After a year on hiatus, Netflix's popular hit "Stranger Things" will return for its third season on July 4. In the meantime, Netflix has been busy on its social media accounts, posting Easter eggs only hardcore fans could spot.
Last July, Netflix teased a short clip acting as an advertisement for a new shopping center in Hawkins called Starcourt Mall. In December, an episode list was released on the show’s Twitter page to give viewers a bit of insight on what to expect. Then, viewers were strategically given a short clip of rats running in an abandoned warehouse on Netflix’s Instagram.
This might also be a nod to its second episode titled “The Mall Rats,” but it is hard to know for sure. However, one thing is for certain. The minds behind the show definitely know how to spark a conversation while simultaneously keeping the fan base on its toes. This is why all of the hype surrounding the recent release of the show's official trailer is well-deserved.
This week, Netflix gave viewers a glimpse of everyone’s favorite ragtag group of multi-dimensional-alien-fighting misfits in the summer of 1985. Throughout the series, the story has followed a group of outcast kids, their families and a police officer solving the mystery of a seemingly alternate universe called the “Upside Down.”
This season potentially expands the notion of the kids growing up with leader of the group Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) saying, “We’re not kids anymore,” in a voiceover. This will create an interesting dynamic in how far the writers are willing to push their limits when it comes to developing the kids through the upcoming season. Starcourt Mall seems to be a central focus to the plot. With fan-favorite Steve Harrington’s (Joe Keery) summer job located in the shopping center and a summer without school, it makes sense for the kids to spend majority of their time there.
It is no secret that the main antagonist in the show has been an interdimensional alien nicknamed “The Demogorgon” after the kids’ favorite fantasy role-playing game, “Dungeons & Dragons.” In season 2, the writers expanded the Demogorgons by introducing younger Demogorgons, who received the nickname “Demodogs.”
Another villain, a massive being that possesses Will Byers in the duration of the second season called the “Mind Flayer,” made a comeback at the end of season two after implying its defeat in the final moments of the season finale, hinting at its return in season three, although it does not appear in the trailer. The Demogorgon may also be back, but this time as an even scarier, mutated version of itself.
Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery), the human antagonist of season two, also returns as a lifeguard, and a scene with a mysterious cut may lead to him having a similar storyline to Will Byers. Intertwining the antagonists will definitely create a more powerful entity to defeat during season three.
All-in-all, one summer can change everything.
Watch the trailer here.