6 Things That Need to Happen in 'Stranger Things' Season 3

Are you ready to travel back to 1985 in Hawkins, Indiana? With just hours left until the Netflix fan-favorite returns for its third season, fans are polishing their final theories and rewatching previous episodes in preparation. With the many questions we’re desperate to have answered in the new season, we at least know a few things that are bound to go down. Here are six things that need to happen.

1. A New Monster Needs to Be Revealed

The first Season 3 trailer gave us our first look at what appears to be a brand-new monster. While we’re used to the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer, this creature is different from what we’ve seen before, and fans have been speculating it might be Billy Hargrove. The popular theory suggests his body will be used as a host for the Upside Down’s newest threat, based on footage in the trailer which shows him seemingly about to undergo a transformation. Whoever it truly is, we should definitely expect to see a new monster.

2. Eleven Needs to Find Other Lab Experiments

Season 2 explored Eleven’s backstory as she learned about her mother and other kids just like her. Viewers were introduced to Kali, a.k.a. El’s “sister” Eight, and other former Hawkins Lab experiments. As Eleven continues to discover more about her past, we’ll need to meet more people who went through the same thing. In 2017, co-creator Matt Duffer all but confirmed we’d be seeing Kali again, saying, “It feels weird to me that we wouldn’t solve [Kali’s] storyline. I would say chances are very high she comes back.”

3. Joyce and Hopper Need to Get Together

Fans have been shipping Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper, otherwise known as “Jopper,” since the first season. The romantic tension between the two characters is hard to ignore, and although fans loved Joyce’s love interest Bob Newby last season (R.I.P.), we all know a relationship between her and Hopper is inevitable. Why drag out the will-they-won’t-they narrative any longer? They need to get together in Season 3.

4. Romance Needs to Play a Larger Role

Apart from Jopper possibly becoming a real thing in Season 3, the kids of Hawkins are going to face romantic relationships for the first time. Eleven and Mike are in a relationship, along with Lucas and Max, and apparently, Dustin is about to experience love as well. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly on the new season, revealing that Dustin “may or may not have a brand-new girlfriend.” Plus, Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike, dubbed Season 3 the “summer of love.” With the kids all growing up, relationships should be a main theme in the upcoming episodes.

5. We Need to Learn More About the Mind Flayer

It’s been confirmed by Matt Duffer that the Mind Flayer will be back in Season 3, as he explained to Entertainment Weekly, “Eleven closed the Gate, but the Mind Flayer is still alive in the Upside Down. It will find another way into Hawkins.… It’s just a matter of time.” But the thing is, we don’t know too much about this monster. As the upcoming episodes will see its return, we need to learn more about where it came from, why it’s in the Upside Down, and most importantly what it wants.

6. The Mall Needs to Host the Big Battle

Introducing the Starcourt Mall in the new season, as well as including it in promo videos, can’t be accidental. The new location needs to play a pivotal role, and based on the final episode title "The Battle of Starcourt,” we can expect the biggest showdown of the season to take place at the shopping center. Here’s to hoping the Hawkins crew gets creative with their new resources.