‘Stranger Things 4’: Watch the First Eight Minutes Now as Netflix Reveals Feature-Length Runtimes

Christian Zilko
·2 min read
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The wait for more “Stranger Things” is almost over, with the first portion of the Netflix show’s highly anticipated fourth season dropping next Friday.

Much has been made of Netflix’s decision to split “Stranger Things 4” into two volumes, with one batch of episodes streaming on May 27 and more being released on July 1. But until now, little was known about how the streamer planned to split up the season.

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Volume 1 will contain Episodes 1 through 7, with Volume 2 finishing the story with Episodes 8 and 9. Netflix recently revealed that episodes 7 through 9 are both feature-length, ensuring that both volumes receive a proper ending. (Episode 7 is 98 minutes, Episode 8 is 85 minutes, and Episode 9 is nearly 2 1/2 hours.)

“Stranger Things 4” is truly an epic endeavor, with the nine episodes containing five more hours of footage than any of the previous seasons. With “Stranger Things 5” scheduled to be the final season of the blockbuster show, “Stranger Things 4” has quite a bit of foundation to lay for the series finale.

To make matters even better for “Stranger Things” fans, the streaming service has released the first eight minutes of the season for free online. Anyone who is eagerly waiting for the new season (and isn’t interested in Monopoly game spoilers) can check it out at the link below.

Netflix’s official synopsis for “Stranger Things 4” tells us that “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.”

“Stranger Things” was created by Matt and Ross Duffer, and stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, Cara Buono, and Matthew Modine.

Volume 1 of “Stranger Things 4” begins streaming on Netflix on May 27, with Volume 2 dropping on July 1. You can watch the first eight minutes of the first episode below:

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