DO NOT CROSS HERE IF SPOILERS OFFEND
DO NOT CROSS HERE IF SPOILERS OFFEND
DO NOT CROSS
FFEND
James Dyer:Hopper’s heroic exit, having taken
out the unstoppable Red enforcer only to be cut
off from Joyce and caught in the machine’s
explosion, is the series’ big twist. Having had
much more to do this time, Hopper finally felt like
a real member of the gang, only to die in a storm
of fire and lightning. Or did he? We never see his
final moments on screen and those who stick
around for the end credit sting will notice the
Russian soldiers elect not to feed “the American”
to the Demogorgon, opting for one of their
ill-fated comrades instead. Could Hopper have
been snatched away and bundled off to a Russian
gulag? Or is there another American in that cell,
one that will be revealed in Season 4?Amon Warmann:After three consecutive years
of near-death experiences and enough trauma to
last a lifetime, the Byers — and Eleven along with
them — are finally (FINALLY!) getting the hell out
of dodge. Or Hawkins. Not only will having more
of the show being set outside of Hawkins broaden
the storytelling template, it could help establish
the Shadow Monster as a global threat. With that
said, it’s likely that everyone will be drawn back
to Indiana — aka the source of all the conflict in
the series thus far — once Dustin and co
inevitably send out a Code Red.Amon Warmann:‘Rebellious
kid with powers’ has been
Eleven’s default setting for much
ofStranger Things, but this
season gifts Millie Bobby Brown
several new beats to play. After
being kept away from the rest
of the ensemble for the
majority of Season 2, we see
El and Mike go through the ups
and downs of dating while she
also explores female friendship
and self-expression (through
’80s fashion!) with Max. It’s the
most multi-faceted El has been,
and her response to the season’s
huge losses should only add
to the character’s evolution.James Dyer:Eleven’s ‘flat
battery’ is one of the series’
major curveballs, leaving her
telekinetic abilities absent duringthe conflict’s final act. Despite
claiming she only needs time to
recharge, the final episode’s
coda shows her powers have yet
to return. Was it a result of
over-exertion? Did the Flayer
parasite affect her physiology?
It’s yet to be made clear, but plot
aside, El’s depowering serves an
important narrative function.
After saving the day two years
running with her vast psychic
abilities, El had become an easy
out to brush aside even the most
deathly peril. Taking the gang’s
WMD out of the equation led to
a more inventive solution that
allowed Hopper, Joyce and the
rest of the gang to step up. And
as she leaves for pastures new,
just a regular girl, it’s hard to
begrudge her the shot at
a normal life.4 ELEVEN’S MELTDOWN
6 THE FINAL TWIST
5 THE RUSSIANS ARRIVE
Clockwise
from left:
The gang’s
game of Spin
The Bottle was
more tense than
usual;
Something stirs
at Starcourt
Mall; Heroic
Hopper;
Someone looks
a little flame-
thrower-happy;
Billy goes bad;
Mind Flayer
needs a
breath mint.WARNING!
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
James Dyer:What ’80s mystery would be
complete without a little Red Peril? While the
first two series focused on domestic government
misadventure, it’s the Russkies behind Season
3’s dimensional breach. Quite how they managed
to enlist the necessary labour and infrastructure
to construct an extensive military complex
beneath the Starcourt Mall is anyone’s guess, but
the inclusion of a Soviet incursion (complete with
weaselly torturer and unstoppable Ivan Drago-
like überthug) adds a Cold War spin that
perfectly fits the setting. It also marks a story
escalation: the sting at the end not only shows
that the Reds have access to more than one
‘doorway’ but the Upside Down is shaping up
to be the new contested ground between
LANDMARKglobal superpowers.
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