“Stranger Things,” the hit Netflix series from the Duffer Brothers (“Wayward Pines”), offered fans a promising look into its fourth season with the release of its first teaser.

The sci-fi series first aired on the streaming service in July 2016, quickly gaining the attention of nostalgia and horror fans. 

The series’ first three seasons followed the adventures of a group of children living in 1980s Indiana as they navigated supernatural threats and government conspiracies. 

“Stranger Things” had the success it did in part with its ability to encapsulate a number of genres all in one. Fans of horror, sci-fi, teen romance and drama can all find comfort iin the characters, scenes and stories. 

Two years between the series coming back with a new season has left many fans anxious to return to the world of Hawkins, Indiana.

Opening with the Beach Boys (“Sloop John B”) song “California,” the teaser trailer picks up the spring following the completion of the third season. The promo promises yet another stellar soundtrack for the series.

When the characters were last seen, they had been reeling from the loss of Jim Hopper (David Harbour, “Black Widow”), the fearless, rough-around-the edges, father figure, and attempting to recover from the supernatural attack of the “Demogorgons.”

Starting off like any other trailer, one of the main characters, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown,  “Godzilla vs. Kong”), provides a voiceover indicating that everything seems good and managable.  The voiceover is understood to be a letter to Eleven’s love-interest, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard, “It”). The letter promises Mike that she is enjoying her time in school, making friends and having a good time. The letter ends with Eleven saying that she cannot wait to see Mike over spirng break, and that it will be the best break they would ever have.

During the letter voiceover, viewers are given a glimpse into just how great things are going. Eleven is getting bullied in school, and the “great spring break” she had hoped for seemed to result in gun shots and car chases. This follows the formula the previous seasons laid out. The characters are found, at first, attempting to grapple with loss and new environments, hoping for a better future, when something gets in the way of that picture.

”Stranger Things” has always delivered a compelling story, so the use of this “formula” is not as worrisome as it may be for other series. In previous seasons, there had been a larger emphasis on the introduction of new characters. This trailer did not hint there would be a new pantheon of characters, which may indicate a stronger focus on closing the series’ current storylines.

Previous interviews with the series’ writers indicated the show had only an intended four seasons. If this remains to be true, the final season is already off to a good start with this trailer.

“Stranger Things” season four is expected to be released in summer 2022 on Netflix.

Image from Stranger Things via YouTube