Stranger Things season 4 Rotten Tomatoes score: Here’s what early reviews are saying (no spoilers)

Good news, Stranger Things fans. Critics are loving Stranger Things season 4 and many have called the new season one of the best, along with a significant win for Netflix amid this struggling last quarter. In other words, it’s the kind of success Netflix really needs right now.

The fourth season currently stands at 89% approval based on 27 critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes, that’s on par with the third season, albeit lower than the first two (which both scored in the 90s). However, it’s still early and reviews will be posted throughout the week, so that number is likely to fluctuate.

Out of the 27 reviews available right now, only one is rotten, which is a good sign. If the reviews continue on this track then it seems likely the fourth season will receive the coveted “Certified Fresh” seal of approval.

So, what exactly are the critics saying? Let’s get into it.

Critics think Stranger Things season 4 is the strongest season since the first

Many reviewers have praised the new season as being one of the best of the show since the first. A few that didn’t like seasons 2 and 3 wrote that season 4 recaptures the magic that made the series so popular to begin with, way back when it first premiered in 2016.

Specifically, Entertainment Weekly called the new season a “return to form,” adding that, “Fresh locales, appealing new characters, and a rewarding expansion of the mythology give the new season of ‘Stranger Things’ a jolt of joyful energy, just when the series needed it most.”

The AV Club says the Duffer brothers are “on top of their game” this season, especially when it comes to reveling in classic ’80s horror.

Inverse writer Eric Francisco says:

"In a remarkably plotted and well-paced fourth season, ‘Stranger Things’ marks a new level of sophistication in its technical and creative visions. … This is not just another season of a popular TV show, but a piece of mainstream art with something to say."

Not every review is glowing. As mentioned there was one rotten review from IndieWire where reviewer Ben Travers rates the season a “C-“, adding that season 4 feels as if it was created to “produce good data rather than quality entertainment.”

Longtime Stranger Things fans should be pleased by Stranger Things season 4

But based on the overwhelmingly positive reception from those I know that have received screeners, plus the published critical reviews, it seems fair to say that longtime fans of the series will be pleased by the fourth season. It’s a good thing, too, since we’ve all had to wait so long to see new episodes!

It should also be noted that reviewers have not received access to the finale (at least, I don’t believe so), which is an additional 2 1/2 hours. So it doesn’t look like the finale has factored into these reviews, though I don’t imagine it would change things too much.

Stranger Things season 4 volume 1 begins streaming this Friday, May 27, exclusively on Netflix.