'Stranger Things' Season 4 release date reveal details the Netflix show's endgame

Occasionally, there are shows that stick in the audience’s collective mind. No matter how long it takes between seasons or how off-the-rails the story gets, there are certain shows that just keep delivering. The Duffer Brothers’ Netflix series Stranger Things is one of those shows.

But after two years, there was no sign of when we’d see the Hopkins gang again. Until today when the Duffer Bros. announced the rest of the series plans’ — including two different Season 4 release dates. Here’s everything we know about the Stranger Things to come, and what it could mean for the show’s story.

According to an open letter released to Netflix’s blog, Season 4 of Stranger Things is so long — nearly twice as long as any previous season — that the release is split into two. One half will release on May 27, and the other on July 1. For those planning binges at home, that’s the Friday before Memorial Day and the Friday before Independence Day.

From what we can gather from the release, it looks like this isn’t an increase in the number of episodes, but episode length — we may even see a number of episodes reaching feature-length runtimes.

The Duffers also announced the series would end with Season 5, according to a plan they had since the beginning of production. This is no surprise with the sheer amount of time that’s passed since Season 1 and the rising profiles of each of the young stars involved in the project.

But what will these seasons cover? According to Netflix, Season 4 will pick up six months after Season 3’s Battle of Starcourt, with the Hopkins gang separated for the first time. Previous sneak peeks reveal Sheriff Hopper isn’t dead like we first thought. In fact, he’s alive and well somewhere in Soviet Russia.

As for Season 5, the monumental size of Season 4 makes it difficult to speculate, but it’s clear the looming threat of the Upside Down needs to be resolved in one way or another for the narrative to come to a close. However, that may not be the last time we see this nostalgic horror.

In the open letter, the Duffers allude to “many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things.” Could we see a spin-off series? A movie? The Barb-centric story fans were clamoring for all the way back in 2017? It’s Netflix, so nothing’s off the table. But first, there’s a lot more of this story to tell.

Stranger Things Season 4 Vol. 1 premieres May 27, and Vol 2. releases July 1 on Netflix.