Stranger Things Season 4 Writers Respond to Stephen King’s Complaint

The Stranger Things writer’s room responded to a tweet from the King of Horror, with the Stephen King Stranger Things concern about why season 4 was split into two parts. In terms of authority figures, there is perhaps none greater than Stephen King, whose books have sold millions of copies and defined horror fiction. With a catalog that includes some of the greatest scary stories ever put to the page, King’s work has influenced not only authors but also the creators of Stranger Things.

It’s no surprise then, that King’s influence can be found all over Stranger Things. This included a huge moment in season 4 that paid homage to King’s first novel, Carrie. At the start of the fourth season, the Stephen King Stranger Things homage included Angela and other classmates bullying Eleven. This culminated in a scene at the skating rink where they pushed her down and poured a shake over her head, similar to the pig’s blood from Carrie.

Stephen King Didn’t Like Splitting Season 4

With the release of season 4, the Stephen King Stranger Things-inspired small town of Hawkins, Indiana once again brought the scares. Much of what King first pioneered has become a staple of Stranger Things, and the author’s fingerprints are all over the show’s episodes, particularly the storyline of children being pursued by a monster, which is straight out of It. However, King took to Twitter to question why Stranger Things season 4 was split into two parts. For season 4 of Stranger Things, Stephen King praised the new season, saying it’s “as good or better than the previous three.” However, he added it’s “kind of lame” that the new season was split into two parts.

The Stranger Things Writers Responded To Stephen King

The Stranger Things writer’s room tweeted their response. In replying to the Stephen King Stranger Things complaint, they lovingly referred to him as “Uncle Stevie” and explained that episodes 8 and 9 “aren’t done yet” as to why Stranger Things was split into two parts. They then went on to say they were glad King enjoyed the season and were happy he “picked up on our super subtle Carrie riff.”

Stranger Things season 4 was split into two parts, and the reason for the delayed Stranger Things episodes was due to the episodes not being completed. It wasn’t a ploy to build hype for the finale, but the feature-length runtime of the final two episodes — with episode 9 clocking in at 2 and a half hours — meant there was still work to be completed. It’s also in line with some of the other major blockbuster delays, with reports indicating that the delays are due to a backup in special effects departments.

Stranger Things Season 5 Will Likely Not Be Split

There’s good news for Stephen King, as Stranger Things season 5 won’t be split into separate parts. The original delay from season 4 was because of a delay in getting the final episodes done. That doesn’t seem to be a problem with the new season. The writers’ room for Stranger Things season 5 started in August 2022 and the actual drop date for the season will be in either 2024 or 2025. “When you see something like a batched season with ‘Stranger Things,’ this is our attempt at making sure we can get shows out quicker to the members” (via Variety)

This means that fans will have to wait longer for the season to come out, but when it does, it will all hit on the same day on Netflix. However, while it is good news that the next season won’t have a delay, there is the disappointment that it will be the final season of Stranger Things, at least in this format. There is also the possibility of a spin-off and with the latest news that there would be an animated series in the Stranger Things universe. Expect the final season to arrive all at once and hopefully give the fans a satisfactory conclusion to their story.