Stranger Things: What we want to see most in season 3
By Buckie Wells
Stranger Things’ strong second season laid the groundwork for an even better season 3, so we break down some of the things we’re looking forward to.
Just last weekend, Stranger Things dropped the entirety of season 2. We went through it and vibed on some things more than others. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed it a lot more than the first season because it felt more ambitious, and since we already knew most of the characters, witnessing the next step in their journeys felt even more satisfying than I was expecting. I mean, just the fact that they gave Lucas more to do this season and introduced us to his little sister made all the difference.
Obviously, this season made a huge impact on viewers. But I suspect one of its major purposes was to lay the groundwork for a bigger and better season 3.
So in light of this, here are some of the stranger things I’m looking forward to most.
Stranger Things 2 publicity photo. Image courtesy Netflix
Growing pains for Jane Hopper
What makes Eleven different? How did she become the powerful telekinetic we all know and love? While we don’t exactly have all those answers, we can start to get to know Jane Hopper soon. We know that Dr. Sam Owens asked her to stay undercover for another year, but Stranger Things season 3 will probably fast-forward through that. And by the time we return to Hawkins, all of our favorite kids will be preparing for high school.
Of course, this means that Jane (and Dad Hopper) will have to navigate the trials of teenage-dom. We already saw what it looks like when she throws a tantrum. But there’s so much to explore and it’ll be so fun to watch them do it together.
A real evil Will, maybe?
Opposite Jane, we have Will Byers, who really went through the wringer in season 2. Though his mother successfully exorcised him of the shadow monster, Will may not be out of the woods yet if he carries a special connection to the Upside Down. So far, the villains or antagonists of Stranger Things have been faceless monsters from another dimension. But does it become more terrifying if we put a face on these monsters and it’s someone we know? I think season 2 makes the case for this.
Since I didn’t particularly like the Kali arc of the season, I think a better fit for Jane’s opposition may be Will Byers. If you think about it, he started this journey because of her, so maybe she should be responsible for ending it, too.
Romance, and other types of ‘ships
In a show like this — something on Netflix consumed by a wide variety of people — you need something to contrast the horror. While I’m sure the Duffer Brothers are having a lot of fun making these monsters and playing around in the ’80s again, one of the great aspects of Stranger Things is the barely-there romances between some of the characters that appear to have a lot of natural chemistry. Joyce and Hopper clearly got somethin’, but Jonathan and Nancy are just getting started, too. Mike and Jane? Billy and Karen? Lucas and Max? Lucas and Erica? Steve and Dustin?
There are so many couples (of people) worth exploring, I hope Stranger Things season 3 spends time with the tremendous characters they’ve established instead of just building the Upside Down.
Stranger Things 2 publicity photo. Image courtesy Netflix
A real point to the Upside Down
Though the Upside Down can be interesting to explore, I don’t quite understand its purpose yet. Sure, Eleven opened the gate. But then she closed it and the Mind Flayer appeared over the school. So what’s it want now? According to the show, it wants to eliminate the inferior species.
But why? What drove it to do this? Why does it look like that? How old is it? What about other dimensions?
The first season’s Demogorgon delivered the perfect set-up for future seasons. Unfortunately, the follow-up Demo-dogs didn’t land in season 2. In fact, I was hoping for a Thessalhydra, and watching Dustin’s major league flub was almost painful. Legends of Tomorrow just did an incredible episode (“Phone Home”) that focused on Ray Palmer’s relationship with a baby Dominator. It was so well done, whereas Dustin made a stupid mistake with Dart (in a two-episode blunder) and paid the price for it. Sure, kids will be kids. But since the Upside Down is such an unknown entity, I kind of spent the rest of season 2 blaming things on Dustin. Even though it really wasn’t his fault.
In season 1, Eleven’s first contact with the monster opened the gate. But how did she find that monster? Why was it in the void? (If there’s an answer and I missed it, please let me know in the comments!) I need answers now.
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For the most part, this is just a list of Stranger Things’ strengths and a reminder that they should stick to some of those things. There are a ton of questions to answer for next season that we’re all excited no matter what. But what are you looking forward to most in the next season of Stranger Things? Let us know in the comments below!
Both seasons of Stranger Things are available to stream on Netflix.