Stranger Things beyond Hawkins: What we want in season 4
By Luke Lucas
STRANGER THINGS — Credit: Netflix
Stranger Things 3 has been out a whole week. We’re already looking ahead to season four. Will it be the last? What do we want to see? We have thoughts!
Stranger Things 3 has set Netflix records in its first week of streaming. The Duffer Brothers gave us a gory love letter to the 80s and adolescence. While the first two seasons stood on their own, Stranger Things 3 relied heavily on its predecessors. It wasn’t a next movement in the overall story as much it was an all-inclusive summary and reaction to everything that had happened. Yet, it felt like the most unresolved of the three seasons. That during-credits scene hammered home the feeling for me. There are a lot of places that Stranger Things 4 could go. They’re not all in Hawkins. Spoiler Warning: Major spoilers are ahead.
Stranger Things — Credit: Netflix
Is The Gate Closed for Good?
There was a very thin report on We’ve Got This Covered that claims season four could be the last for Stranger Things. The argument is essentially to end the show before the kids grow up. But, they have. Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, and Gaten Matarazzo have all grown up before our eyes. They’re taller. Their voices are deeper. Their arcs are more complex and romantic.
More. Stranger Things 3 review: Gross, awkward, and neon. light
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We know there would be interest in older characters due to the fact that Steve (Joe Kerry) is a fan favorite and Nancy (Natalia Dryer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) help to drive the narrative of the show. If the Duffer Brothers want to wrap up the story after next season, that’s awesome. Own your thing. But I can’t believe Netflix would want to usher a hit like Stranger Things off the air quicker than intended.
Plus, there’s the whole Gate situation. Season one opened The Gate. Season two closed The Gate. Season three opened and closed the Russian Gate. But we know there’s at least one Demogorgon in our world. It could be a stowaway. Or, it could be a hybrid. The Xenomorph-like Demogorgon we saw in “The Battle of Starcourt” was particularly ripped. That temporarily doesn’t matter. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) doesn’t have her powers. She won’t be able to destroy it. Season four may be about reopening a Gate. Watching our heroes try to open the thing that’s nearly destroyed them for three seasons would be a fun twist.