* Some Season 2 spoilers ahead! *
As many may know I am a huge fan of the Netflix sci-fi drama Stranger Things, but my thoughts on season 2 were not without their criticisms. While season 2 offered some great character development moments and fun acting, its story was, in my opinion, lackluster compared to season 1 and felt like a long drawn-out ride to nowhere. On top of that, it asked a lot more questions than it answered and left the story and characters in a pretty — shall I say it — strange place.
But today we’re not talking about what I didn’t like about season 2. We’re talking about where we think season 3 might go… and honestly, that’s not an easy question.
It was recently announced that the hit show would not be returning in Summer 2019, but the cast has returned to filming. Stranger Things also released a small teaser (honestly not enough material to call it a trailer — above), that may clue us into what we will see next.
First and foremost it seems that the next season will take place over summer in Hawkins, Indiana. It’s fairly usual for high schoolers to have summer jobs, as Steve does in the faux promo for the fictitious Star Court Mall. I have to say, after the literal alien demon dogs Steve faced in the last season, it seems like he would be worried about a bit more than whether or not he can scrape together the cash to go to the roller rink on Saturday night or buy the latest Super Mario Bros. game. But whatever looks like he wants to make a little extra money on the side of saving the world.
Of course, to everyone’s knowledge, they believe they have defeated the Demagorgons and are free to enjoy there summer. However, Will knows otherwise. Will knows that the real trouble is just beginning, as the Upside Down has now seeped into their right side up world.
So what does this mean for the next season? Well, I think it’s going to be Hopper and the kids looking again for the source and trying to some higher-level government involved, just to ultimately be shut down and told to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Eleven will be honing her new powers, with the help of her new friends. But the question is, will this be another season of defeating a singular evil, just to have it replaced with a larger one at the end?
I think my issue with the series at the moment is that I don’t see a larger goal here. Season 2 ended with the offer that said “We’re raising the stakes again!” but the new teaser seems to suggest that the evil is “reset” again, as it was after the first season. Almost as if the danger is put on hold until it’s called upon. But somehow some non-Hawkins based people will have to get involved, as it’s clear that at the moment there’s no way for Will to deal with the Upside Down on his own.
I think that Season 3 will need to pull out all the stops in order to create a really forward-moving series. Season 2 felt at times like it was stuck, like revving an engine but going nowhere. I’m really interested to see what the plan is for these characters and the overall story arc.
Tell Us: What do you think will happen in season 3? What would you like to see more of?
