The second season of "Stranger Things" ended with the shadow monster banished back to where it belongs, and with the gate to the monster-filled Upside Down closed. This resolved the biggest conflicts of the show's first two seasons, and fans are wondering where the story will head in the third season.
The series opened with the abduction of a young boy, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), by a creature from a parallel dimension called the Upside Down. The story is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, and the first season takes place in late 1983.
Netflix announced that it renewed the show for a third season in December of last year. This season will be composed of eight episodes, one less than the second season, although it is the same number of episodes as season one. However, details on what will go on in season 3 are scarce.
Even the season's premiere date is still unknown. However, it may be unlikely that Netflix will release the third season this year. "Stranger Things" premiered its first season in the summer 2016, with the second season following in November of 2017. However, filming for the third season is not set to happen until mid-April of this year.
"Like, you probably won't get [Season 3] until sometime in 2019," actor David Harbour, who plays Jim Hopper in the series, told Variety. "But also part of the thing is, like any good thing, they need time," he added.
Another thing that is still up in the air is where the story is going. In the season 2 finale, the audience is shown that even though the gate to the Upside Down has closed, the shadow monster is still lurking around behind it. Thus, the monster's banishment may not be the last the audience sees of it.
Viewers can also expect to see Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), another former test subject at Hawkins Lab, in the upcoming season. Like Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Kali survived the facility's experiments. Even though there were rumors that a Kali-centric spin-off was in the works, The Duffer Brothers dismissed them. However, it is possible that Kali, a recurring character in season 2, will make another appearance in season 3.
One thing viewers can count on is that the character Will Byers will not be undergoing the same traumatic experiences he suffered in the first two seasons.
"We're going to give Will a break," executive producer Shawn Levy told Glamour, adding, "We're not going to put Will through hell for a third season in a row. He'll be dealing with stuff, but he won't be at rock bottom the way we forced the amazing Noah Schnapp to play."
Levy also revealed that the unlikely friendship between characters Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) will develop in season 3, and that the town of Hawkins, Indiana will be facing new forces of evil.
