‘Stranger Things’ Releases the First Eight Minutes of Season 4

For Stranger Things fans, Christmas came very, very early with today’s surprise premiere of the upcoming highly-anticipated fourth season’s first eight minutes. With the first part of the Duffer brothers’ beloved Netflix Original series dropping a week from today, it’s both a blessing and a curse: Seeing the clip will get you hyped for this newest season and all of the epic drama and action to come, but it will also kill you a little bit to know that you have to wait seven days for more.

Luckily, it looks like the wait will  be worth it, as these first eight minutes will give you plenty to ruminate over as you wait for the full episodes to drop. The sneak peek offers us a glimpse at Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) past as she undergoes tests that awaken the overwhelming powers we now know her for having. And boy, without revealing anything specific, let’s just say that the Duffer brothers weren’t kidding when they said that this would be the scariest and darkest season yet.

In addition to the first eight minutes, Netflix also revealed how the season will be split: Volume I, which will be released on May 27, will include the first seven episodes of the season; Volume II, which will be released on July 1, will include episodes 8 and 9. And in case you’re worried you won’t be getting enough bang for your buck, not only will the episodes in the first part be supersized at an hour plus, but Episode 4×07 will reportedly be 85 minutes, and Episode 4×08 will run a whopping two and a half hours.

If that wasn’t enough to hook you, maybe Netflix’s own description of what to expect this season will:

“It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.”

So prepare yourself for everything from jump scares to gore to mind-bending psychological horror, because it looks like Stranger Things‘ latest season will have a little bit of everything, and they’re giving it their all… We couldn’t be more thrilled.

You can watch the first eight minutes of Stranger Things Season 4 above.

Stranger Things Season 4, Volume I premieres on Netflix May 27.