Stranger Things fans react to season 4 – and they're already loving newbie Eddie Munson

Stranger Things season 4 has finally landed on Netflix after a patience-testing three years – and even though we've only been given the first seven episodes, it's safe to say that longtime fans are excited.

Set six months after the events of season 3, which ended with Jim Hopper (David Harbour) being thrown in a Russian prison and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) leaving Hawkins with Will (Noah Schnapp) and his family, Stranger Things season 4 sees the gang face "a new and horrifying supernatural threat." Before long, they stumble across "a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down."

Each episode is over an hour long, and the mid-season finale clocks in at a hefty 98 minutes, so it's likely to take even the most keen of fans a couple of days to watch them all. That said, many people have already tuned into the first few, and here's what they've been saying about them on social media...

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"WHY IS STRANGER THINGS SO GOOD IT'S TRULY A MASTERPIECE," one Twitter user gushed, as another wrote: "Dude I'm freaking out. This season of Stranger Things genuinely has me shaking. It's so good."

"Just finished episode one of #StrangerThings4 and holy shit! This is already looking to be the best season yet," a third added.

New character Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), the leader of the Dungeons & Dragons-loving Hellfire Club seemed to go down well, as someone said: "I just finished watching Stranger Things 4 ep 1, and Lord help me, I love Eddie Munson more than I ever thought I would. What a weird little guy he has my whole heart."

Others seemed consumed with their worry for Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), who finds herself a target of big bad Vecna as she struggles to move past her grief over her late stepbrother Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery). 

"As a Max Mayfield fan first and a #strangerthings fan second, this series is really hurting," a concerned viewer tweeted.

There seem to be few people who didn't love the first few episodes of Stranger Things season 4, mind, with one viewer arguing that this season didn't feel like previous ones. "I'm gonna be honest and I hate to say this but, season 4 is so unnecessary. The vibe is dead, I caught myself thinking, "This doesn't feel like Stranger Things anymore" :/ Really sad about how I feel," they explained.

Another said: "I used to think Stranger Things got better and better with each season but lowkey I’m on episode 3 and it’s kinda disappointing."

Check out some more online reactions below...

Stranger Things 4 - Vol. 1 is available to stream now. Volume 2 is set to arrive on July 1. If you've already binge-watched all seven episodes, why not check out our list of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.