Stranger Things is coming to a close. The series will officially end as 2026 begins with Stranger Things 5, the show’s final season. And that means it will be time to say goodbye to new episodes of the series we’ve all loved so much. But for the Stranger Things lovers in your life, the journey of discovery doesn’t have to come to a close. Netflix and Penguin Random House are releasing the complete scripts of Stranger Things, including the scenes, dialogue, and character directions, for each of its four released seasons. (With the season five script book coming soon.) While all seasons are worthy of revisiting, Stranger Things 4 holds a very special place in our hearts. And so it was with great pleasure that we dove into our copy of the Stranger Things 4 complete script book, excited to unearth its secrets. And now, we’re delighted to invite you to join us on this adventure. Here’s our deep dive into Stranger Things: The Complete Scripts, Season 4.
The Stranger Things 4 script book kicks off with an exclusive introduction from the creators and showrunners, Matt and Ross Duffer. Even though we’ve already thought a lot about Stranger Things 4, its overall themes, and its place in the series, reading the introduction really helped to frame the events of the season that much more. And, of course, our favorite part of Stranger Things 4 remains Eddie Munson, and so we were delighted to hear the Duffers speak of the character and how he developed in the series.
Among other things, they share in the introduction to the Stranger Things 4 script book, “If dead bodies were popping up all around Hawkins, how would the town respond? There needed to be a scapegoat, a character in the tragic vein of Damien Echols and the satanic panic of the eighties, something we’d long wanted to bring into the show… It was time to do the metalheads justice. It was time for the freaks. It was time for Eddie Munson.” And add that the pandemic pause allowed Eddie to become “sharper, more distinct, more original—tailored for Joe.” Excuse us while we sob!
Then it’s time for the scripts themselves. The Stranger Things 4 script book is divided up by the series’ “Chapter” conceit, allowing you to flip to the episode you most want to revisit with ease. Of course, you’ll want to read everything in order and take in all of the new details you can glean, but we all have our favorite scenes that we’ll want to look at immediately. And let me tell you, the writing here is visceral. Among the scenes on my first-look tour are Eddie’s cafeteria speech, the incredible intercutting basketball game/Dungeons & Dragons campaign, Max’s “Running Up that Hill” sequence, Eddie’s death, and the final moments of Stranger Things 4. I confess that I teared up revisiting many of these more emotional moments. Seeing them written on the page allowed them to manifest before me in a whole new, intense way.
Dustin speaking to Wayne about Eddie and their relationship, for example, hurts. Seeing that text in black and white, with the accompanying setting description, is almost unbearable. The Stranger Things 4 script book shares, “The life seems to drain from Wayne’s body. He sinks down onto a cot. The guitar pick still gripped tightly in his hand. Dustin sits beside him. His eyes move to the photograph of Eddie that Wayne just tacked up on the wall. Eddie is smiling big in the photo, all goofy and fun — just a kid.” Can we all say OUCH together? But it’s that emotional resonance that we’re here for.
Ultimately, four is one of the darkest seasons of the series, and buried within it are both literal and emotional clues to the show’s final season. The Stranger Things 4 script is one any die-hard fan will want to pore over endlessly to glean all the character and plot beats they can and better understand the show they love.
Of course, Stranger Things 4 isn’t ALL doom and gloom, and we love seeing some sweeter moments brought to life in this script book, like Steve being touched by Eddie letting him know how much Dustin hero-worships him. (Okay, that stings after watching Stranger Things 5, Volume 1, but it’s SWEET in situ.) And it’s always interesting to see what changes have been made from script to screen. (For example, Eddie Munson’s iconic “Harrington’s got her, dontchya Big Boy” was improvised. Thanks, Joe Quinn!)
Of course, just on an objective level, anyone interested in what an episode of TV looks like can learn a lot from these Stranger Things 4 script books. It’s not every day you get to peruse the official version of such an intricately written show and learn how exactly all its pieces came together.
In total, Stranger Things: The Complete Scripts, Season 4 runs for a whopping 782 pages. So you can definitely say you got your reading in after you finish it. But one time is not nearly enough to unearth all the secrets that the Stranger Things 4 script has in store for you. But that’s GOOD news. It means the Stranger Things fun never really has to end.
Stranger Things: The Complete Scripts, Season 4 script book is now available for purchase. The scripts for season one, season two, and season three are also there for your reading pleasure. And we bet we will die for Stranger Things 5‘s script as soon as the final season has released. Stranger Things is streaming now on Netflix.
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