Stranger Things aficionados were in for an unfortunate surprise upon the release of the series’ latest installment early Friday morning.
Per global uptime-monitoring site Downdetector.com, user reports of Netflix outages soared around 3 a.m. ET, when the final two episodes of Stranger Things 4 became available on the platform. Although the problem appeared to be resolved within half an hour, user complaints totaled nearly 13,000 at the height of the crash.
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Per Netflix‘s reports of total hours watched, Stranger Things 4 became the No. 1 English-language series on the platform in the first four weeks following its release. The series’ popularity might be expected, given just how much money Netflix spent on it: $30 million per episode, according to The Wall Street Journal.
But Netflix isn’t the first streaming service to encounter technical difficulties with the release of its most beloved show either. Earlier this year, HBO Max faced a similar issue with the launch of the finale of Euphoria Season 2, and the year prior with the limited series Mare of Easttown, Variety reports.
Naturally, some Stranger Things fans voiced their frustration about the disrupted service on Twitter, with some asking if others were experiencing the same thing. Others made jokes about the involvement of the show’s villain: “Vecna[‘s] laughing at us.” And some announced their plans to patiently wait out the blip.
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Supernatural horror-thriller Stranger Things is created, written, and executive produced by Matt and Ross Duffer, also known as the Duffer Brothers. Its ensemble cast includes Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), and Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), among others.
Whether Vecna or technical difficulties are to blame, service has been restored, so nearly four hours (and $60 million worth) of Stranger Things 4 content is ready for viewing.
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