Who would've thought that getting into a show at the right time turned out to have its perks than it would if I waited any longer… Believe it or not, I started binge-watching this Netflix hit horror series, after giving it some thought, especially after seeing so many YouTube edits from the show, the night of the last day of in-person classes at Stony Brook, before having to be quarantined because of – wait for it – the coronavirus (a.k.a. COVID-19).

Of course, in the midst of watching the series, I got wind that COVID-19 caused delays not just on the production on this show, but on all productions of our beloved TV shows and the movies we couldn't wait to see in the coming months later on in the year… I know: it sounds horrible for just about every event that requires a large gathering of people everywhere. However, in the case for "Stranger Things," this might actually be a good thing, to a bit of an extent…

"Stranger Things" creators by the name of The Duffer Brothers had the original plan for the series to do a time-jump to the 1990s. Mind-blowing, right? Well… maybe not initially.

While the series wasn't originally set to debut until early 2021 based on the productions of the previous seasons, it is now pushed back indefinitely – unfortunately as is everything else in the world… The early 2021 release date for them then was very much plausible considering that the filming started back in February.

And I'm sure all the fans of Stranger Things are more than aware of the teaser for the upcoming season… Now, a bit of background: not sure about you all, but I really thought that Hopper was dead, and many others no doubt have felt the same as well, and with the third season ending the way it did, for the show to take back all of that grief that Hopper's loved ones, mainly Joyce and Eleven, were feeling in trying to move on with their lives away from Hawkins… well, that is until we're taken to Russia, where the guards refer to one prisoner as "the American."

Despite everything I had been feeling in that moment, I had a tiny sliver of hope that Hopper is indeed alive, and upon watching the teaser on YouTube, a video which I needed to see but came across a day or so after finishing up on my long binge-watching session because for some reason, it wasn't on Netflix, I was overjoyed! Again, with all things considered. So, anyway, the season four teaser gave us a glimpse of Hopper's life in Russia, but the bulk of seasonal production hadn't even started.

It is unclear to us how much time passes… I mean, since after the epilogue scene three months since most of season three's events taking place on the Fourth of July. The initial plan for how much time has passed between seasons was supposed to be sometime in 1986, of course, a year after the move.

Now, back to the original time-jumping plan: during the show's early stages, The Duffer Brothers originally planned a time-jump to the '90s, starting with season two, as in after season one's events when Eleven supposedly dies – see the parallel there? – and Will hacks up a mini Demogorgon slug, showing signs of trouble to come after being in the Upside Down for so long. And that's not all: this led to talking about jumping ahead to each decade with each season, in order to to bring the narrative to modern-day. (Season four would catch up to the 2010s…)

That idea alone didn't seem likely at the time of season 2, back when the gap between seasons 1 and 2 was only around one year, now due to delays in production thanks to our dear friend coronavirus – I mainly meant that sarcastically, but there is just a sliver of truth here – we might just be jumping right into the '90s. (Ah, the '90s: the decade in which I was born but never got to fully experience…)

Think about it: it makes sense to go back to this plan, right? Exactly, and here's why…

The initial core four, meaning Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, and Will, along with Eleven, start out as around 11 or 12 in late 1983, and then by season 3, now with Max added to the mix, the young'uns are about 15, at least by the time of the season's end when the Byers and Eleven move out of Hawkins.

It has been noted that there is the hope that the show will reach five seasons, and at this rate, assuming that there are no other delays in production for season five, the show will come up to that by 2023.

That is close to nine years since these little muffins have been a part of this show on the main cast, and I'm sure that you've seen enough kids and teen shows growing up – or even nowadays – to know the often unspoken rule of young characters being played by way older, experienced actors and to see that these actors are growing up far faster than their characters are at this rate in the show's production! I mean, it's so obvious!

While deep down I knew this and unfortunately kept seeing it everywhere in almost all the TV and movies-related media I consume, I did in fact look up the ages of the young actors to confirm this (with the age gaps varying from slightly like 1-2 years to well over slightly like up to five years), and I think we can all agree that we are way better this way. By moving the narrative ahead five years, it will more than make up for the fact that the characters, as they are now in the show (Oct. 1985), are surpassed by their actors in the age department by five years!

Also, it gives the characters, with the young'uns not just about to start high school, but now just about to finish up or even fresh out of high school, a lot more perspective on as well as long-term effects from the previous season's events that left the gang shook and devastated. While it'd be a bit weird for Hopper, however, the crew decides to bring him back to the gang or vice-versa, to suddenly turn up alive after five years since he was supposedly decimated, it may also be a bit more realistic in that if he tried to escape from a Russian prison, it wouldn't take him as soon as only a year, and just imagine the drama he would stir up after everyone had already moved on…

Plus, it would give Will that much-needed break from experiencing anything at all connected to the Mind-Flayer. This munchkin needs five years of peace, please! (It's the least they could do for the poor kid, as well as for the talented Noah Schapp portraying him.)

This plan, given the current status in our time – real-time – and in their time, just much more plausible on so many levels now!

Now, while the Duffers may have to make slight adjustments to the plan if they experience any more delays, which is very likely, we as the audience of many shows and movies altered due to circumstances outside of themselves – and ourselves – should know that nothing is concrete when it comes scripting these things out to be filmed. Nevertheless, the point is clear here: we still have a fourth season, a newly designed fourth season that will most likely work out better than otherwise! It's only a matter of time now before that magic can fully happen for us all…