Why STRANGER THINGS Is About To Get...Stranger

Still no release date? That’s been my burning question for the past several months regarding the fourth season of Stranger Things. The production team is currently filming in Atlanta, and the cast members are dropping more hints online as to what we can expect from the next chapter. Some of it is…jaw-dropping.

For the uninitiated…

…Stranger Things is a perfect blend of sci-fi, horror, mystery thriller, and comedy. Set in 1980s, the show has everything from children possessing supernatural gifts to demented creatures inhabiting alternate realities; with tonal and thematic influences derived from the likes of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King.

The first season follows a group of teenagers in the fictional city of Hawkins, Indiana. They’re searching for their missing friend, Will, with the help of a mysterious girl, Eleven, with telepathic and psychokinetic abilities. A parallel storyline follows the grieving mother launching her own investigation with the help of the town’s sheriff, Hopper. All’s resolved in the end, and we learn there’s a parallel universe called the Upside Down, which is inhabited by creatures known as Demogorgons.

As with any other good series, we get some stellar world-building and character development in the subsequent seasons, with the third ending on a heart-breaking note. Eleven loses her powers trying to save her friends, and Hopper sacrifices himself in order to (a) prevent a Demogorgon invasion, and (b) stop the Russians from opening up the portals into their world. Then, there’s a post-credit scene (as well as a short teaser released online shortly afterwards) that reveals our town sheriff is alive and…well?

Hopper the Grey no more!

That’s a Lord of The Rings reference for all you Tolkien purists out there. You know, I have to give credit to David Harbour in the third season. He really embraced his character’s comedic side, and effectively stole the show. His scenes with Winona Ryder are especially fun to watch. And according to Harbour, viewers will see a different side to the character than before; that his return will have a Gandalf-vibe. But how?

The teaser released last year shows a head-shaved Hopper working on a railroad along the line of other prisoners. Of course this confirms that he wasn’t disintegrated as the other characters were led to believe, but it does call into question his state of mind. Is he the same person with a different makeover? Or were there any psychological effects from his teleportation? Could it be that his captors are experimenting on him? All I know is there’s definitely something in his facial expressions…

Freddy Krueger is in Stranger Things?!

I’ve been a long-time fan of the Nightmare on Elm Street series, so imagine my expression when I read that Robert Englund was cast in the upcoming season. All that’s been revealed is his character’s name, Victor Creel, and brief description: an intimidating, psychiatric hospital inmate responsible for a murder in the ‘50s. Hopefully, Englund will get to channel his Springwood Slasher energy through this mysterious character, and present our heroes with a worthy challenge.

Eleven is the Dark Phoenix?!

Ok, tell me I’m not the only one who has made this comparison. Bearing her abilities in mind, I’ve always thought of Eleven as the Jean Grey of Stranger Things. And it’s not just that she can move objects or locate people with her mind. There are forces throughout the series that keep emphasizing to this girl the importance of not letting these gifts get the best of her. If that doesn’t echo the X-Men in the slightest bit, I don’t know what does!

Now if you read The Dark Phoenix Saga, then you know that Jean Grey eventually turns evil. Why am I speculating that Eleven may get in touch with her dark side?

Well firstly, at the end of the third season, she comes in direct contact with one of the creatures; this puts her powers into sleep mode. Sure, she doesn’t appear to be taken over, but that doesn’t mean there’re no long-term effects. Just look at Will in the second season.

And secondly, the name of the fourth season’s pilot is The Hellfire Club. As all of you X-Men devotees can confirm, that was the name of the comics-based group that attempted to manipulate the Dark Phoenix’s power…

Oh, he’s alive as well?!

So despite getting devoured in the first season, Martin Brenner may be getting his own comeback. Recent online photos showed Matthew Modine walking the set of the fourth season, and something tells me he didn’t just stop by to say ‘hello’.

From a narrative perspective, bringing him back makes sense. Many of Eleven’s weaknesses and insecurities stem from her memories in the laboratories with her “father”, and we never really got a sense of closure with their relationship. If the series is to come to some sort of conclusion in the near future, then it would be fitting for her to have some sort of final confrontation with the man who experimented on her.

However, as with Hopper, this does call into question his state of being. Brenner came in direct contact with a Demogorgon, so I would imagine his body would have to be seriously compromised in some way. It would be satisfying to see him develop powers of his own, therefore if Eleven does turn into the Stranger Things-version of the Dark Phoenix, the confrontation would be quite the spectacle.

Cliffhanger

According to the writers, Stranger Things will likely end after the fifth season. Also, the actors have maintained that the fourth is written to be the scariest, darkest, and possibly saddest chapter. If all of this is true, then I’m expecting one heck of a cliffhanger; one that involves plenty of action, further loss and separation…and Robert Englund chewing the scenery!