Users Report Netflix Crash After 'Stranger Things 4' Volume 2 Premiere: 'Vecna's Laughing at Us'The hugely popular (and expensive) show has broken Netflix viewing records.
ByAmanda Breen•
Stranger Thingsaficionados were in for an unfortunate surprise upon the release of the series' latest installment early Friday morning.
Per global uptime-monitoring siteDowndetector.com, user reports ofNetflixoutages soared around 3 a.m. ET, when the final two episodes ofStranger Things4became 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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PerNetflix's reports of total hours watched,Stranger Things 4became the No. 1English-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 toThe 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 Maxfaced a similar issue with the launch of the finale ofEuphoriaSeason 2, and the year prior with the limited seriesMare of Easttown,Varietyreports.
Naturally, someStranger Thingsfans voiced their frustration about the disrupted service on Twitter, with someaskingif others were experiencing the same thing. Othersmade jokesabout the involvement of the show's villain: "Vecna['s] laughing at us." And someannouncedtheir plans to patiently wait out the blip.
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Supernatural horror-thrillerStranger Thingsis 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) ofStranger Things 4content is ready for viewing.
