and military commander Lt. Col. Jack Sullivan. Murray Bauman is promoted to the main cast this season. According to the credits, Suzie Bingham was promoted to recurring character this season, despite only appearing in two episodes.
It's been eight 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 easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, prese...
Dr. Brenner is experimenting on test subject 010 until a mysterious incident kills all of the subjects except Eleven. In 1986 — eight months after the events at Starcourt Mall — Joyce, Will, Jonathan and Eleven have moved to a new house in Lenora Hills, California, where Eleven struggles with the loss of her powers and is bullied by other students at Lenora Hills High School. In Lenora and in Hawkins, Jonathan and Nancy simultaneously discuss their struggling long-distance relationship with their friends - Jonathan with pizza delivery boy Argyle, and Nancy with her fellow The Weekly Streak reporter, Fred Benson. Joyce receives a porcelain doll in the mail which seems to originate from Russia, and after following Murray's instructions to destroy it, finds a hidden note stating that Hopper is alive. In Hawkins, Mike and Dustin have joined the high school's "Hellfire Club", a Dungeons & Dragons club led by iconoclast Eddie Munson. As a result, they miss seeing Lucas win the basketball team's championship game. Max, who has broken up with Lucas, struggles to come to terms with Billy's death. Robin and Steve work at the Family Video, frequently discussing their love lives and Robin's crush on band member Vickie. Chrissy Cunningham, a student on the cheerleading team, is haunted by visions of her abusive mother Laura Cunningham and a chiming grandfather clock. While buying drugs from Eddie, Chrissy is possessed and killed by a sentient humanoid figure from her visions.
Hopper is shown in a flashback to have survived the explosion of the Key under Starcourt Mall, but is captured by Soviet soldiers and sent to a prison camp in Kamchatka. Joyce and Murray call the phone number on the note sent to Joyce and speak to "Enzo", revealed to be Dmitri Antonov, a prison guard that Hopper has bribed. Antonov has them deliver a $40,000 ransom to his contact in Alaska. Mike flies to California to visit Eleven, where he and Will witness her being bullied by her classmates Angela and Jake at Rink-O-Mania; Eleven eventually retaliates by striking Angela in the face with a roller skate. Back in Hawkins, Max tells Dustin she saw Eddie run away the night that Chrissy died. With help from Robin and Steve, they locate the traumatized Eddie and explain the Upside Down to him; Eddie and Dustin name the entity that killed Chrissy "Vecna". Nancy and Fred investigate Chrissy's death; Eddie's uncle Wayne Munson tells Nancy he believes the killer is Victor Creel, a Hawkins resident who was institutionalized after allegedly murdering his family in 1959. Fred is lured into the woods by visions of a student he accidentally killed before Vecna murders him.
Dr. Owens is visited by U.S. Army commander Lt. Col. Jack Sullivan, who believes Eleven is responsible for Chrissy's death. Eleven is arrested for assaulting Angela, but is intercepted by Owens, who explains that Hawkins is in grave danger and that he has been working on a program to help bring back Eleven's powers; Eleven agrees to go with him. Joyce and Murray fly to Alaska to deliver the ransom for Hopper. In the prison camp, Hopper bribes a fellow inmate to break his shackles with a sledgehammer. Nancy and Robin go to the public library to look up information about Victor Creel and discover that Creel blamed his family's murders on a demon, which Nancy and Robin conclude must be Vecna. Jason Carver leads Andy, Chance, and the rest of the basketball team on a hunt for Eddie, believing he killed Chrissy, but Lucas abandons them. Max recalls that Chrissy visited the school counselor Ms. Kelley before being killed by Vecna, and steals Chrissy and Fred's files from the counselor's office. She learns that they suffered from PTSD symptoms similar to hers; suddenly, Max hears Vecna call her name and envisions a grandfather clock.
Joyce and Murray deliver the ransom payment to Antonov's contact, peanut butter smuggler Yuri Ismaylov at Yuri's Fish n' Fly. However, Ismaylov drugs them, planning to turn them over to the Soviets - along with Hopper and Antonov - for a larger profit. Hopper escapes the prison camp but is soon recaptured. Agent Ellen Stinson, an ally to Dr. Owens, informs Jonathan, Mike, and Will that her colleagues Harmon and Wallace will protect them from Lt. Col. Sullivan, but Sullivan's soldiers soon launch an assault on the house; the boys escape with the help of Argyle, bringing an injured Harmon with them. Nancy and Robin interview an imprisoned Victor Creel, who recounts his family being tormented by supernatural forces and his daughter Alice and wife Virginia eventually being killed by them, with Victor being arrested for their deaths. Victor claims he was saved by the "voice of an angel", which the girls surmise was the song, "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" on the radio. Max, fearing her imminent death, writes letters to her friends and family and goes to the cemetery to read her letter to Billy by his grave. She is possessed by Vecna and sees herself inside his mind. Steve, Dustin, and Lucas learn from Nancy and Robin that playing music can break Vecna's spell. They play Max's favorite song, "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush, via her Walkman, opening a mental window through which Max returns to reality.
