Dr. Brenner is back—kind of. It’s been nearly three years since Stranger Things 3 and the beloved series is returning with a vengeance. Netflix revealed the upcoming season drops in two batches, with episodes one-seven releasing as part of Volume One on May 27. Volume Two, with the final two episodes, bows on July 1. While the episode count is average for the series, season four is super-sized. It boasts much longer episodes, with Netflix teasing that it is five hours longer than previous seasons. To further tease the already highly-anticipated season, the streaming platform released the first eight minutes of season four on YouTube. It takes us back in time to 1979 as a (ugh) seemingly normal at the Hawkins National Laboratories takes a very chilling turn.
What a gnarly way to kick off the new season!
The clip takes us through Dr. Brenner’s casual morning routine, cementing the idea that this is very much business as usual. At the lab, we catch a glimpse of a door labeled 11, before Brenner goes off to work with a kid called Ten, testing his powers. But things take a turn when Brenner asks Ten to find Doctor Ellis, who they just passed in the hall with another kid, Six. However, something is seriously wrong. Ten becomes increasingly distressed using his powers to see what Ellis and Six are up to. At that moment an alarm blares but before Brenner can investigate, the door flies off its hinges and knocks the doctor out.
When he rouses, Ten is dead, as are so, so many people at the lab—technicians, doctors, kids. It’s a horrifying bloodbath. One Eleven is apparently responsible for. There is so much about Eleven’s time at the lab we still don’t know a lot about.
The Stranger Things 4 trailers have already teased we’d be diving into Eleven’s past. But this chilling opener definitely indicates there is a lot more to uncover—and the show is not holding anything back. Plus, it certainly sets the stage for how potentially grisly this new season is.
Stranger Things 4: Volume One debuts on May 27, with Volume 2 dropping on July 1.