If you’re a fan of Stranger Things — and chances are you are — there’s good news and bad news. The show’s creators, the Duffer brothers, have revealed that the fourth season has become so epic that it will be released in two parts, the first beginning in May, and the second half arriving a few weeks later. The bad news is that after season four is done, you’ll only have one more season of watching the Party take on the Dungeons & Dragons-esque denizens of the Upside-Down.
The Duffers released (a picture of) an honest-to-goodness letter, addressed to nerds, to break the news:
It’s a bit of a bummer, but clearly Netflix and the brothers aren’t done telling stories in the Stranger Things-iverse. Speaking of, here’s the (predictably vague) official synopsis for season four:
“It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. 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.”
However, Netflix also released five posters for season four, which may have some clues hidden in them, but at the very least look cool as hell. First up is one titled “California,” where Will Byers and Eleven moved at the end of season three. But doesn’t that look like Mike second from the left? What’s he doing there?
Next is “Lab,” clearly referring to the Hawking National Laboratory where Eleven was raised and experimented upon. It’s seen better days:
Here’s the incredibly mysterious Creel House, which plays an important enough role in season four that it essentially earned its own trailer:
Here’s Hopper in Russia, where he was transported in season three, unbeknownst to the other characters:
And when you put all four posters together, you get this:
Obviously, the big news here is that there seem to be a great many portals to the Upside-Down opening up all over the world, which is seriously bad news. If you find any clues in the posters or have any theories, please share them in the comments!
As for the show, the beginning of the beginning of the end begins when the first portion of season four premieres on Netflix on May 27. Happily, you won’t have to wait long for part two — it will premiere on July 1, just five weeks later.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.