Netflix officially announced that Stranger Things is getting a fourth season this afternoon, surprising literally no one in the process. What was surprising, though, was the tagline accompanying the eerie promo video that broke the news: “We’re not in Hawkins anymore.” Sure, it’s a callback to the famous “we’re not in Kansas anymore” line from The Wizard of Oz, but it’s presumably telling us something about the upcoming run as well.
The season 3 finale saw the gang broken apart as Hopper’s apparent death caused Joyce Byers to go ahead with her plans to leave Hawkins with her family – sons Jonathan and Will and Eleven, who she’s now looking after. Meanwhile, the post-credits scene took place at a Soviet facility in Russia, which hinted that either Hop is lost in the Upside Down or he’s locked up there.
Working with these clues, fans have been sharing their ideas on what the tagline could mean on social media.
OMG IM SOO EXCITED but if @Stranger_Things Stranger Things 4 isnt in Hawkins does thay mean its where Eleven is moved to with Will or do you think its going to be in the upside down with Hopper. IM SOOOOOOOO CURIOUSSSS!!!! #StrangerThings #UpsideDown #Hawkins #StrangerThings4 pic.twitter.com/PBgiyafYjp
— ???????♡ watched IT2 (@loserssidney) September 30, 2019
The plot of season 4: everyone doing an Area 51-like raid on the Russian facility to get Hopper.
#StrangerThings4 we’re not in hawkins anymore bc we’re going to russia to save hopper pic.twitter.com/tocBDDH3pz
— aseel (@milevenup) September 30, 2019
One fan thinks the title refers to El moving away with the Byers before eventually returning to the town.
@Stranger_Things Yall not slick. Season 4 is definitely taking place wherever El moved to & then she goes back to visit Hawkins to see Mike & the gang & comes back home to figure things out alone
— BabyMamaBlammer??♂️??? (@___MisterClutch) September 30, 2019
Another Twitter user had a similar idea, suggesting season 4 will just be more heavily focused on El and the Byers.
okay but i don’t think stranger things 4 is going to completely move on from hawkins. i think the teaser is referencing the byers moving and maybe it will focus more on them this season?
— jo? (@wigschnapped) September 30, 2019
Don’t overlook the weird imagery of the promo though. Does it mean that Hawkins gets completely taken over by the Upside Down?
So looks like Hawkins gets taken over completely by the upside down on S4 of Stranger Things? ?
— shelby (@vanekatthedisc0) September 30, 2019
Has anyone else considered time travel yet? That clock in the promo could be a big clue…
Omfg! Yassss!!!! I have so many theories. Time travelling and our favs heading into the upside down for season 4 are definitely high on my list for things I'm predicting. Bring Hopper and Billy back to please!! ALIVE!! #StrangerThings4
— 90s Baby (@MidnightsDarlin) September 30, 2019
Whatever the explanation behind the teaser, it’s likely that Stranger Things 4 will pull out all the stops as most signs are pointing to this being the final run of the Netflix smash-hit. Are you ready for the show to go bigger, darker and more shocking than it’s ever been, though? Sound off in the usual place down below and let us know.
