Hopper is Alive And Bald In The 'Stranger Things' Season 4 Teaser

Released just under an hour ago, on this beautiful Valentine's Day morning, the "Stranger Things" official YouTube channel released this 50-second teaser that not only confirms the post-ST3 survival of one Chief Jim Hopper, but also reveals what he's up to after that disastrous fourth of July mission: slaving away in a Russian gulag.

In this new clip, ironically titled "From Russia with love...", we find Hopper forced at gunpoint to complete some kind of railway system, sporting common laborer's garb and with his head shaved as he dramatically turns camera-side to face the nearly 250,000 viewers who have clicked on the video thus far.

Unfortunately, the clip reveals precious little apart from confirming the already widely accepted theory that Hopper has been alive all along and imprisoned in Russia. Ever since that infamous post-credit scene in season 3, where a Russian guard calls out for his comrade not to open "the American's" cell, fans far and wide and have speculated that Hopper had survived his little ST3 trans-dimensional joyride through the Russian portal gun. Not that the Duffers haven't taken every opportunity to indulge and practically already confirm this theory for themselves, but still--this little Valentine's Day gesture is a welcome one.

Currently having moved into its active production phase, with the filming of the show occurring all across the state of Georgia and casting calls being released left and right, the series is set to return somewhere around late 2020.

Of course, if the Duffers continue their long-standing tradition of releasing the new season on a holiday then we will more likely be celebrating a much Stranger Christmas this year than we've prepared for.

Regardless, the release of this teaser indicates that the showrunners will soon be releasing teasers, reveals, set shoots, and even trailers of the upcoming season in earnest, which means that we'll hopefully be getting a few hints about the fates of some other characters that fans of the series certainly haven't forgotten about.

Who knows what other twists and secrets the Duffers have in store for the show's overwhelming fanbase? Have Jane's powers returned? Is the Russian Terminator alive and kicking as well? How are the kids holding up in high school? Are we finally going to see the return of [redacted] character? Will our collective, nerdy prayers be answered?

Luckily, the answers to all these questions and more are finally on the horizon. Stay tuned, and have a happy Valentine's Day.