With a whole new series of ‘Stranger Things’ almost sitting in our Netflix queue ready to be unboxed in the coming weeks (well, let’s be honest, we’ll probably have devoured all nine episodes in the next 48 hours), we can’t wait to see what The Duffer Brothers have concocted this time around.
The second series – dubbed ‘Stranger Things 2’, in keeping with the 80’s horror aesthetic of the first run – looks set to be packed with more adventure, more twists and more 80′s nostalgia than ever before, but we’re also hoping that a few of the loose ends we found ourselves left with at the end of series one will be tied up along the way too.
Here are just a handful of the questions we still need answers to…
1. That slug. What. Was. That?!
In the closing scene of last year’s series finale, we saw Will Byers realising that his horrific experience may not be behind him just yet. After being discovered in The Upside Down with some class of horrifying slug down his throat, the last scene saw him coughing up a miniature version in the bathroom.
Was this some off-shoot of the Demogorgon, or a brand new monster to be slain in the follow-up? And while we’re on the subject…
2. What happened to it after Will coughed it up?
Before returning to his family’s Christmas dinner as if nothing had happened, we saw the slug-like creature he’d coughed up slither off down the drain. Is this the last we’ve heard of it, or is its journey into the sewer system the start of a new ordeal for the town of Hawkins?
3. Where has Eleven been?
Forgive us the small spoiler, but anyone who’s seen the trailer for ‘Stranger Things 2’ (or any of the promotional interviews around it), you’ll know that Eleven is very much back, and she’s got a brand new ’do.
As it looked like she’d sacrificed herself to destroy the Demogorgon, we’re intrigued to find out where she’s been. Did the experience send her back to the Upside Down or a different universe altogether.
4. Will she and Mike finally get to go to the Snow Ball?
The thought of Millie Bobby Brown serving us a full 80s prom extravaganza is something we’re totally here for.
5. Who was in the car that collected Hopper?
As you may recall, when he left the hospital in the last moments before the flash-forward in series one, Hopper was seen begrudgingly getting into the back of a car that pulled up alongside him (and given this was 1983, we know it wasn’t his Uber). But who was inside, what did they want, and how did Hopper know to join them without even speaking to them?
6. How did he know Eleven was still alive?
We’re guessing whoever was inside the car may have been responsible for alerting Hopper to the fact that Eleven was elsewhere, with the police chief leaving her some food (and her beloved Eggos) in his final moments of series one.
The most recent ‘Stranger Things 2’ trailer opens with Eleven collecting what was left for her – how did these two characters know to keep in contact with one another, particularly as it may have been between different realms?
7. Will we find out more about Hopper’s back story?
Those touching flashback scenes with his late daughter in the series finale had us in floods of tears, and helped us understand the character’s motives a little better. We’d really like it if ‘Stranger Things 2’ delved into the character’s history a little more, and we’re intrigued to see if there’s more to come.
8. Who will Nancy end up with?
Yes, there’s a lot more to Nancy than just reducing her to a Bella from ‘Twilight’-esque “torn between two men” type. But also, the reveal which showed her still dating Steve was a bit of a shock, as it looked like she and Jonathan were really starting to bond.
For what it’s worth, we reckon she can do better than both of them. But perhaps the pickings are slim at Hawkins High School…
9. How will the new characters slot in with those we already know and love?
Particularly 15-year-old Sadie Sink, who plays new arrival Max in ‘Stranger Things 2’. It seems she’s being given the same billing as the show’s younger stars, so we’re looking forward to seeing if she’s a new female ally for Eleven upon her return.
And that hair colour does look awfully familiar…
10. Oh yeah, ONCE AND FOR ALL, IS BARB DEAD?
Despite the fact that there is nothing at all to suggest that Barb is in any way, shape or form coming back (we literally see her body in the Upside Down not once but twice, people), this is still the question most ‘Stranger Things’ fans have been asking in the last year.
A definitive answer is one aspect of ‘Stranger Things 2’ we’re keeping our fingers crossed for, not out of any kind of excitement on our part, but just out of a longing for the speculation to finally be over.
11. Will Joyce get five minutes’ peace?
Series one was basically Winona Ryder’s character running around from crisis to crisis, practically hyperventilating all the way. While ‘Stranger Things 2’ doesn’t look like it’s going to be low on drama, we’re hoping she gets to put her feet up for at least a little while.
‘Stranger Things 2’ is streaming on Netflix now.