Okay so here's my proper analysis for the new promos we've gotten!
(I'll probably think of more things later)
Waking up to new Stranger Things content is a tumultuous experience- I giggled, I cried, I almost screamed but didn't want to awaken my sister. This morning we were gifted with four new promo images, and most social media platforms have been bombarded with the tag; stranger things season 4.
Despite the wait- it's becoming easier to fathom the idea of 3 years between seasons. With double the episodes, and over a year and a half worth of filming, one can understand the struggle. Especially amidst a global pandemic. But, it's coming. On May 27th, Volume 1. Season 4 of Stranger Things will be bestowed upon the public, and us nerds will finally get the satisfaction we have been waiting for!
I'll start by reviewing the first promo image we received (I believe).
001; Russia. Getting the band back together. Bring a jacket.
From the statement "Getting the band back together", it's obvious that Joyce and Murray are the ones standing beside Hopper. The three are standing in a snowy courtyard, presumably inside a Russian base. There's blood splattered across the ground, and bits of debris as if some sort of explosion happened. As in all the other promo images, a portal to the upside-down looms in the centre frame, with the characters walking towards it.
It seems as if Hopper is either looking at Joyce or looking behind himself, possibly hinting that they're being followed (which would make sense considering they're most definitely not supposed to be here/escaping). Hopper's shadow is covered by the season 4 logo, and Joyce and Murray's are right beside it.
002. The Lab. Every story starts somewhere.
:"Every ending has a beginning."
I think it's finally safe to assume that this season we will be revisiting the earlier moments of Stranger Things. Discovering more about Eleven's past, The Lab, Brenner, etc. This is super exciting, and as I stated in my earlier post I cannot wait to see Eleven uncover the depths of her past.
There are multiple pieces of evidence that point towards the place in the image being Hawkin's Lab. However, she was captured in California (explained in my analysis here), so it doesn't make much sense how she's ended up in Hawkin's Lab (unless she was taken there by her capturers). But if that were the case, I don't understand why they would be working in such poor conditions. Maybe, Eleven is the reason the place looks demolished? (More on that later). Just a theory, but I'm not sure.
We also know that the room at the end of the hallway is the rainbow room; the layout of the hallway is same to that of the trailer, the rainbows either side the screen, etc. If that's the case, then Eleven's room is at the opposite end of the hall, where Eleven is walking from. Meaning she may have just been in her room. :O
Anyways, there's blood everywhere, and pieces of paper and shattered glass litter the floor. In the distance it also looks like there is cardboard or something.
Below I'll outline the few significant things I notice, then discuss them;
-Eleven's reflection in the mirror
I've brightened up the image so that we can actually get a good look at what's going on:
Eleven's reflection in the Mirror
In the mirror, we see Eleven's younger self in the reflection.
It makes sense that this is hinting towards El revisiting her past. And the shattered glass could be a metaphor for her 'broken past', and how she's coming to put the pieces back together to uncover who she truly is.
In the furthest door at the end of the hall there is a rainbow. We know that this is the Rainbow Room from the trailer 'Eleven, are you listening?' The rainbow could also be (and this is just me throwing out ideas) to show that on the other side of the Upside Down sits the answers and clarification Eleven's been searching for. That after all the strife she's endured, she will find some kind of serenity (and even if that not what this means, I hope it still happens).
On the bottom left of the image, at the entrance to the first door on the left, is the Coca-Cola Can. For Eleven, this is a symbol of her powers. When she crushes the can with her mind, it is one of the very early times we see her using her powers. It's also one of the items she uses to practise control. At the moment, Eleven has lost control of her powers, and this could be hinting that at Hawkin's Lab she will regain control. This also leads me to theorise that she may be the on who 'demolished' the place.
Eleven's mind control headset is on the bottom right corner of the image, I've developed a theory for this that I will elaborate on later.
I'm almost certain it says 11
(I've zoomed in and signs (my impeccable vision) point to yes)
(Also in bottom right corner)
From gathering all the things I just mentioned, I have developed a theory. I believe Eleven was in her room, and, overwhelmed by the memories, had her powers come back to her in a strike of emotion where she threw all the objects around her out of her room (explaining the headset, door number, coca-cola can).
