Already Finished 'Stranger Things 2'? Let's Talk About Season 3
We're already ready to go back to the Upside Down.
Like a pack of Eggo waffles you know you should savor, but eat all in one sitting anyway, Stranger Things season 2 has come, and many of us have already gobbled it up. It wasn’t what everyone expected, but we already miss Eleven, Mike, Max, and even that new Shadow Monster. But, what’s next for Stranger Things season 3? The creators of the show — The Duffer Brothers — have confirmed there will be a third and fourth season of Stranger Things, but that after that, the show will likely end. With that in mind, here are five predictions for what’s next in the world of the Upside Down.
Spoilers for Stranger Things Season 2, and predictions for Season 3, ahead.
Time Jump to the ‘90s
Less than a year passes between the end of Stranger Things season 1 and the beginning of season 2. But, that doesn’t mean season 3 would need to follow the same pattern. In fact, the Duffer Brothers at one point admitted they planned on making Stranger Things an anthology series set in multiple eras. Could it be time to move past ‘80s nostalgia, and see what these characters or situations look like in the ‘90s? This would also be an interesting homage to Aliens, which of course, takes place way after Alien. Paul Reiser being in this season of Stranger Things giving anyone else Aliens vibes? To be clear, the Duffer Brothers have seemed to imply there won’t be time-jumps, but that’s still in flux.
Eleven and Kali Meet Their Sisters
The notion that other kids escaped the crazy experiments in the first season of Stranger Things pretty much is the starting point of this season. Kali’s powers aren’t exactly like Eleven’s at all: she can manipulate people’s minds. But, their powers are both in the psionic realm, which means an even wider diversity of mind-controlling characters could be running around out in the wide world.
Hopper’s Daughter, Sarah, Returns
Eleven IS NOT Hopper’s daughter from the first season, which means, she could still be out there. Sure, she supposedly died, but perhaps that’s a red herring and she’s still alive. And, if she is alive, it’s not crazy to think Sarah has powers along the same lines as Eleven or Kali. If the show did a time jump in conjunction with this idea, Sarah could be a grown woman, using her powers to probe the Upside Down to fight the Shadow Monster.
Eleven’s Powers Deepen
In some ways, the second season of Stranger Things opens up the possibilities of creating a kind of X-Men-meets-Sense8 universe in which various characters are hiding their special abilities from the public at large. Does that mean Eleven could become like Professor X? Maybe season 3 could find Eleven searching for others like her, and reaching out with her mind to recruit other psionic badasses. What will they do when they all get together? Hopefully, fight monsters and eat Eggos. Naturally.
Hawkins Isn’t the Focus Anymore
Though most of the action of Stranger Things season 2 takes place in Hawkins, Indiana, there were the notable excursions into Philadelphia and Chicago. The point is, the world of Stranger Things no longer has to be limited to only one small town. Because the Upside Down is literally another dimension, there’s no reason you couldn’t depict aspects of it throughout the entire world. And the best part is, if the show does move beyond the ‘80s, there wouldn’t be any reason why anything that happens would contradict real history. Things that happen in the Upside Down tend to stay in the Upside Down. Plus, Ross Duffer [said it best back in August]((https://www.inverse.com/article/35784-stranger-things-season-3-4-netflix-duffer-brothers-confirm): “They have to get the fuck out of this town!”
Stranger Things, season 2 is streaming now on Netflix. Season 3 is happening, but a release date has not been announced, yet.
