Stranger Things 4 is the show’s first season not released all at once. That’s given us a chance to both reflect on what happened and predict what will follow. The first seven episodes introduced Hawkins most terrifying villain yet, Vecna. The former Henry Creel is coming for everyone in Hawkins, and the only question in the season’s last two supersized episodes is whether or not the town’s bravest kids can reunite in time to stop him. Normally we’d never bet against them, but the newest trailer for Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 has us fearful this time will be different. Because the Upside Down’s most dangerous monster has us feeling like running up that hill will only lead to death.
Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 debuts at Netflix on July 1. Objectively, that really isn’t that far away. But this trailer is so good it feels like we have another thousand years to wait. Even without music this teaser would have us ready to take on the Upside Down ourself. But setting it to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” turns an epic promo into something special.
If we watch it enough times, though (and we will), we’ll probably give up on our plan to invade that sinister realm. Vecna sounds way too confident here. He taunts his former foe Eleven, saying her friends have already lost. Unfortunately there’s plenty of reasons to think he’s telling the truth. This Stranger Things 4 trailer shows the Hawkins crew primed for war, but no one seems confident. And Robin fears this encounter will be different from past battles.
They’ll have to deal with more than just Vecna, too. This trailer show Lucas fighting Jason. Eleven watches Brenner’s underground lab first attacked by the military and then blown to smithereens. The Russia crew has to get free of a prison full of literal monsters. And Nancy, who will escape Vecna’s clutches initially at least, looks haunted by what she experienced there.
For a show inspired by the best of the ’80s, it’s not a good sign this whole season feels like an homage to The Empire Strikes Back. We know how that movie ended, which is why we have a bad feeling about Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 after this trailer.
