Words by Tom Disalvo May 25, 2022

Hawkins is returning to our screens this week, so here’s all the plot points and loose threads you’ll have to follow ahead of Stranger Things’ fourth season.

The anticipation in the lead up to the fourth and final season of Stranger Things is almost incomparable. The show, which has long been Netflix’ flagship series, has been on hiatus for three years, during which time the streaming service has reportedly forked out $30 million per episode for the upcoming season (making it the most expensive show in television history).

Meanwhile, the show’s third season has reentered Netflix’ top ten trending series, fanfare only heightened with the release of season four’s first eight minutes this week (watch below). With so many developments in the time between Eleven’s last nosebleed, it can be tricky to remember the most important details, which is essential in a world-building, lore-creating show like Stranger Things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QiG9w0SUzk

That’s why we’re recapping the key plot points and narrative threads to keep in mind before Stranger Things 4 hits screens this Friday (May 27).

The Gate and its monsters.

Much of Stranger Things’ first three seasons revolve around the horrors released from the interdimensional portal known as ‘The Gate.’ In season one, during an experiment which tested her telekinesis, Eleven accidently opened The Gate to a dimension called ‘The Upside Down,’ releasing a Demogorgon (nerd slang for scary monster).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQEondeGvKo&t=1s

Remaining open in season two, The Gate released the Mind Flayer, a nebulous shadow hellbent on conquering our dimension through a slew of additional monsters. Remnants of The Gate caused additional terror in season three, before it was (supposedly) closed in the finale. Season four introduced a new monster called Vecna, who was revealed in the official trailer and looks decidedly more spooky than previous threats.

Eleven’s powers are weakening.

If The Gate is Stranger Things’ villain, then Eleven’s powers are its foil. In seasons past, Eleven successfully thwarted interdimensional threats by evaporating the Demogorgon in the first season and closing The Gate in the second. However, by the end of season three, Eleven’s telekinesis is weakened to the point of uselessness (she can’t even move a damn plush toy in the finale). Keep this in mind as the nerd squad confronts its new foe in season four.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOVzNKBKBf4

Hopper is either dead or in Russia.

What was once confined to the town of Hawkins in seasons one and two has, by the time the third installment arrives, caught international attention. Season three reveals that Russia has been tampering with The Gate and the Upside Down, presumably for nefarious, war-related reasons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHYzLB9fROc

While investigating Russia’s antics, Hopper discovers a secret lab where the Soviets built a machine to reopen The Gate. Hopper is caught in the crossfire and supposedly dies when Joyce detonates the machine, but season four’s promo clips reveal him to be alive and well, albeit imprisoned in a Russian facility.

The Byers’ are skipping town.

Every Stranger Things installment has followed a similar formula in dispersing the characters as they separately investigate supernatural goings-on, before reuniting them all in the season’s major discovery. While these intersecting storylines have previously been limited to Hawkins, season four looks set to expand them as the Byers and Eleven have relocated to California.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQoNAjy1rQ4

While skipping town is something you’d think would’ve been done immediately after an interdimensional abduction, it means that, with Hopper also in Russia, Stranger Things 4 has broadened its universe beyond Indiana.

The nerd squad has grown.

You’re probably familiar with the core cast of Stranger Things in seasons one and two, but the third outing introduced two key characters who’ll return to screens this Friday. Lucas’ sister Erica took on a more prominent role last season, and so too did Robin, the coworker of highschool heartthrob Steve Harrington.

While these characters are expected to now comprise season four’s main ensemble, the squad has also lost a member. In the season three finale, Max’s brother Billy fatally sacrificed himself to save Eleven, the fallout from which will no-doubt be explored in Stranger Things 4.

Stranger Things 4 is the show’s last and longest outing.

Stranger Things’ upcoming fourth season includes nine episodes (more than any other installment), with each episode exceeding an hour runtime. The two final episodes, released as a second volume next month, run for 2.5 hours each. The sizeable season was perhaps Netflix’ attempt to create a television ‘event,’ but Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers explained that it’s simply a culmination of an arc they’d conceived for over seven years.