There are just days to go before ‘Stranger Things 2’ – one of the most hotly-anticipated series of the year – arrives on Netflix, which means it’s time to have one, final glance at the theories on what will take place in the episodes.

The second season is comprised of nine parts and while Netflix have kept the exact details of what’s next for the residents of Hawkins under lock and key, they’ve dropped more than a few hints at what the themes will be in recent months.

For a start, ‘Stranger Things 2’ isn’t just returning to our screens in time for Halloween, as the storyline also resumes on 31st October, so expect plenty of trick or treating, ’80s film costumes and spooky references.

When it comes to what will actually happen, a number of fans have researched some seriously elaborate theories, so ahead of the episodes here are the seven most intriguing…

1. The video game in one trailer is some MAJOR foreshadowing

In the Comic-Con teaser for series two, the four boys can be seen playing a ‘Dragon’s Lair’ adventure video game and it seems unlikely that the writers, the Duffer brothers, would have randomly picked a game that had no significance.

In ‘Dragon’s Lair’, Dirk the Daring is the main character and he tries to rescue Princess Daphne, fighting a number of monsters along the way. Could this be a hint that Will Byers be rescuing Eleven from the Upside Down?

2. Eleven is actually the Demogorgon

One theory that suggests Will might not be saving Eleven this time around comes from fans who believe Millie Bobby-Brown’s character might actually be the monster.

This theory has been kicking around for a while and as Uproxx previously pointed out, there’s plenty of references to “the duality between the good and the evil found in a single creature” in the show.

When the monster appeared to have been killed in the finale, Eleven herself also disappeared, suggesting a deep link between the two of them.

In episode six of series one, she also said “The gate. I opened it. I’m the monster”, but the youngster could simply have meant that she felt like a monster for bringing the horrors of the Upside Down into the town.

3. Let’s talk about Will’s coughed up slug

Just as we breathed a sigh of relief at the end of series one, that scene aired. Yes, we mean when Will took a quick break from Christmas dinner and went to the bathroom and coughed up a GIANT SLUG.

So what could it mean? Well, there are a couple of theories about this so we’re rounding them all up here. First of all, actor Noah Schnapp has said that “I may or may not have turned into a monster” and this theory has been given added weight by Ross Duffer, who said Noah’s character “now has a much more sinful role”.

Another theory which appears likely to play out is that the episode titled ‘The Poliwog’ will actually focus on the slug, as a poliwog is a tadpole-like creature that grows into a frog – or in this case, perhaps, a monster.

4. The main monster will be a Thessalhydra

This line of thinking has been pursued by plenty of fans and publications, beginning when one eagle-eyed critic pointed out that the Thessalhydra is the final monster the crew face in their last game of ‘Dungeons And Dragons’.

The Thessalhydra is a creature with multiple heads, similar to the Hydra in Greek mythology, and when Netflix revealed a ‘Stranger Things 2’ trailer this year, one monster featured certainly fitted the description:

5. Barb’s death might not have been for nothing

Barb’s death was one of the biggest non-events of series one, and many fans were outraged by the fact her grisly end was somewhat glossed over.

So, it’s no surprise that as the the new episodes’ release date approaches, there’s been plenty of speculation over what the impact of her death will actually be. How much does Hopper know about her death? Surely after all this, the Duffer brothers will give us justice?

6. Pumpkin patches will be very important

Rotting pumpkins have featured frequently in the promotional materials for series two, suggesting they might be pretty significant (rather than just decent Halloween props).

One poster shows Hopper walking through a field of them, and fans have drawn parallels between the rotting fruit and the hatched egg-type objects that were previously seen lingering in the Upside Down. Could monsters be hatching from them?

7. Eleven is actually Hopper’s daughter

We previously learnt that Hopper’s daughter, Sarah, died when she was younger but there have been multiple hints that we’ll learn more about her in the new episodes – including one from actor David Harbour, who said “it’s a secret we may explore in s2” when asked about the matter during a Reddit AMA.

One idea is that Eleven is actually his daughter, but their ages don’t quite match up and surely Hopper would have recognised her…?

More likely is that Sarah’s illness and death were related to the government organisation who performed experiments on Eleven. The suggestion being that Eleven was the eleventh child they did this on, meaning Sarah may have been one of the others.

As one Reddit user pointed out, Eleven, Will and Sarah “all had the same Daniel Tiger doll” too, which is another hint that the three children are somehow linked.

‘Stranger Things 2’ arrives on Netflix on Friday 27 October.