The entirety ofStranger ThingsSeason 4 has finally arrived on Netflix with Volume 2 hitting the streamer in the early hours of July 1. The fourth installment of the epic sci-fi series is unlike its predecessors in a seemingly endless variety of ways — from its hefty length to the abject destruction that comes to Hawkins and our heroes through this finale. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though,Stranger ThingscreatorsMattandRoss Dufferstill managed to weave several moments of levity, triumph, and yes even romance into Season 4’s epic scope.
While we still have faith that the Duffers will instill Season 5 with the full range of human emotion, we’ve learned that they may not really have time for the usual calm before the storm that typically opens each installment of the series. One such moment in Season 4 was Steve (JoeKeery) and Robin (MayaHawke) dealing with their various romantic struggles. And as delightful as it was to hear Steve talk about boobies, Steve’s inability to find love is currently the least of our troubles. In light of the epic Season 4 finale, Collider’s ownSteveWeintraubsat down with the Duffer Brothers to unpack the dire straights that our heroes are left in heading into the final season ofStranger Things.
In speaking about what we can expect for Season 5, Matt Duffer explained:
“Season 5 is going to start pedal to the metal. We’re not going to do the ramp-up. There’s no time. There’s no normalcy, obviously, once you’ve reached the end of four. That’s not like there’s going to be time to explore our characters' love life, and how is Steve’s dating going? There’s going to be none of that, it’s just going to be going 100 miles an hour from the beginning.”
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With Jonathan (CharlieHeaton) off in California, and Steve and Nancy (NataliaDyer) teaming up to solve the mystery in Hawkins, the pair of high school sweethearts unearthed some unresolved feelings for each other. While the Duffer Brothers have said Steve’s not likely to be going on any dates in Season 5, we can probably assume that this love triangle will ultimately be resolved before the end of the series — or at the very least left up for us to decide.
Writing for Season 5 ofStranger Thingsis expected to begin in August, so Steve’s love life could very well come back into play, especially with his feelings for Nancy bubbling to the surface in Volume 2. While the comedy of Steve’s love life is a nice touch, the romance between the various characters ofStranger Thingsis honestly essential to its power. Love is what drives any human, and all of these characters, to do anything — it’s why Joyce (WinonaRyder) went to Russia to save Hopper (DavidHarbour), it’s why Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) was reinvigorated by Mike’s (FinnWolfhard) speech, and it’s why Steve’s big heart leads him to protect those he cares about most. While dates may be a thing of the past, love is one ofStranger Things' greatest strengths.
