Entertainment
These Clues About ‘Stranger Things’ Season 3 Will Make You Want Those New Episodes ASAP
Stranger Things' third season finally has a release date, along with a mysterious poster and teaser to match. And these clues about Stranger Things season 3, based on the new trailer and imagery, don't answer many questions, but they're definitely intriguing.
The season 2 finale showed that the Mind Flayer is still around to terrorize Hawkins. But based on Netflix's latest Stranger Things promos, it looks like there are plenty of new issues to worry about. And those issues go way beyond young love, although the poster's depiction of Mike and Eleven's hand-holding is pretty cute.
Most notably, a company called Lynx Corp. is hacking a New Year's Eve broadcast with a program called "SilverCatFeeds." (And no, the "cat" here doesn't seem to be a reference to Dustin's late cat Mews, who was eaten by Dart in season 2. RIP, Mews.) And it doesn't look like fans have seen the last of the Upside Down, either.
The new teaser is just over a minute long, but it packs plenty of punches. There are references to Russia, hidden phrases that don't seem to make sense yet, and even a callout to the Starcourt Mall, where Steve is working at an ice cream shop. Here are some of the clues from the new teaser and poster and what they could mean for the show's third season.
1Mike & Eleven Will Be Romantically Involved
OK, so this isn't exactly a clue; it's right there in the center of the poster. Still, after the two characters shared a kiss at the end of season 2, fans have long wondered whether their relationship could evolve into something more than friendship. Based on this poster, it looks like the answer is yes — but their relationship won't stop all of the trouble that's plaguing Hawkins.
2The Upside Down Could Still Be At Play
On the poster, Will and Eleven are the only two characters looking at the camera. Considering the fact that the two of them are the ones with the most experience in the Upside Down, that's probably not a coincidence.
Plus, in the new teaser for Stranger Things' third season, the New Year's Eve broadcast appears to be hacked. And things start, well, turning upside down on screen. So fans might not have seen the last of this alternate universe.
3Starcourt Mall Is More Than Steve's Place Of Employment
Stranger Things' Starcourt Mall trailer seemed fun and lighthearted. But it looks like the mall will be playing a bigger role in the third season than fans might have originally thought.
In the new trailer, a voiceover explains that the local New Year's Eve broadcast is sponsored by Starcourt Mall. Of course, there's nothing sinister about that in and of itself — but it's also not an accident that the mall gets name-dropped in the trailer. Combined with the fact that the season 3 finale is titled "The Battle of Starcourt," it's safe to say a lot more will take place there than Steve's ice cream scooping.
4Lynx Corp. Could Refer To Russian Spies
Ok, bear with me for a second here. The lynx is an endangered animal that's found in Russia and other European countries. And Russia's been brought up on the show in the past.
As Elite Daily pointed out in July, Eleven tried to spy on Soviet meetings in the first season, when Dr. Brenner and his associates put her in the sensory deprivation tank. Her journey into the Russian conversations probably isn't what most people remember from the first season, but it does seem like the Russia connection might not be over.
There's also the fact that in the Starcourt Mall trailer, The Hunt for Red October is featured in the front of the Waldenbooks display, Elite Daily notes. The bestseller could be more than just a period reference — it could hint at the show's upcoming storyline, too.
So, what is Lynx Corp., exactly? There's not much known about the company yet. But when the hackers' code appears on screen during the New Year's Eve broadcast, it shows that the "SilverCatFeeds" program is run by Lynx Corp.
Plus, there's a place in the code where Eleven's name appears in Russian. That hints that Lynx Corp. may be a Russian company — and that Eleven still isn't safe, even though she's free from Dr. Brenner's grasp.
5"When Blue And Yellow Meet In The West" Might Refer To Mike, Eleven, & Max
When the hacking code appears on screen, a phrase is highlighted: "When blue and yellow meet in the west." (This phrase has actually already been uncovered by fans, thanks to a Morse code clue hidden in a recently released Stranger Things book.) Fans have pointed out on Twitter and Reddit that Mike and Eleven are wearing blue and yellow in the new poster. But that's not the only time the two of them have been wearing the colors.
As Reddit user CaroSJ pointed out, Mike and Eleven were wearing blue and yellow the first time the group met Eleven in season 1. Eleven was alone in the rain, wearing a large yellow T-shirt, while Mike was in a blue hoodie. It could be a coincidence, or the new season could be hearkening back to when Eleven first joined forces with the group.
As far as "the west" goes, other Reddit users have pointed out that Billy and Max moved to Hawkins from California in season 2. So "the west" might refer to Max's former home state, and it could suggest that she'll be instrumental in something Mike and Eleven have to solve together.
All of these theories — and there are plenty more on Reddit — raise way more questions than answers. Fans will have to wait until the season hits Netflix on July 4 to get the answers. Until then, at least there's the small comfort in the fact that Mike and Eleven seem to be getting along better than ever.
