While it may seem surprising, Stranger Things season 4’s episode titles might have already clued viewers into how the show’s next outing will end. Stranger Things season 4 spoilers are hard to come by, as the phenomenally popular Netflix show has kept its secrets largely under wraps in advance of its long-awaited 2022 return, now slated for May 27, 2022, according to the official trailer. That said, there are some clues to Stranger Things season 4's story.
The first official trailer for Stranger Things season 4 confirms many pieces of information alluded to in teasers, such as the fact that Hopper is alive, the possibility of time travel connected to the Creel House clock, and Eleven's new life in California, seemingly without powers. But the trailer also drops several new bombshells beyond the scope of what Stranger Things' teasers had released. These new revelations are major, such as the possibility of Max having powers, but this actually isn't the first time that crucial information about Stranger Things season 4's story has been revealed.
The Stranger Things season 4 teasers intentionally revealed key pieces of information, and other spoilers like the possibility of some big breakups in Stranger Things season 4 have already been attempted in earlier seasons. However, one major source of spoilers ahead of Stranger Things season 4’s release may have been unintentional. This would be the leak of Stranger Things season 4's episode titles, which could even reveal how the upcoming installment might end.
What The Stranger Things Season 4 Episode Titles Give Away
A close inspection of Stranger Things season 4’s episode titles appears to give away the season’s climax already. The titles of chapters seven and eight, “The Massacre at Hawkins Lab” and “Papa” respectively, seem to imply that the lab which gave El her powers will not have the mass breakout seen in the “HNL Control Room” teaser trailer until the antepenultimate episode of the upcoming season. The penultimate episode title, in turn, implies that Stranger Things' villainous Dr. Brenner will finally reappear in the second-to-last episode of Stranger Things season 4.
From these clues, it's implied that the first half of Stranger Things season 4 will likely be more character-focused, while the second half will comprise most of the season’s more action-packed moments. If the test subjects of Hawkins Lab are going to be dominating the second half of the season’s story, it stands to reason that the haunted house teased in the “Creel House” trailer will likely be investigated early in season 4. This theory is further reinforced by the fact that the “Creel House” trailer only depicts the portion of Stranger Things' sizable cast whose characters still live in Hawkins, meaning its action may take place before the group is reunited by Spring Break.
Admittedly, the scope of Stranger Things has changed over the show’s four seasons, and the more cinematic, grandiose scale of the new season may mean season 4 tells both stories at once. However, the episode title “Papa” almost certainly implies that Eleven and her surrogate father Brenner won’t meet face-to-face until this outing. Similarly, the “HNL Control Room” teaser appeared to depict a massacre at Hawkins Lab, which lends further credence to this theory. Thus, whether or not the move was intentional (or a misdirect), Stranger Things season 4 appears to have already given away its ending months before the show actually arrives on Netflix on May 27, 2022.
Further Reveals From The Stranger Things Season 4 Trailer
Aside from confirming information from the teasers and the episode titles, the Stranger Things season 4 trailer also introduces new clues. These include the possibility of Billy returning in Stranger Things season 4, Max getting her own psychic powers, and Eleven being recaptured by an ill-meaning Hawkins Lab. The trailer also includes a sinister voice and a chilling, humanoid figure that seems to come from the Upside Down like the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer of earlier seasons. Whether or not theories about its teasers, official trailer, and episode titles turn out to be true, Stranger Things season 4 is sure to be a widely watched premiere for Netflix on May 27th, 2022.