I've established that this poster has many references to season 1, but I've found something that links back to the first five minutes of the series. To when the Demogorgon was the biggest, scariest threat. I know the lights were flickering, rather than completely broken, but I like to think of it as at least something. Probably isn't anything, but it's a little detail I think could be quite cool. Especially if this season is about the past/origins of Stranger Things.
This poster had a lot to unpack, and I think the next few have quite a lot too!
003. Creel House. Tick-tock.
Again, this poster is only further confirming that we will be learning more about the history of Hawkins, The Lab, The Upside Down, etc. 'Tick-tock', reinforces that too. I think for this promo it'll be best to sort my observations into qualitative observations and what I infer from that.
Composition of Characters;
The seven characters, arranged in sets of two, three, then two, are standing centre frame. Max and Lucas are closest to us viewers, and Lucas is looking to Max whereas Max is looking back. She is also wearing headphones. In the middle row stand Steve, Dustin, and Erica. Dustin and Erica are looking forwards, and Steve is looking to his right. In the final row, closest to the portal, are Nancy and Robin, heads tilted towards one another.
Composition of Characters;
First of all, I've seen many theories that this season Max and Lucas will be breaking up. Eleven and Mike's composition in the s3 poster resemble Lucas and Max's in this one, and in s3 Eleven 'dumped' Mike. I've also seen theories that Max is experiencing depression in this season, and is going through grief/trauma after what happened at Starcourt (understandably). She's been seen wearing darker/flatter coloured clothes, wearing headphones a lot, and the released 'audition' of the Hawkin's School Counsellor 'talking to her' emphasises on this as well.
She's also the only one looking back, and in the 003 teaser trailer, she was standing at the front of the group. In the s3 poster, Eleven was also looking back, and throughout the season Billy kept trying to contact her. Maybe this season Billy is trying to contact Max, and she responds to him in 'Dear Billy'. I've also seen a speculation that the headphones are symbolising her trying to 'block out the voices', i.e., Billy.
In the next row stands Steve, Dustin, and Erica. On this poster, Steve is in a similar position to Will in the s3 poster. He's turned slightly to his right, possibly looking down at Dustin. Honestly, I haven't seen many other connections between Steve and Will so I don't know what this could mean. Maybe he's going to be able to sense the Mind Flayer? I can't really see that happening. Unless it's hinting at Steve going through some of the trauma Will experienced (or something along the lines of that). I know some people have found lots of evidence suggesting that Steve will die this season, so it could relate to that.
Finally, we have Nancy and Robin standing in the final row, closest to the portal. This is interesting, because Nancy seems to be one of the characters that has experienced most of the supernatural monsters first-hand. Whereas Robin experienced the full-extent of the Russian (human) side of things. Nancy 'fell?' into the Upside Down, and was practically chased by the Demogorgon. She was also chased by the Mind Flayer and it's prey. Robin was drugged and beaten by the Russians underneath Starcourt. And aside from Steve, none of the others in 003 have really experienced (what I will call the full-extent) of the supernatural (and natural) world.
The two are looking at one another, which I kind of hope means they develop a friendship this season (however I will also happily accept it if they end up being lesbians in love- now that I've said that I think I should clarify that I do not ship ronance, because I personally do not see much evidence (suffice to say, I haven't searched for any), but I would not mind seeing two attractive ladies in love on this show that I already love- but, enough of that).
The seven are standing in an aging room, with a grandfather clock at the end of it. I've brightened up the image so that we can actually get a good look at what's going on.
