Netflix has finally revealed exactly how “Stranger Things” Season 4 is being split up into two parts, and the two installments are far from equal in terms of runtime.
While we previously knew that “Stranger Things 4” would consist of nine episodes in total, it was unclear – until now – exactly how many episodes would drop when Volume 1 is released on May 27.
Well hold on to your butts and keep those couch cushions plump, because “Stranger Things” Season 4 Volume 1 will consist of seven episodes in total — just one episode shy of the entire third season — while Season 4 Volume 2 will comprise the final two episodes of the season.
Fans won’t have to wait long to see the conclusion of Season 4, as Part 2 is being released on July 1.
Creators the Duffer Brothers have previously revealed that this season’s episodes are longer than any before, and if you’re a bit underwhelmed by only getting two episodes in Volume 2, take heart in knowing that the Season 4 finale, Episode 9, is over two hours long.
“[Episodes] 7 and 9 in particular are movies,” Matt Duffer told TheWrap. “And nine is a long movie… “We’re still refining it but we will say that it is over two hours. It’s a big one.”
So while “Stranger Things” Season 4 Volume 2 will only consist of two episodes, it may take you an entire afternoon to consume those two episodes.
The Duffer Brothers contend they didn’t originally plan for Season 4 to be so long, but once they started writing they realized they needed to ask Netflix for an additional episode to tell the full story. Unsurprisingly, Netflix agreed and expanded the order from eight episodes to nine.
“A lot of it had to do with the fact that we had characters spread out in three locations and we had a lot more plot. It must be quadruple the plot we had in Season 3,” Matt Duffer told TheWrap. “That was our fun blockbuster season. This season we knew that Season 5 was going to be our last, we had to start revealing a lot.”
The bifurcated rollout will also allow fans some time to watch the quite lengthy Volume 1, take a break, and then potentially all be on the same page for the final two episodes when Volume 2 rolls around.
With Season 5 set to conclude “Stranger Things” once and for all, this could be a test case scenario to see how to roll out a highly anticipated season without allowing for finale spoilers to be online the day the season drops. By splitting the season into two volumes – and frontloading the episodes in Volume 1 – Netflix is essentially holding back the “big finale” for a slightly later date.
“Stranger Things” Season 4 Volume 1, which consists of seven episodes, premieres on Netflix on May 27.
“Stranger Things” Season 4 Volume 2, which consists of two episodes, will be released on Netflix on July 1.
