Stranger Things season 4 spoilers are here — and it's caused a 'total meltdown'

News
By published

Netflix didn't need another headache

Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) yells as explosions appear behind her in the Stranger Things trailer
(Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things season 4 was only supposed to be scarier to watch — now, it's apparently coming with a side of fear about being spoiled. And it's all thanks to a board game. 

Yes, photos of a Stranger Things Monopoly game have been flying around online since April (we've seen them on Twitter — but won't share them here to avoid accidental spoilers) right now. One teases a character's death, another reveals decisions made by Eleven and the other, well, it's about Jim Hopper's time in the Russian prison. 

How did this happen? Well, over on reddit, moderator killthemwithcoffee claims that the game wasn't actually leaked in the sense you might expect. It appears to be a problem at retail as the mod notes this copy was "purchased fair and square by a consumer. Nobody stole it; nobody leaked a sample." Which retailer? Well, killthemwithcoffee seems to suggest it was Target, noting "Netflix can’t really do anything except maybe write a pissed off letter to Target who can fire the employee if they care enough. Maybe they can fine them, but that would be an issue for Target buyers and the Netflix counterparts to sort out."

Analysis: And this is why we waited for Baby Yoda merch

Remember how long it was between The Mandalorian's release and the first official Baby Yoda toys? Well, this is a strong reminder of why those delays happen. And it appears that it may not happen again. 

THR's source said "Lessons have been learned and, I expect, there will be more cohesion going into season five." After Netflix reportedly spent around $30 million USD per episode of Stranger Things season 4, we doubt they'd want to risk damaging that investment again. 

Oh, and while we're not sure we've seen every single card from the Stranger Things season 4 monopoly game, we do want to note that the ones we've seen don't leak anything shockingly huge. But a spoiler is a spoiler, so we're doubtful that our assessment will be of any comfort to the Duffers.

Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey

Henry was a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.