-Weird tall thing next to chair
We can definitely assume that they're standing in the attic of Creel House. Most of the items we can see are just general attic-items. 'Tick-tock', and the big grandfather clock both point towards the Creel House having to do with the history of Stranger Things (most of the posters are about the history of ST). I saw a post about how on the other side of the room to the wheelchair was a bassinet (this may just be in the trailer, and not the poster), however I cannot see that now. The only thing I'm curious about is the tall item next to the first pole on the left (in between the fan, chair, and pole)
004. California. Hold onto your butts, brochachos.
Neither 001 or 004 have any 'references' to time or the past, like 002 and 003 do. Which makes me wonder what their storylines for this season are going to be about. I'm not sure really how to go about analysing this poster, so I guess I'll start by stating what I see.
This promo is a pain in the ass because there aren't many items or such to look into, and obviously I want to build the tension before jumping straight into what I actually want to say!
In saying this, I realised something. This whole town, lighting, and setting reminds me so much of the Goldfinch. Like. Maybe not exactly the 004 teaser trailer, but this poster specifically is giving me the same vibes. (The part I'm talking about specifically is when Theo is in Las Vegas with Boris-who, I should mention, is played by Finn Wolfhard, and is in love with his best friend).
Anyways, it's always possible that was an intentional action of the Duffer Brother's, but probably not.
There are only three possibly significant objects/items I can see in this image.
The Surfer Boys Pizza Truck
Honestly, I don't think this has any deeper meaning, I feel like the truck is probably more there to show that it's going to be an important vehicle in the season (I know that's so lame for someone who's meant to be analysing everything but i dOnT cArE).
THE bike. Now. I've seen a ton of stuff about this. Is it relating to the Smalltown boy theory? Is it the same bike from the s1 poster? We don't really know, but I saw someone get pretty pissed over another person assuming it to be from the Smalltown boy theory- so I won't go too far into that. Pretty much, the post was pondering why Nancy didn't come with Mike to California. And speculating if Mike had went to Cali himself, i.e. the Smalltown boy theory.
Finally, the car in the very distance (parked in the 3d house down on the left). It looks very similar to Lonnie's car from when Jonathan visited him in s1.
I apologise to those reading this, because at this point when I'm writing I start to just feel off. I really want to finish this now, so I'll keep going, but excuse me if the tone of my writing becomes less formal.
I'm pretty sure this is the first Byler poster with only them (out of the party), so that could mean this will be our first season we see something more than friendship with them (there's also double the episodes! so everyone who was worrying there wouldn't be enough time for them to have a good romantic developmenttt wooowee)
Also like- the 004 teaser trailer completely DOOFED us. like mike and el went from literally holding one another's hands in the other poster, to being in cOMpletely different posterss bruv (yes, i get that they have seperate storylines but aahh).
ALSO, in the s3 poster, El and Will were both looking back at us. Mike was looking at El, who was to his left, and the two were holding hands. In this poster, Will has replaced El, and is standing to Mike's right. The two are also both looking at each other. Was the s3 poster hinting that Will would be replacing El? There may have been a double-meaning to it.
they're looking at each other. last season we barely got anything between them, and now they're looking AT EACH OTHER!!!
(sorry i'm going crazy over such a little thing- but i KNOW you all are too).
Last of all, I saw someone else say something about this and I think it's really interesting. Maybe the cracks aren't going towards Will and Mike, but they're coming from them. Or from Will, at least. I like this theory a lot, that somehow Will is connecting to the Upside Down again after all this time (I don't want him to get hurt-but I also love watching my comfort characters go thru shit- i dunno what it is don't judge).
Rightio, I have one final point to make about the last poster.
Lots of people noticed that in this poster, Mike and Will have been shifted. At first, many people were stressing that they were further apart, and that something (maybe Jonathan and Argyle) was going to come between them. Most, through, assumed it was just for composition. I've seen another theory, though.
To El's right are Joyce and Hopper. To El's left are Will and Jonathan. The composition has been arranged so that she is surrounded by her family. We may be seeing it as Mike being moved further from Will, but what if we saw it as Mike being moved further from El.
Okay! I think this is one of the biggest analyses that I've written! This is also the first season 4 promo that I've seen upon release, rather than a couple of months later, which is really exciting!
Since this has gone on a while, I'll make a separate post analysing the social-media aspect of these promos!
Hope you're well, and happy stranger things watching (it's almost here!!) <33
