Warning: there are massive spoilers ahead for Stranger Things 2! You should probably wait until you’ve finished the season before continuing. Or you can check out our recaps of every episode from season 2.
At long last, Netflix has finally reopened the curiosity door by dropping every episode of Stranger Things 2. Of course, now that it’s over, the long march towards the third season is about to begin. And while the new season didn’t leave too many major cliffhangers, there were some hints about what we may see in the future. That’s right, Nerdist News is all about what’s next for Hawkins in Stranger Things 3!
Join host and Mind Flayer Slayer, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down the lingering threads of Stranger Things 2. Naturally, the biggest thing to worry about is the Shadow Monster/Mind Flayer, still very much alive in the Upside Down and—as the ending suggested—very much aware of Eleven and the rest of the kids trying to foil its takeover. And it’s almost certainly going to be looking for a rematch with Eleven when it eventually finds a new way to reach our plane of existence.
It also seems likely that Eleven/Jane will once again encounter her “sister” Eight/Kali—especially if Brenner really is still alive. But will the two sisters team up or are they destined to clash? The Duffer brothers may have also teased another time jump when Doctor Owens suggested that Jane lay low for a year before Hopper can openly raise her as his daughter.
The Demo-dog’s frozen body may have also been important, as we never saw it again after Dustin crammed it into the Byers’ fridge. Considering the way Will was infected by his time in the Upside Down, will Dustin and Hopper also suffer the same fate in season 3? Will may finally be free of the Mind Flayer’s influence, but we doubt that his ordeal will be so easily dealt with. If Will was traumatized before the Mind Flayer enslaved him, there’s no way it won’t affect him further later on.
Finally, it’s likely that the new season will bring our beloved AV Club into the ninth grade, and that means high school. Once Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Max enter that level of Hell, they may very well wish they were still fighting Billy and the Demo-dogs. Speaking of psycho Billy, Max briefly intimidated him, but he really doesn’t seem like the forgiving type. Perhaps Billy would even be a more willing host for the Mind Flayer in the future?
What do you think will happen in Stranger Things 3? Share your theories below and let’s discuss!
CATCH UP ON EVERY EPISODE OF STRANGER THINGS 2!
- Episode 1 – Stranger Things 2 gets off to a surprisingly somber start
- Episode 2 – Stranger Things characters try to get back to normal
- Episode 3 – What do you do when your bully is a transdimensional being?
- Episode 4 – The real and figurative monsters plaguing Hawkins
- Episode 5 – Stranger Things explores the tropes of trust and truth
- Episode 6 – Stranger Things goes Aliens
- Episode 7 – Why Eleven is the heart of Stranger Things 2
- Episode 8 – All the Jurassic Park references this season
- Episode 9 — Where does the gang go from here?
Images: Netflix