Dr. Owens takes Eleven to the Nina Project; an abandoned ICBM silo in Nevada, where he and Dr. Brenner have developed a specialized sensory deprivation tank (dubbed "Nina") that will allow Eleven to access memories of her time with the other children at Hawkins Lab. After her first time in the tank, Eleven attempts to escape and briefly regains her powers, and Brenner convinces her to continue with the experiment. In California, before Agent Harmon dies, he gives the boys a pen containing a phone number for the Nina Project that connects to a modem; Mike decides to enlist the aid of Suzie in Salt Lake City. After Yuri's betrayal, Antonov is imprisoned alongside Hopper. While flying to Russia, Joyce and Murray subdue Yuri and crash-land in the wilderness. In Hawkins, Max, Lucas, Steve, and Dustin regroup with Nancy and Robin and decide to investigate the Creel House; inside, they encounter flickering lights, which they trace to Vecna's movements in the Upside Down. Jason and his teammates locate Eddie trying to escape in a boat at Lover's Lake; Jason and his teammate Patrick McKinney swim after him. While they are in the water, Vecna kills Patrick in front of Jason and Eddie.
Eleven relives memories of befriending a lab orderly, who warns her not to trust Brenner. She also recalls being bullied by 002 and other test subjects, leading her to believe she was responsible for the lab massacre. Suzie helps Mike's group locate the Nina Project's coordinates. Hopper and the other inmates are given a large feast, which Hopper warns is to prepare them to be fed to a captured adult Demogorgon. He later manages to pocket a lighter, recalling that the Demogorgon's weakness is fire. Joyce and Murray force Yuri to take them to a nearby town where he stores his goods, and decide to have Murray pose as Yuri to infiltrate the prison. Jason rallies Hawkins' residents at a Town Hall meeting organized by Chief Powell, Officer Callahan and Officer Glenn Daniels against Eddie's supposed Satanic cult, the Hellfire Club. Steve's group finds Eddie; Dustin notices his compass malfunctioning and realizes there must be a new gate to the Upside Down nearby. They trace the gate to Lover's Lake, and dub the gate "Watergate", where Steve dives down to inspect it before being yanked into the Upside Down by a vine and attacked by bat-like creatures. Nancy, Robin, and Eddie dive in after him.
Main cast
•Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers — 9/9 •David Harbour as Jim Hopper — 8/9 •Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven — 8/9 •Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler — 8/9 •Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson — 9/9 •Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair — 9/9 •Noah Schnapp as Will Byers — 8/9 •Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield — 9/9 •Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler — 9/9 •Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers — 8/9 •Joe Keery as Steve Harrington — 9/9 •Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley — 9/9 •Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman — 9/9 •Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair — 6/9 •Matthew Modine as Dr. Martin Brenner — 5/9 •Paul Reiser as Dr. Sam Owens — 5/9
Also Starring
•Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna/Henry Creel/001 — 9/9 •Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler — 5/9 •Eduardo Franco as Argyle — 8/9 •Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson — 8/9
Recurring cast
•Mason Dye as Jason Carver — 8/9 •Tom Wlaschiha as Dmitri "Enzo" Antonov — 8/9 •Sherman Augustus as Lt. Col. Jack Sullivan — 6/9 •Nikola Đjuričko as Yuri Ismaylov — 6/9 •Amybeth McNulty as Vickie — 3/9 •Myles Truitt as Patrick McKinney — 5/9 •Logan Riley Bruner as Fred Benson — 2/9 •Grace Van Dien as Chrissy Cunningham — 1/9 •Clayton Royal Johnson as Andy — 8/9 •Hunter Romanillos as Chance — 4/9 •Elodie Grace Orkin as Angela — 3/9 •Logan Allen as Jake — 3/9 •Regina Ting Chen as Ms. Kelley — 2/9 •Tyner Rushing as Virginia Creel — 2/9 •Livi Birch as Alice Creel — 2/9 •Kevin L. Johnson as Young Victor Creel — 2/9 •Rob Morgan as Chief Calvin Powell — 4/9 •John Reynolds as Officer Phil Callahan — 4/9 •Gabriella Pizzolo as Suzie Bingham — 2/9 •Anniston and Tinsley Price as Holly Wheeler — 5/9 •Joe Chrest as Ted Wheeler — 5/9 •Catherine Curtin as Claudia Henderson — 4/9 •Joel Stoffer as Wayne Munson — 3/9 •Jennifer Marshall as Susan Hargrove — 3/9 •Paris Benjamin as Agent Ellen Stinson — 5/9 •Kendrick Cross as Agent Wallace — 5/9 •Ira Amyx as Agent Harmon — 3/9 •Martie Blair as Young Eleven — 3/9 •Tristan Spohn as Two — 5/9 •Christian Ganiere as Ten — 4/9 •Jessica Arden Napier as Five — 5/9 •De'Jon Watts as Six — 4/9 •Pasha D. Lychnikoff as Oleg — 3/9 •Nikolai Nikolaeff as Ivan — 4/9 •Vaidotas Martinaitis as Warden Melnikov — 5/9 •Gwydion Lashlee-Walton as Gareth — 2/9 •Trey Best as Jeff — 2/9 •Grant Goodman as Freak 1 — 2/9 •Dacre Montgomery as Billy Hargrove — 2/9 •Morgan Gao as Three — 5/9 •Sparrow Nicole as Four — 5/9 •Candice Rose as Laura Cunningham — 2/9 •Christopher Strand as Phillip Cunningham — 2/9
