Have you noticedStranger ThingscreatorsMattandRoss Duffermade some changes to Season 4 Volume 1 after it premiered on May 27? The duo better known as theDuffer Brothershave admitted to making minor changes to the Netflix show in a recent chat withVariety. They called it ‘George Lucas-ing’ things, meaning to go back and alter what’s already shown on screen as theStar Warscreator did with his own films.
Volume 1 of Season 4 consists of 7 episodes, and it’s particularlya lengthy watchgiven each episode is over an hour long. With such a grand scale, the Duffer Brothers chose to make some visual effect changes as soon as Volume 1 came out. Ross explained, “It’s not, like, story, but you’re essentially patching in shots. Netflix is — I don’t think they’ve ever allowed people to patch on opening week and even weekend. And we said, ‘Well, why not?’ And they said, ‘Well, it makes us nervous.’ And we’re like, ‘Well, maybe we try it this time.’ And it turned out fine.”
While enhancing visual effects is one thing, the showrunners also want to go back and change one grave mistake they made during Season 4: Will’s birthday! Fans were quick to notice that Episode 2 of Season 4 includes a rolling camera with the date March 22 — which was established as Will Byers' birthday during Season 2. However, there was no mention of it during the episode, making it seem as though all of Will’s friends and family had forgotten. The Duffers shared a contingency plan that is to go back and rectify it in Season 2. They revealed:
“We’re thinking his new birthday, is going to be May 22, because “May” can fit in Winona [Ryder]’s mouth [in the Season 2 scene where Joyce says the date of Will’s birthday]. So that would be us George Lucas-ing the situation.”
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They further elaborated on the dilemma noting how incredibly sad it would be if no one remembered Will’s birthday including his own family. “It’s too sad!” Matt said. “And it doesn’t make any narrative sense. But we were talking about it yesterday, and I think we’re going to George Lucas that.”
Without giving the exact details, the showrunners also let it slip that they have made changes to the show previously that may have gone unnoticed. If you have a keen eye and a hard copy of the episodes you might be able to track them down though. “You do have the physical copies though, the Blu-rays and stuff — you’d have to compare,” Ross Duffer said. Adding, “I’m just glad we’ve turned ‘George Lucas’ into a verb.”
Stranger ThingsSeason 4 Volume 2 premiers July 1. You can catch up with the previous seasons on Netflix now and check out the trailer for Volume 2 down below.
