Stranger Things season four has premiered its first volume comprising seven episodes on May 27th, 2022. After a three-year-long hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, fans will not have to wait very long for the second volume of the fourth season which is scheduled to premiere soon.

Created by the Duffer brothers, the fourth season is gory, dark, scary and surprising. With a dangerous monster named Vecna haunting the town of Hawkins while the rest of the people are scattered in California and Kamchatka, the entire season is an absolute nightmarish ride with brilliant soundtracks that complement the ominous, atmospheric tension.

The season stars Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Robert Englund, Jamie Campbell Bower, Matthew Modine, Brett Gelman, Raphael Luce etc.

The first volume has already smashed Netflix records with a record-breaking viewership of 287 million hours within the first weekend of its release.

Ahead of the release of the second volume, here’s what we can expect from Stranger Things season four part two:

What can we expect from ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Vol. 2?

When will Stranger Things season four volume two premiere on Netflix?

The second volume of the fourth season of Stranger Things is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on July 1st, 2022. The volume will have just two feature-length episodes to conclude the season, with the first one being 1-hour-25 minutes long and the second one being nearly 2-hours-30-minutes in length.

What happens at the end of Stranger Things season four volume one?

Let us summarise the major events and takeaways from the first volume of Stranger Things season four:

• After Eleven loses her powers in season three, she ends up in California with the Byers family. After being incessantly bullied, she rebels and this lands her in juvenile prison. However, she is never sent behind the bars as Dr Brenner and Dr Owens decide to restore her powers and help her through the process. They place her in an isolation chamber and force her to get in touch with her latent memories to get back her psychokinetic powers.
• In Kamchatka, Russia, Chief Jim Hopper is seen living a difficult life in the Russian prison- tortured, abused, battered and distressed. He forges an escape plan but a snitch foils it. However, Murray and Joyce are on their way to rescue him. Hopper faces a stand-off with the Mind Flayer before escaping it and is finally reunited with Joyce. However, with the return of the Demogorgon and the parallel events at Hawkins, times are certainly way tougher.
• In Hawkins, a sinister monster named Vecna is claiming lives, preying on victims’ guilt. After Chrissy and the rest lose their lives in a gruesome manner, Max begins to experience similar hallucinations. She has a close encounter with Vecna but the gang manages to save her by playing her favourite song, bringing her back to reality.
• However, when Steve, Nancy, Robin and Eddie try and reach the real world after entering Upside Down, they face various terrors. Although the others return safely- thanks to Dustin, Lucas, Max and Erica- Nancy is unable to escape the Upside Down and begins to walk around, piecing together the truth regarding Vecna.
• Vecna’s past is connected intrinsically with Eleven’s. Vecna or Henry Creel was the sensitive son of the Creels who was disgusted by humanity and wanted to gain an upper hand. Fascinated by spiders and their order of life, Henry begins manipulating animals before being discovered by his mother. He kills his mother and sister, frames his father and goes into a comatose state. Intrigued by his powers, Dr Brenner decides to conduct tests on him, making him the notorious Number One, the first-ever test subject in the Hawkins Lab.
• Henry is later one of the orderlies at the Hawkins Lab who sees Eleven as a potential route to unleash chaos and destruction. Taking advantage of Eleven’s misfortune of being bullied, he feigns concern and uses her naivete to murder everyone at Hawkins Lab. He beckons her to join him and after Eleven refuses, they engage in a gruelling battle. Eleven’s wrath opens a portal to the Upside Down into which she shoves Henry. Henry consequently transforms into the nightmarish Vecna who begins to unleash havoc on Hawkins, years later.

What can we expect from Stranger Things season four volume two?

In one of the interviews, Shawn Levy, the executive producer, talked about how the fourth season is “built as a prelude to and springboard” for the fifth and final season. Calling both the volumes of the fourth season “extraordinary”, Levy teased the final volume.

He said, “Having seen both those finale episodes, they are as emotional as they are cinematic. Holy shit, they are definitely a treat for the eyes, but they punch you right in the heart. So, that’s what I’ll say about that.”

The two episodes will tie the loose threads together and build the ground for “phenomenal ideas for season five” which is “all about finishing strong.”

Given the homosocial attraction palpable in Will Byers and Mike Wheeler’s friendship, audience members are hoping for Will to come out to his friend. The picture he paints for Mike has still not been revealed which might become an important plot point in the second volume.

While Hopper is reunited with Joyce and Murray, they still have a lot of hurdles to overcome both within and outside the prison. With the Demogorgon on the opposite side of the walls and the vicious Russian officials on the other side, they will most likely be in a tough spot. However, another Hopper sacrifice is also being anticipated since the characters have teased some major heartbreakers in season two and the show finale.

Since Nancy is stuck in the Upside Down, Steve and the rest of the gang will probably try finding ways to rescue her. Since Robin has gone through Nancy’s music collection, she might be able to lure her back to the real world using music? We also hope the cops and parents understand the bigger threat pervading the town in form of Vecna rather than criminalising Eddie. We also want Jason to suffer.

As for Eleven, it seems most likely for her to regain powers and come back stronger, if possible. She might meet her old acquaintance, Number One, now known as Vecna, and engage in an intense battle. Whether the results will be fruitful in the end is up for debate.

Stranger Things creators love ending with cliffhangers so Vecna’s victory will not come off as a surprise. However, an Avengers-like crossover will definitely be appreciated if the Vecna and the Demogorgon decide to fight together against Eleven who might just emerge victorious. Who knows

Currently, fans are all speculating wild theories. Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays Henry Creel and Vecna, has promised an “explosive climax” where the show “goes further, visually, story-wise and emotionally for all the characters.”