WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Stranger Things Season 3, streaming now on Netflix.
Following the enigmatic Season 3 finale of Stranger Things, viewers are eager to see where the fourth season of the Netflix hit will take the unsung heroes of Hawkins, Indiana. The Duffer Brothers have already said the series is primed to expand beyond the fictional town, and venture into other territory, as the post-credits hinted with the imprisoned Demogorgon and an American prisoner in Russia.
With Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) moving away with the Byers family following the apparent death of Chief Hopper (David Harbour), the dynamic is set to change dramatically. With that in mind, let's look at what we'd like to see in Season 4.
5. MORE TEST SUBJECTS
We met the illusion-generating Kali in Season 2. as Eleven sought out her "sister." She was Number Eight in the MKUltra program, which means there could be other survivors of the experiments. In addition to those who may have escaped, there's also the possibility the program did successfully condition others outside of Hawkins.
We don't know whether they were at different facilities, so with the United States needing weapons more than ever following the Soviet infiltration of Hawkins, it would be intriguing to see test subjects utilized in the way Dr. Brenner intended for Eleven. That would reveal a fully operational MKUltra program.
4. A BIGGER TIME JUMP
So far, each season is set a year apart, with the most recent unfolding in 1985. While fans theorists believe the show will next inch into 1986, a bigger time jump would permit more story to be told about the intervening period. We could see long-distance relationships dissolve (such as Jonathan and Nancy, Mike and Eleven), and it would be a natural way for the teens to grow apart and develop new friendships.
Season 3 already established that much of the gang is maturing beyond playing Dungeons & Dragons in Mike's basement, and considering most of the kids are in now in relationships, a bigger time jump would make for much more nuanced storytelling in terms of rivalries and romances.
3. MORE NEW FACES
The new faces in Season 3 really stole the show. Robin (Maya Thurman-Hawke) served as the code-breaker for the Scoops Troop, not only making us laugh but also tugging at our heartstrings with her coming out. There was also Lucas' fiery little sister Erica (Priah Ferguson), who appeared only briefly in Season 2, only to become critical to the infiltration of the Soviet facility beneath Starcourt Mall.
That shows how new characters can easily fit in and make an impact. It's clear the Duffer Brothers don't have to worry about new faces throwing off the chemistry of the cast.
2. MORE NEW MONSTERS
With the Russians possessing a Demodog, there's a possibility they could be experimenting on them to make a monstrous army. Seeing such projects at various labs would be interesting, especially if they maintain control and use them as war-dogs. Simply put, we need more than Demodogs and the Mind Flayer. Even if it's merely a new monster coming over from the Upside Down, it would help to freshen the series.
The Mind Flayer should have more creatures under its command, as the dark realm is an expansive reflection of the real world. Thus, it stands to reason other beings exist there.
1. REVISIT THE UPSIDE DOWN
One of the best moments of the series occurred in Season 1, when Hop and Joyce (Winona Ryder) had to rescue young Will (Noah Schnapp) from the Upside Down. It was as ghastly and eerie as could be, further compounded when Barb was shown tangled up in deadly vines there, so journeying into that dimension again would make for even more sinister television.
Honestly, it's getting a bit boring having the monsters enter the real world, where they suffer a bit of a handicap. Exploring the Upside Down, where the Mind Flayer would be fully powered, holds huge possibilities. Theorists suggest Hop could be lost there, or Eleven might have to use the Upside Down as a passageway to Russia. Either way, as long as the villains having free rein there, the audience would be privy to a darker and much more exciting picture other than life in Hawkins. The most enticing aspect of this is, of course, not everyone who goes there might be able to make it back home from such deadly terrain.
Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Priah Ferguson, Cary Elwes, Jake Busey and Maya Thurman-Hawke.