In addition to the climactic renewal, the company said the long-awaited Season 4 of the show will premiere in two “volumes,” the first on May 27 and the second on July 1. In an open letter to fans (read it in full below), co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer said the split season resulted from the season’s nine episodes having a total running time twice as long as that of any previous season.
The Duffer Bros noted that the full arc was expected to be “four or five” seasons when they first envisioned the show, so the end is not a surprise. Plus, it won’t be the end of the franchise, they promised.
A three-time Emmy nominee for Best Drama, the series is one of Netflix’s most-watched titles to date. Season 3 drew 582 million hours of viewing, ranking as the second most-popular English-language series in Netflix’s Top 10. Season 2 had 427 million hours, ranking No. 10.