Warning: Spoilers for Stranger Things season 4, volume 2!

While Stranger Things season 4’s split release strategy didn’t work perfectly, this was not the fault of the show’s lengthy episode runtimes. The episodes of Stranger Things season 4 caused some controversy when their extended lengths were first revealed prior to release. Stranger Things season 4, episode 8, ran 1 hour and 20 minutes, while the season 4 finale ran for a massive 2 hours and 30 minutes.

It was no surprise that commentators online were shocked by the sheer length of these episodes, which ran longer than almost all earlier television shows (and many feature films, in the case of the finale). However, as the plot holes left behind by Stranger Things season 4’s ending prove, this extended runtime was also necessary for the ambitious Netflix hit to wrap up its many unfinished story strands. Stranger Things season 4 followed a range of characters across America on related but separate adventures and needed a long runtime to tell its immersive story accordingly.

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In the end, the fact that Stranger Things season 4 episodes like the finale and episode 8 were as long as feature films only served to make those outings stronger as standalone installments. The biggest issue with the decision to split the release of Stranger Things season 4 was not the show's episode runtimes but rather the fact that the first chapter, released in May 2022, gave away too much of the plot and left viewers with few surprises in the remaining episodes. The many, many articles online correctly predicting Eddie’s tragic Stranger Things season 4 finale death prove how much releasing the majority of the season upfront before dropping only the last two episodes six weeks later was a mistake.

Why Stranger Things Season 4 Should have Been Split Evenly

Eddie Munson's Death from Stranger Things 4

Given how much hype had been built up over the long-awaited return of Stranger Things and the fact that season 4 was the first season to end on an unabashed cliffhanger, the Netflix hit could have shortened the time between seasons 4 and 5 by releasing season 4 in four two-episode drops over several months. This would have given fans more time to appreciate Stranger Things season 4, felt closer to a conventional TV show’s release schedule, made the ending less predictable, and, pivotally, made the wait between seasons 4 and 5 feel shorter. The annoying Angela subplot early in Stranger Things season 4 would have been excusable if the first two episodes had been released as a standalone pairing, making it seem like the bully could be a major series villain and represent a real threat to the heroes.

Instead, almost the entire plot of Stranger Things season 4 was revealed in the show’s first round of season 4 episodes. The identity of the main villain and his origin story, most of the major deaths, whether or not Joyce and Hopper would survive to be reunited, and what Dr. Brenner’s plan was for Eleven were all clear before Stranger Things season 4 part 1 was over. With all this content, it was easy for fans to guess where the ending of the season was heading in a way that would have been far harder if Stranger Things season 4 was released in a more measured fashion, which would also have shortened the wait for season 5.

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