Stranger Things season 4: What is the special K drug?

I can’t believe after nearly three years we have more episodes of Stranger Things to binge! The highly-anticipated season 4 just dropped its first part on May 27, and these seven new episodes are bound to blow fans’ minds. We get to meet a handful of new characters this season that people are definitely going to fall in love with, with my personal favorite being Eddie Munson. Eddie is a high schooler who hasn’t been able to graduate and is the leader of the Dungeons & Dragons group, The Hellfire Club.

Minor spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 4 part 1.

Naturally, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) take a liking to Eddie and join The Hellfire Club. As we learn more about Eddie, we find out he’s actually a pretty complex character. He might seem like a tough, metal punk but on the inside he’s actually a sweetheart. When the popular cheerleader Chrissy, played by Grace Van Dien, seeks out Eddie to buy drugs, we see another side of him pretty quickly.

Chrissy goes to meet Eddie in the park after she starts experimenting spooky things because of the season’s new villain, Vecna, and he offers her marijuana. He’s willing to give it to her on a discount and the two have a cute conversation about knowing each other years ago despite running in completely different circles now.

What is the “special K” drug in Stranger Things?

But Chrissy turns Eddie down on the weed and asks if he has something stronger to sell her. They end up going back to Eddie’s trailer where he rummages around and Chrissy asks for something called “special K.” Those unfamiliar with the slang word might be confused while watching. “Special K” is a nickname for the drug Ketamine. This drug isn’t meant to be taken recreationally like marijuana, but some people do it anyway.

Ketamine, as described by KidsHealth, is an anesthetic that can be used as a sedative or tranquilizer. If you take enough of it it, it’s said to act like other drugs such as LSD in that it can be a hallucinogen. Chrissy is obviously in a really bad state if she wants that, especially since her boyfriend Jason (Mason Dye) later says she isn’t someone who takes drugs.

Who plays Eddie in Stranger Things?

Eddie is hands down the best new character in Stranger Things! He’s such a sweetheart and so hilarious. If you’re wondering who plays him, that’d be an actor named Joseph Quinn. He’s appeared in Game of Thrones for one episode and played a larger role in the BBC series Dickensian. Check out his Instagram here!

All seven episodes of Stranger Things season 4 volume 1 are now streaming! Don’t miss volume 2 when it comes out on July 1, and keep up with Netflix Life for all of our Stranger Things news.