Netflix has announced that Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season 4 will be split into two halves, with Part 1 arriving in May. Following her breakout role on The Office, Ellie Kemper was in need of a starring role. It didn't take too long for her to find one at Netflix, where she plays the "unbreakable" Miss Schmidt. Surrounded by a talented supporting cast, season one of Kimmy Schmidt impressed many, and that good will has since carried over into season 3.

As such, it came as no surprise when Netflix officially ordered Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season 4 back in June of last year. Since that time, there hasn't been very much news on what the future holds for Kimmy Schmidt. The new season was previously expected to debut sometime this year, and Netflix has now confirmed that it will indeed do just that - but with a big catch.

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Netflix announced today that Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will return with new episodes on May 30th, with the caveat that only the first six episodes of season 4 will be made available to binge at that time. The remaining episodes will premiere at an undisclosed time later this year. You can watch the confirmation video concerning the news, below.

Splitting Kimmy Schmidt into two parts for the fourth season is a surprising move from Netflix. The service has previously been hesitant to roll out new TV show seasons in a manner that doesn't allow viewers to immediately watch every episode. There's no clear reason why the decision was made now, but it could point to season 4 of Kimmy Schmidt including two distinctly different storylines. This release strategy could allow for the series to tell a tight six episode arc in Part 1, and then follow it up with a new narrative in Part 2. Hopefully, the show's dedicated fanbase won't have to wait too long for Part 2, after Part 1 becomes available for streaming.

Last season ended with Kimmy accepting a job at an upstart company after failing to become a traffic instructor. Part 1 of the new season should focus heavily on her transition into this new position. Even though it is Kimmy's story, the arcs for Titus (Tituss Burgess), Lillian (Carol Kane), and Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski) are also instrumental to the show's success. Whatever the future holds for Kimmy Schmidt's four main stars, the new season will hopefully bring back other familiar faces, and continue to draw big name guest stars. If it can do just that and retain the clever writing of its former seasons, then Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt should still be going strong by the time May draws to a close.

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Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season 4 part 1 premieres Thursday, May 30 on Netflix.

Source: Netflix