6 strangest things we noticed in the Stranger Things season 3 trailer

The official trailer is finally here for Stranger Things season 3. It’s full of ’80s nostalgia, plus lots of eery visuals that foreshadow a very strange third season.

The Stranger Things kids are no longer kids, made very clear by the third season’s official trailer released today.

As Mötley Crüe and The Who serenade us, we see a montage of teenage fun — jamming out to records, checking out the new mall in town, summer hangouts by the pool. It’s 1985 and Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will along with Eleven and Max are growing up faster than we can handle.

It’s clear from the first few lines in the trailer that friendships will be tested this season. We see an extremely depressing shot of Will, soaking wet, staring at a photo of his friends while a voiceover by Mike says “I mean, what did you think? We’re just gonna sit in my basement all day? Play games for the rest of our lives?” Ouch, Mike, ouch.

Obviously as kids grow up, relationships are tested… or even broken. But given that the Upside Down is clearly not done with Hawkins yet, we hope our Stranger Things crew doesn’t break up completely — they’re clearly going to need each other to stop whatever is coming for them this summer.

Below, we’ll dive into the strangest things we spotted in the season 3 trailer below — but first, here it is for you to watch, in all it’s ’80s nostalgic glory.

Dustin uses Farrah Fawcett hairspray as mace

Kudos to Dustin for turning a styling tool into a stinging weapon that’ll knock out enemies while keeping your locks in place (never forget: four puffs). This may not be the strangest scene from the season 3 trailer, but it is pretty hilarious not to mention. Perhaps that Fawcett mace will come in handy with whatever new monsters appear in Hawkins this time around.

Nancy and Jonathan are up to something

Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers may be getting their sleuth on. We get a quick glimpse of them, dressed up as well-to-do adults, in what looks to be a waiting room at The Hawkins Post. What exactly are they investigating though? Perhaps it has to do with Hawkins’ mayor?

Hawkins protesting the new mall

As we learned last November from the Stranger Things companion book, a few new faces on the show could shake things up for Hawkins. Jake Busey will play a reporter for The Hawkins Post and Cary Elwes will join the season 3 cast as well as Hawkins’ Mayor Kline. In the trailer, we see protestors holding up signs that read “Recall the Mall,” “Mayor Swine,” and “Hawkins is Downtown.” Later on, we see a Fun Fair has come to town, also thanks to Mayor Kline.

While a new mall and a fair would seem like positive additions to any community, there seems to be something nefarious going on — otherwise why would people protest these developments?

Hopper on the hunt?

While the fair looks like it’s all fun and games, there’s a quick cut from Hopper looking beat up at the fair to a mysterious man with a gun in a hall of mirrors. We really hope that man isn’t pointing his gun anywhere near Hopper or the Stranger Things kids. (We also really hope Hopper continues to wear vibrant button-down shirts that pair well with his fierce mustache.)

Will is wet and all alone

As mentioned earlier, there’s a pretty sad shot of Will, alone and all wet in his room, staring at pics of his friends — well, we hope they’re still his friends. He picks up a photo taken last Halloween, where the gang dressed up as Ghostbusters, and he looks like he’s about to break down. What’s very peculiar here is that not only is he wet, but other items in his room are wet. Is his house dealing with a leaky ceiling, or is he still dealing with Upside Down issues that impact his reality?

The Upside Down looms over Hawkins

The summer of 1985 should be filled with pool parties and jamming out to The Who, but it doesn’t look like the Upside Down is done with Hawkins quite yet.

From Eleven standing alone on a beach as red lightning flashes… to what looks like Will standing in a shower as dark veins appear on his arm (this may be why he was wet and alone)… to an explosion of lightning hitting a masked figure (who looks a little like Peter Quill a la Guardians, if we’re being honest)… to Steve being stuck in the neck with a needle… to Jonathan facing down a disgusting new beast? Yeah, this doesn’t look good.

Stranger Things returns with its third season on July 4.