Only a few days left before we get served with Stranger Things Volume 1!

While we’ve already seen blood splatters, gooey creatures, and other slimy things from the Upside Down in previous seasons, the Duffer brothers upped the excitement for this year by adding gruesome elements… and we’re only talking about episode 1! Season 4 is making the first season seem like a kid’s show, which is actually apt for the age of the main characters. As the cast grew older, the scenes have also matured with them – from the funny adolescent experiences to the horrors of growing up with looming death and doom.

Watch the trailer here:

Season 4 takes place six months after the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, the group of friends — Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Max (Sadie Sink) — have been separated for the first time. Navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier as well, and you can see in one of the recent trailers that a powerless Eleven is being bullied on the school grounds. 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.

With so many things happening and with characters being in different places, it’s just hard to keep up and pin point what exactly Eleven and the gang are up against. Basing on the first episode, Eleven has her own problems after becoming powerless (goodbye, telekinesis), there’s a grieving Joyce who is still longing for Hopper, the D&D gang still doing their thing, Lucas taking a different path, and Max being the badass that she is even without her older brother. The trailer has already revealed a new creature that looks like a human – almost to the level of a boss from Resident Evil, but we’re sensing there’s something more that will twist our brains (or bodies)… maybe even literally. Can they Scooby Doo their way out of this alive? We’ll find out soon.

In terms of episode lengths, this upcoming season is bitchin’ longer than the previous ones with an average of 60-90-minute episodes for those under Volume 1, while Volume 2 is said to have 1.5 and 2.5-hour episodes. That’s like watching a whole movie already! I’m not complaining, though. As someone who enjoyed the first two seasons way too much, I’m loving how the fourth season is panning out. It has the same 80s on-point aesthetic that we love, less whining, more interesting interactions, and more action. Effects have leveled up this season as well with more gruesome scenes that may have cost a lot!

I personally enjoyed it and I think I’ll give it the same rating as the critics from Rotten Tomatoes who gave it a fresh 91% (as of today) — way better than my overall rating for season three. This season has the balance of mystery, gore, horror, nostalgia (neon-colored outfits and roller skates included), awesome soundtrack, and geeky pop-culture that made us love Stranger Things even more.

Ready to binge-watch all seven episodes? Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 will be out this Friday (May 27, 2022) while the last 2 episodes for Volume 2 will be out on July 1.

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SNEAK PEEK: Screenshots, first 8 minutes of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 are now out!