The Strangest Things of 'Stranger Things'

“Hi nerds! Do you copy?”

This was how the famous Duffer brothers began their letter announcing the release date of Stranger Things Season 4 just a few months ago. It’s been almost three years since the last season, and fans are eagerly awaiting the return. Season 4 is different from the previous ones since it's being released in two parts. Volume One has a release date of May 27th, and Volume Two will follow on July 1st.

Stranger Things began with four boys, a strange looking girl, and an even stranger world known as the Upside Down. The show contains a lot of nostalgia and a rockin '80s soundtrack with songs such as “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash, “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by Scorpions, and “I’ll be Watching’ You” by The Police. Fans of all ages were hooked when the series first hit Netflix back in 2016.

In case anyone needs a quick refresher of the strange events that took place in Hawkins, Indiana here is a brief synopsis of each season.

Season 1

It all starts with a friendly game of Dungeons and Dragons between a group of middle school boys. Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) discover that the game is more real than they ever imagined when their friend Will (Noah Schnapp) is taken by a Demogorgon.

Will’s mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) is distraught over her son’s disappearance. She teams up with police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour) to search for him. A few episodes into the season a body believed to be Will is found in a lake. Joyce is convinced that it isn't her son, and keeps searching even after the funeral. Hopper thinks she is crazy until he breaks into Hawkins Lab and finds out the body was fake.

Mike, Lucas, and Dustin use their knowledge of Dungeons and Dragons to carry out their own search for Will. They come across a girl with a shaved head (Millie Bobbie Brown) in the woods and hide her in Mike’s basement. She reveals that her name is Eleven, so the boys decide to call her El for short. El, who turns out to have superpowers, helps bring Will home at the end of the season, but in doing so she disappears herself.

Season 2

A year after the events in the first season took place, Will begins experiencing realistic dreams about the Upside Down. He tries to face his fears by standing up to the monster, but it takes over his body. This monster, called the Mind Flayer, uses Will as a spy while it spreads under the town of Hawkins.

The boys must once again put their brains together to figure out a way to help Will. When a new girl named Max (Sadie Sink) shows up at school one day, she immediately  captures the attention of Dustin and Lucas. They want her to join their group, but Mike isn't on board because he doesn't want to replace El. Against Mike’s wishes Lucas explains everything to Max and she joins the rescue mission.

Unknown to Mike, Hopper found El in the woods and has been hiding her out in a cabin. He has taken on the role of a protective father and does whatever it takes to keep her away from the employees at Hawkins Lab. El grows tired of being stuck inside and argues with Hopper for keeping her locked up. She eventually runs away, finding her mother and a sister who has similar powers.

This season seems to have a happy ending as El returns to her friends and saves the day. She uses her powers to close the gate to the Upside Down on the Mind Flayer, essentially saving Will’s life once again. This happily ever after doesn’t last long because the final scene shows the Mind Flayer looming over the middle school during the big Snowball Dance.

Season 3

Hawkins has finally quieted down and everyone is looking forward to a summer full of fun. Mike, El, Lucas, Max, and Will spend time together while Dustin is away at camp. Upon his return, Dustin uncovers a Russian transmission over the radio and goes to his friend Steve (Joe Keery) for help. The two struggle to decipher the message, so Steve’s coworker Robin (Maya Hawke) steps in to crack the code.

Hopper is now trying to protect El from normal teenage things like boys. He threatens her and Mike for spending too much time together. This causes a rift between the pair, so El turns to Max for advice. They bond over boy troubles, read magazines, go shopping, and use El’s powers to spy on Max’s brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery). The girls quickly realize that Billy is being possessed similar to how Will once was. When the group gets back together they learn that the Russians reopened the gate to the Upside Down, which resulted in the return of the Mind Flayer.

Everyone joins up at the mall in Hawkins and chaos ensues. The Mind Flayer is specifically after El because she closed the gate last season. When she gets hurt the others must step up to fight. Hopper puts himself in harm's way to stop the monster, and seemingly dies when Joyce is forced to close the gate. Somehow he survived and is currently in a Russian prison. 

Season 4

According to the Duffer brothers, Season 4 is going to answer the show’s biggest questions. If you haven’t seen the previous seasons of Stranger Things don’t worry. There is still plenty of time to catch up. Seasons 1-3 have a total of 25 episodes with a run time of just under 22 hours. That’s less than a full day if you binge watch! Remember to head to Netflix on May 27th to be transported back into the Upside Down.