Surprise! Netflix Releases First Eight Minutes of Stranger Things Season 4

Update (5/26/22): Netflix has pulled down this video in the wake of the school shooting in Texas, and added a content warning before the episode in which it appears. 

Netflix has released the first eight minutes of Stranger Things Season 4, which sees a familiar face grace the screen, one that Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has referred to in the past as "Papa," or Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine).

A title card reveals it's September 8, 1979, long before the events of Stranger Things' first season. The flashback scene shifts to the facility, where Brenner conducts a mind-reading test on Eleven's predecessor, Ten. Soon, violence and mayhem ensue, as a young Eleven looks on, blood dripping from her eyes.

Stranger Things Season 4 will be released in two volumes. Volume 1 premieres on May 27, with seven episodes, and Volume 2 premieres on July 1 with the last two episodes.

Season 4 episodes will also be longer than those of previous seasons, with most episodes running at 75 minutes. Episode 7 runs 98 minutes, Episode 8 will be 85 minutes, and the season finale run time will approach two and a half hours.

Previous seasons of Stranger Things are currently streaming on Netflix.

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Deena ElGenaidi's writing has been featured in Nylon, MTV News, Insider, The AV Club, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @deenaelg.