Stranger predictions

Following up the surprise hit of 2016 was a tough task. “Stranger Things 2” was scarier, but was it better?

The Duffer Brothers stuck to their formula of wrapping a Sci-fi thriller in a cloak of 80s nostalgia.

The story revolves around a group of kids from Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s. Their world meshes with an alternate dimension, the Upside Down, controlled by the Mind Flayer, a hive consciousness with an army of demogorgon creatures.

The feel of the series has become darker, and its world has expanded. We even got to find out about Steve Harrington’s hair care regime.

In this season, Will dealt with horrific experiences of being connected to the Mind Flayer. Mike, formerly the optimistic leader, dealt with grief with the absence of Eleven. Dustin put the whole town at risk by trusting the piece of snot Dart. Skateboarder Maxine became a new member of the gang.

This season brought some closure—Spoilers  ahead—for many characters. Will recovered after two years of torture from the Mind Flayer,  Eleven and Mike had their reunion with Mike, and  justice was finally achieved for Barb,

All these successes by no means brought peace to Hawkins. At the end of the season finale, we see that the Mind Flayer,is still a threat. Fans are curious where the new season will pick up.

“Our kids are aging,” Matt Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter. “We can only write and produce the show so fast. They’re going to be almost a year older by the time we start shooting season three…It forces you to do a time jump.”

The younger characters have high school, so the challenge lies in handling the older kids like Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington, and Jonathan Byers.

We left off with Nancy as a junior in high school, so one year later she could be in her senior year alongside Jonathan. Steve will be out of high school, which is most likely why he has been set to stick around in Hawkins working for his dad.

Aging of characters calls for makeovers. Now well past the buzz cut, Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, has already grown her hair out more. Dustin ended season two with a whole new look thanks to Steve.

Bob Newby is gone, and the Byers’ chance at the “normal” life he proposed went with him. Whether Joyce would’ve really uprooted Will and Jonathan to live in Maine is debatable, but she is expected to possibly move on with Hopper as a new romantic interest.

In the season finale, Mike mentions Bob’s role as one of the original AV Club members.

Two possibilities spring to mind for future seasons. There could be some hidden recordings from a previous encounter with the Upside Down or with a key player in the government involvement. There may even be a flashback to Bob’s AV Club past during the ’60s.

Wouldn’t that be groovy?