What happened in Stranger Things season four as fans rage about three year wait

Stranger Things season five may debut this week, but scores of fans of the show will be left with one major problem: what happened last in the Netflix show due to the three year wait.

Stranger Things has become the posterchild for long gaps between seasons, with three years having passed since season four, and another three years having passed since the season before that.

This has led the creators of the show to directly respond to fans making fun of the Netflix series for having actors in their 20s playing school children.

Fans on social media posted that they were unable to remember what happened when season four came out, and the same has been happening ahead of this week’s release of the fifth and final season of the sci-fi show.

One fan posted on Reddit: “Anybody else not remember a single thing that happened in season 4?”

If you find yourself in the same boat however, we’ve got you covered, as here’s the most important plot points from season four to remember going into season five.

Will has a psychic link to Vecna and will be a major part of season five

It's been three years since the last season of Stranger Things released (Netflix)

Season five may not be out just yet but the trailers have made clear that Will (Noah Schnapp) is going to play a bigger role.

Season one all centred around him being kidnapped and taken into the Upside Down, and as a result of that he’s been left with a psychic link to big bad Vecna, played by Jamie Campbell Bower.

Will is often shown rubbing his neck right before something happens as an early alert system due to his link to the Upside Down, something which is sure to play into season five.

The first five minutes of the show, release by Netflix ahead of the new season, is a flashback focused on a de-aged Will stuck in the Upside Down.

Eleven was revealed to be partly responsible for creating Vecna

In season four, more of Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) backstory was revealed, including that she had become close to an orderly in her time in the ‘Rainbow Room’ where she was experimented on.

It was revealed during an escape attempt that said orderly was actually number One - someone Papa (Matthew Modine) had said didn't exist - and he tried to recruit Eleven to destroy humanity.

She fought him, eventually blasting him into another dimension which he described as a ‘realm unspoiled by mankind’, something that is likely to be extremely relevant considering the Duffer Brothers have promised the show will answer the question of what the Upside Down is.

Several major characters in the show are injured and/or dead

Max (Sadie Sink) was infamously taken by Vecna resulting in the iconic 'Running Up That Hill' scene in episode Dear Billy (Netflix)

This may seem obvious, but many may forget the extent of the beating the show’s characters have taken.

By some miracle Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) is still alive, however, had his sides chomped on by demon bats in something that may come back in season five.

The big death in season five, however, was Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson, who the Duffer Brothers have said is not going to make a return, and who has yet to have his name cleared in Hawkins for the murder of Chrissy Cunningham.

Sadie Sink’s Max is another major character who has not died (she did briefly but was brought back to life by Eleven), but was left in a coma from serious wounds she suffered at the end of season four, seeing most of her limbs broken and her left blinded.

The Upside Down opened in Hawkins in the season four finale

The four 'deaths' opened the curse gates of the Upside Down but was dubbed an earthquake by those who have no idea of Vecna's existence (Netflix)

The season four finale of Stranger Things ended on a fairly cataclysmic note.

As grey dust begins falling from the sky killing flowers, the main characters all spot that there is a massive fire in the sky and cracks in the ground filled with fire - showing that the Upside Down's curse gates had opened in Hawkins as a result of the four deaths carried out by Vecna - Chrissy, Fred Benson, Patrick McKinney and Max. As we say, Max was bought back to life but her temporary death helped serve Vecna's plan. The rest of the town remain none the wiser and believe Hawkins suffered from a devastating earthquake that claimed many lives.

What episodes are essential to rewatch?

The gang is getting back together for one final adventure (Netflix)

In an ideal world, we’d all have the time to rewatch the entire show, however. with only two nights until season five volume one comes out this isn’t exactly realistic.

Thankfully, the Duffer Brothers have revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter the must-watch episodes for a rewatch.

They are:

- Season two, episode four, “Will the Wise”

- Season two, episode six, “The Spy”

- Season four, episode seven, “The Massacre at Hawkins Lab”

- Season four, episode nine, “The Piggyback”

Stranger Things season five volume one releases November 26 at 8pm ET and November 27 at 1:00 AM GMT.