Stranger Things season 4 was delayed considerably. At one point it was expected to release either at the tail-end of 2020 or sometime in early 2021, based on a variety of factors involved in the story and behind the scenes developments, but things quickly changed and many parts weren't filmed and completed until late in 2021.

Now Stranger Things season 4 is finally coming out, almost three years to the day from when season 3 was released in 2019. Last season was all about the Fourth of July holiday, so it made sense to have the season debut on the same weekend in real life. But that's not the case with Stranger Things season 4, which seems to take place entirely over the kids' spring break.

Related: Why Eleven Doesn't Have Her Powers In Stranger Things Season 4

Of course, to accommodate for the fact that Stranger Things season 4 is releasing much later than expected and is being split into two volumes, with Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 releasing on July 1st, the Duffer Brothers worked to balloon the season into the show's biggest one ever. Stranger Things season 4 consists of nine episodes in total, each of which runs over one hour long. Most in Stranger Things season 4 volume 1 average 75 minutes long (or longer), with one being a little less, just over 60 minutes long.

How Many Episodes Are In Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2?

Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Erica in Stranger Things Season 4

Stranger Things season 4 volume 1 has seven episodes, taking the bulk of the season's content. Meanwhile, Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 will have two episodes in total, wrapping up the latter part of the season. However, episodes 8 and 9 are feature length, with the finale being almost 2.5 hours long. Throughout its run, the only other time Stranger Things had nine episodes in one season was season 2. But since each episode this season is over an hour long, Stranger Things season 4 is technically the longest season ever released.

Is Stranger Things Season 4 The Final Season?

Stranger Things Season 4 Poster

Stranger Things season 4 may seem like the final season due to the time it's taken to be made, its release method, and its story, but the fact of the matter is that it's not the last one. Stranger Things season 5 will be the final season, but whether or not it releases in two volumes like season 4 remains to be seen. And what the franchise looks like after that is also unclear, though there's been talk at Netflix regarding potential Stranger Things spinoffs down the line.

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