"Stranger Things" Season 4 Teaser: Here’s What We Know

Getting Hopper back was the perfect spoiler. One Twitter user said it was the best gift they could have received on Valentine’s Day. But what about the rest of the gang? The trailer doesn’t seem to give us much info on them, but we do have a few clues.

Not in Hawkins Anymore

In the Season 4 Announcement released a couple of months ago, it showed us the Stranger Things logo being consumed by vines from the Upside Down accompanied by the words “We’re not in Hawkins Anymore.” This seemed fairly obvious at first because, at the end of Season 3, we watched the Byers family and Eleven pack up and leave Hawkins, but apparently we’re not just leaving Hawkins, but the United States as well. With Hopper in Russia, I’m sure a major chunk of the show will revolve around where he is and what the Russians are planning.

In addition, we’ll also see where the Byers family and Eleven ended up and how they’re adapting to their new settings, while Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Nancy, Steve, and Robin deal with all the goings-on in Hawkins. While the teaser did give us a glimpse into Hopper’s new life, we don’t have any insight into what the rest of the party are up to. We also don’t know what the Russians are planning on doing with the Demogorgon they captured or if they might be working on a new way to get into the Upside Down.

A Bleak Outlook

Despite the good news that Hopper is alive, everything looks a little bleak. In contrast with last season’s plethora of neon, the new teaser is much more dismal. It harkens back to the first two seasons’ more muted color schemes, which gives it a more foreboding and sinister feel. The Season 3 teaser gave us a comedic 1980’s commercial for the new Starcourt Mall at the start of summer, but it’s winter now and Hopper is stuck in a Russian work camp while everyone else believes he is dead. Season 3 was more playful but this teaser is serious. After all the death at the end of last season, it has to be. This makes us wonder how Hopper will get back to the U.S. and if he will have to make it on his own, or will his friends find out and come save him?

What We Can Look Forward To

One of the great things about Stranger Things is how it usually operates on separate storylines that all merge together towards the end. It’s the inevitable meeting of friends. I think we can expect to see a joyful (and tearful) reunion of Hopper, Eleven, Joyce, and the rest of the party. Since we’re also moving beyond the borders of Hawkins, we can expect to meet new friends and allies as well. I think we’re all missing the endearing side characters like Barb, Bob, and Alexei. We also can’t forget the newer additions to the party like Robin and Lucas’ sister Erica. I expect they will play a bigger role in the upcoming season.

And lastly, we wait with anticipation to see when Eleven’s powers will return. In the Season 3 finale, she seemed to exert all her energy trying to stop the Mind Flayer and save her friends. Hopefully, a little rest and relaxation will bring her powers back to full force, because I think we all want to see some more monster slaying.

Closing Thoughts

The pack is always stronger together, and I think we can approach Stranger Things Season 4 with hope and trepidation as we see our favorite characters overcoming the obstacles that prevent them from battling their monsters together.