22 unanswered questions from Stranger Things 3 that'll keep you up at night

5 July 2019, 22:01

By Katie Louise Smith

Stranger Things season 4 couldn't come soon enough! Here's all the mysteries and conspiracy theories that we still need answers to from season 3.

Stranger Things 3. Wow, what a moment. A moment that is most pleasing to me in my career. After waiting almost two years for the third season to drop, Will, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Eleven and Max all returned to our screens on July 4 to deliver what might be the best season of the show yet.

Faced with new threats in the town of Hawkins (ones that make that lil Demogorgon look like an easy kill), the gang find themselves in a loooooot of danger. There's drama, there's blood, there's fireworks, there's romance, there's rats, there's weird green liquid, there's Queen of America Erica and of course, there's a LOT of unanswered questions.

As always, Stranger Things has left us with countless mysteries and conspiracy theories that season 4 needs to address, so without further ado... let's get into it.

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR STRANGER THINGS 3. STOP READING NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED!

Stranger Things 3: Unanswered questions. Picture: Netflix

1) What are the Russians even doing and why do they want the Upside Down?

Back in season 1, Hawkins Lab was using Eleven and the Upside Down to spy on the Russians so it's safe to assume that the Russians also wanted it for the same thing? For surveillance purposes? And maybe, given what we later find out, to weaponise what's lurking inside?

2) Also, how did they know about the gate in Hawkins?

The gate was - we assume - some kind of classified thing that the people of Hawkins Lab knew about. So who told the Russians? And if it was Mayor Kline (who gave them the go ahead to do all that stuff underground), who told Mayor Kline?!

3) Why did the rats immediately start flocking to the Mind Flayer?

It's never really explained why the rats were so drawn to the force of the Mind Flayer in the steelworks. Did they eat some of the remains of the dead Demodogs which resulted in them becoming part of the Mind Flayer's hive mind? Was it that small part of the monster that was exorcised from Will at the end of season 2?

4) Also, why were the rats eating fertiliser?

If the rats were already possessed by the Mind Flayer, was it somehow forcing them to eat the poison so that they would explode and merge together to create one giant physical monster? Needing answers tbh.

5) Why did Billy see visions of himself?

It's obviously a vision but like... why? How?

6) How did Eleven have so much money to buy all those new clothes?

You know full well Hopper didn't leave his credit card out for Eleven to use in "emergencies" so who coughed up the dollar for Eleven's printed shirts and playsuits?! Max?! I don't think so!

7) How the fuck did no one notice Russians setting up a giant base in the midwest of America?!

Hawkins is a small town. Do you not think that someone should have noticed a larger than usual influx of Russian people over the space of one summer?

8) How did they build that entire underground base AND a mall in such a short amount of time?

The gate was closed by Eleven around Halloween 1984. A mere nine months later, in July 1985, they managed to have a HUGE fully operation underground lair complete with a giant machine shooting lasers into a wall?! Ok.

9) So, what actually was that green stuff?

By the looks of things, it was go-go juice for that machine, right?

10) Is Holly Wheeler actually ok?

Nancy and Mike's little sister has seen enough! She looks concerned 24/7! Haunted! Perplexed! Exhausted!

11) Where is Dr Brenner?

Brenner, or "Papa" should we say, was "killed" at the end of season 1 but according to the show’s producers, he's still alive. That information, coupled with the fact that the Russians knew about the gate and have an American prisoner... could that mean that Brenner has been the one feeding them info?

12) WHAT IS ROBIN'S SURNAME?

I don't know if this is important in terms of the storyline but I just need to know.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR STRANGER THINGS 3 ENDING AHEAD. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

via GIPHY

13) Does Karen know that Billy is dead? Is she ok?

Mrs Wheeler's Hot Girl Summer ended before it even began. Sure, the Mind Flayer would have found another young, strapping, charming, fine ass host to use but if Karen had never agreed to that ~swimming lesson~ with Billy, he might still be alive...

14) Is the gate to the Upside Down OFFICIALLY closed now?

Please say yes. Although, with the reveal in the post credit scene that showed the Demogorgon alive and well in Russia, does that mean they managed to open the gate on the other side of the world?! IS THERE NOW TWO GATES?

15) What happened to Hopper?

While it looked like Hopper was blown to smithereens by the explosion, his fate is actually left open thanks to the post credit scene where it's revealed that the Russians had taken an American prisoner. Is he the prisoner? Was he taken before the explosion went off? Did he transport to a different dimension and end up in Russia?

For the full break down on this huge unanswered question, click here.

16) How did they get rid of giant Mind Flayer's body in the Mall?

They passed off the catastrophic events of the battle of Starcourt as a fire, and we assume that they used that same excuse to account for all the now missing people who sacrificed themselves to the Mind Flayer. But how did they actually get rid of the thing? Did they just torch the whole place? It looks like it...

17) How did Eleven lose her powers?

Well, it's assumed that once Eleven ripped the goopy Mind Flayer thing out of her leg, her powers went with it. The goppy thing then joined the Mind Flayer's mass but did it transfer her powers over to the monster? And when the gate closed, did her powers did with it? I NEED ANSWERS!

18) Where did Joyce, Jonathan Will and Eleven move to?

I just wanna know if it's close enough for the boys and Max to go and visit every now and then, that's all. THAT'S ALL.

19) Now that Will has moved out of Hawkins, will he be able to sense danger if the gate ever re-opens?

Is that feeling exclusive to Hawkins or is Will tethered to the Upside Down for the rest of his life now?

20) Who is the American prisoner?

The question we're all dying to know. There's a few possibilities here; Hopper, for a start. Murray, maybe... the Russians could have kidnapped him after the events of the battle due to what he had seen underground. Or could it be Dr Brenner, who is still alive (allegedly) and certainly knows a lot about the Upside Down and the Demogorgon.

For the full sleuth, click here.