Hopefully, if you haven’t been living under a rock, you have watched the new “Stranger Things” season three trailer. This moderately long trailer was littered with wonderful new set-pieces, gorgeous imagery, and of course, slightly older versions of the characters we have grown to love. The trailer brilliantly used “Baba O’Riley” (aka “Teenage Wasteland”) by The Who at the forefront and accompanies all of the wildness we can expect to see in the upcoming season.
Today, I’m going to go over a few things that we might see in the new season of “Stranger Things”. Mind you, this is only speculation based on a three-minute trailer, but I like to think I’m pretty good at predicting plot points, so here goes.
- More Mike and Eleven Romance
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I cannot emphasize enough how well the Mike and Eleven relationship is written and acted in the show. Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) have excellent chemistry and beautifully portray this epic story of two kids experiencing love for the first time. Their romance stands as a gleaming light in the show which is often shadowed in darkness and horror. Hopefully, in this new season, we can finally start to see their relationship evolve and mature mirroring the actors in real life.
- Additional Billy Hargrove
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Now, if you’re like me, you loved to hate Max Mayfield’s (Sadie Sink) malicious stepbrother Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) in season two. While I resented how poorly he treated others around him, I also found myself intrigued by his character and wanted to find the root of his issues. Well, look no further than Billy’s father. In episode nine of the last season, we get a little glimpse into why Billy acts the way he does. To be honest, after watching the unnerving scene, I felt pretty bad for Billy.
In the new trailer, we get to see a brief shot of Billy working as a lifeguard at the local pool. Interestingly enough, the third episode of this new season is entitled Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard. This is in reference to the lifeguard Heather, played by Francesca Reale who can be seen for a split-second fawning over Mr. Hargrove in the new trailer. Reports claim that she will be in the center of a dark mystery throughout the season. Does Billy Hargrove have something to do with that? I guess we will have to wait and find out.
An interesting scene from last season could also foreshadow where Billy’s character will go. Personally, I can’t forget when Mike’s mother, Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono), and Billy shared a very tense encounter nearly exploding with sexual tension. Considering that Mr. Wheeler is an absolute doorknob, I have a feeling that Billy might step in to ruin more than one relationship in Hawkins this season.
- Some Character Development for Will Byers
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What can I say about Will Byers that hasn’t already been said? This poor kid has been put through the wringer for two seasons straight, and I don’t know how much more his character would be able to endure. I think the writers also came to this realization, and have (hopefully) written a script in which Will can actually be a normal kid and the audience can get a chance to finally see the real personality of the character. I would also like to see the actor who portrays Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) have a bigger range when it comes to acting. We all know he can play a scared-child-constantly-in-peril-caused-by-supernatural-creatures to perfection, but I’d like to see him widen his range for the character.
- Some Fresh New Faces
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In this new trailer, we get a quick look at some new recurring characters coming in season three. Maya Hawke, daughter of legendary actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, joins the cast and plays Robin, Steve Harrington’s (Joe Keery) co-worker at the local ice cream shop, Scoops Ahoy. I believe on top of being Steve’s coworker, she could also become a potential love interest for Harrington. Considering how Nancy (Natalia Dyer) completely did him dirty last season, I hope that our favorite babysitter can find love once again.
A few other newcomers to the show include Cary Elwes, who will portray Mayor of Hawkins, Larry Kline, and Jake Busey who will play Bruce, who Busey states as, “a journalist for the Hawkins Post, with questionable morals and a sick sense of humor.” My guess is that one if not both of these characters is going to turn out to be a villain in the new season.
- A Major Character Death
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I hate to say it, but I can almost guarantee that there will be one or more major character deaths this season. In a show entering its third season about powerful supernatural creatures coming from the Upside Down, the writers have pretty much played it safe when it has come to the show’s main characters. Sure a minor character bites the dust every now and then, but the main cast, while going through tremendous hardships, has somehow managed to keep everyone alive. Of course, I don’t want to see anyone in the main cast die, but I think that it might raise the stakes of the show to see a major character get killed off.
I am also concerned that death might be probable because of the success of the actors in the show. Many actors’ careers have skyrocketed since the initial success of “Stranger Things” in 2016, and I think that maybe some of the actors are ready to move on and pursue new roles while they are on top. While I love seeing the actors bring these awesome characters to life, I would also enjoy seeing them further advancing their careers in new movies or television shows.
- Lucas Sinclair’s Sister Erica
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I had to throw in a bonus here! The scene stealer from season two, Erica Sinclair, played by Priah Ferguson, is confirmed to appear in all eight episodes of season three. Erica, while having a very minor role in the past season, became an instant fan favorite due to her sarcastic wit and spunky attitude. In the new trailer, she was only in one shot, but she appeared to be crawling through an air duct wearing a helmet. My bet is that she will be able to help defeat any of the villains in the season. Personally, I know I wouldn’t want to be on that little girl’s bad side, so lord help the people that try to go against her.
These are just a few things that I believe we will see in the new season. I hope to see all of these things and so many more! I am excited to see all that this upcoming season has to offer. So, on this 4th of July, you can catch me inside binging “Stranger Things” instead of playing by the pool and watching fireworks.