Development
As with seasons past, planning for the fourth season of Stranger Things began before the preceding season's release. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly that ran shortly after the third season's release, series creators Matt and Ross Duffer revealed the series' creative team had already met on several occasions to discuss the show's future. On September 30, 2019, Netflix announced it had signed the Duffer Brothers for a new multi-year television and film deal that was reportedly worth nine figures. To coincide with the production deal announcement, Netflix also announced the renewal of Stranger Things for a fourth season by releasing a brief, minute-long teaser on YouTube.
Writing
The Duffers originally concieved Stranger Things 4 as an eight episode season. However, partway through writing, Matt and Ross realized an additional episode was needed, if they were to include all their desired plot points. Their request for an ninth episode was quickly approved by Netflix. During production on the first season, the duo prepared a twenty-page document for Netflix that explained the show's universe, including what the Upside Down is, in clear detail. In turn, material from the document dictated certain plots while writing the season. The Duffers wanted to spend more time within the Upside Down in this season, as the narrative of the third season gave them little opportunity to explore it further.
Casting
For the fourth season, both Priah Ferguson and Brett Gelman were upped to series regulars. On July 1, 2020, it was announced that Joel Stoffer had been cast in an undisclosed role. On November 20, 2020, it was officially announced that Robert Englund, Eduardo Franco, Jamie Campbell Bower, Sherman Augustus, Mason Dye, Tom Wlaschiha, Nikola Đjuričko, and Joseph Quinn had joined the cast for the fourth season, with Eduardo Franco, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Joseph Quinn updated to series regulars. On June 9, 2021, it was announced that Amybeth McNulty, Myles Truitt, Regina Ting Chen, and Grace Van Dien had joined the cast for the fourth season.
Trailers
The fourth season's announcement teaser, released on September 30, 2019, showed a ticking grandfather clock in the Upside Down and ended with the tagline "We're not in Hawkins anymore". The first footage-based teaser was released on February 14, 2020. The teaser was discreetly labelled "001/004", and confirmed Jim Hopper was still alive. A teaser showing the Season 4 table read was released on March 3, 2020. The second footage-based teaser was released on May 6, 2021. The trailer was labelled "002/004", and teased the return of Dr. Brenner and the other test subjects at Hawkins Lab. On August 6, 2021, a Season 4 sneak peek was released, featuring most of the core cast. The trailer announced that the season would release sometime in 2022. A third footage-based teaser, labelled "003/004", was released on September 25th, 2021. The teaser's first half showcased the Creels moving into their new home in the '50s, and a glimpse of the subsequent massacre that occurred there. The second half takes place in the '80s, showing the Party and their allies breaking into the abandoned home, and a glimpse of the Upside Down. For unknown reasons, this teaser was later made private on all official Stranger Things social media channels, though reuploads of the teaser are widely available and viewable. On November 6, 2021. the fourth and final footage-based teaser, labelled "004/004", was released as part of Stranger Things Day. The teaser centered on Eleven's new life in California. A "title tease" was also released, listing all of Season 4's episode titles via a special variant of the title sequence. The season was described as releasing "Summer 2022". The first full trailer released on April 12, 2022 at 10 A.M. EST. It showcased the Upside Down, the Creel House, and new creatures from the Upside Down. On May 14, 2022, during Millie Bobby Brown's appearance on Jimmy Fallon, a clip from "The Hellfire Club" was shown, showcasing, Angela, Jake and their friends tormenting Eleven in the school courtyard. On May 17, 2022, during Sadie Sink's appearance on GMA3, a clip from "The Hellfire Club" was shown with Ms. Kelly talking to Max. On May 22, 2022, the final trailer for Vol. 1 dropped showcasing Max and Nancy in Vecna's mindscape, Robin, Nancy and Steve in the Upside Down, the Hellfire Club at a campaign and much much more. On May 25, 2022, during Gaten Matarazzo's appearance on Live with Kelly & Ryan, a clip was shown in which Max and Dustin rush into Family Video to talk to Steve and Robin.
Images
On February 17, 2022, five posters of multiple characters were showcased on the Stranger Things Instagram page. Among these posters, there was a final poster with all of them combined announcing that Vol. 1 would be released on May 27, 2022 and Vol. 2 would follow and release on July 1, 2022. On March 23, a day after Will Byers' birthday, twelve different stills were posted on the Stranger Things Instagram page, showing multiple characters, old and new. On April 20, 2022, the magazine company SFX released three different magazines showcasing the Party along with Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley and Steve Harrington. Inside, the magazines had multiple behind the scenes photos as well as never-before seen photos of the Hawkins crew and California crew. On April 27, 2022, a poster of Eleven was released, showcasing her shaved head, hospital gown and Hawkins Lab at the bottom of the poster. On May 2, 2022, personal posters for Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers, and Murray Bauman were released, with a Russian base at the bottom of the poster. On May 5, 2022, personal posters for Mike Wheeler, Will Byers, Jonathan Byers and Argyle were released, showcasing California and the current Byers residence beneath. On May 9, 2022, personal posters for Max Mayfield, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Erica Sinclair, Nancy Wheeler, Karen Wheeler, and Eddie Munson were released, showcasing the Hawkins crew (Max and Lucas), the Scoops Troop (Dustin, Steve, Robin and Erica), the Wheelers (Nancy and Karen), and the Hellfire Club (Eddie). All of the posters have the Creel House at the bottom, showing the connection to all the characters. On May 12, 2022, another official poster was released showcasing Vecna, Eleven, Max Mayfield, Lucas Sinclair, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Eddie Munson, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Will Byers, Steve Harrington, Erica Sinclair, Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, Murray Bauman, Jonathan Byers and Argyle, in their respective locations. The poster also shows Creel House, Creel clock, Demobats, Russia, and California. On May 14, 2022, following Millie Bobby Brown's appearance on Jimmy Fallon, four photos were taken from a teaser showing, Will Byers, Eleven, Angela, Jake and a few of their friends tormenting El. On May 18, 2022, the website IGN released four stills of Hopper and Yuri at the Kamchatka base in Russia, and then Max Mayfield and Dustin Henderson at Family Video, Dustin, Eddie Munson and Mike Wheeler in the Hawkins High cafeteria, showcasing their Hellfire Club shirts and Steve Harrington with Max and Dustin investigating something in Hawkins. On May 21, 2022, during Seven Stranger Days, one still and 12 behind the scenes photos were released, showcasing the Erica with the Hellfire Club, Hawkins High tigers at the basketball game and multiple characters and the crew behind Stranger Things.
Release
The release was initially thought to be split with Vol. 1 consisting of 5 episodes and Vol. 2 consisting of 4. But on May 20, 2022, it was revealed that Vol. 1 would consist of 7 episodes and would releases on May 27, 2022 with the remaining 2 episodes released on July 1, 2022.
•This is the second season to have nine episode count since Season 2.
•This is the first season to be released in two parts via volumes.
•This season overall breaks many of the show's traditions:
•It's the first season where Joyce never says Will's name directly onscreen.
•It's the first season where both Hopper and Mike are absent from an episode respectively (Hopper is absent in "The Hellfire Club" while Mike is absent in "The Massacre at Hawkins Lab"). This makes Dustin and Lucas the only characters to appear in every episode of the series (when including archive footage).
•This is the first season where Lucas neither wears his camo bandana nor uses his slingshot.
May 27, 2022 · Stranger Things season 4 is here and so much happens to Eleven, Hopper, Joyce, Dustin, and more! We're recapping every episode of volume 1 right here.
- Natalie Zamora
May 27, 2022 · The gang is having trouble adapting to their new homes. A recap of ‘Vecna’s Curse’ episode 2 of season 4 of Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things.’
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May 29, 2022 · With more shocking deaths, a clearer picture of the new monster, Vecna, emerges in Stranger Things 4 episode 2, 'Vecna's Curse.' Here's my recap and review.
