Stranger Things [1] pretty much puts the "spook" in "spooky," and when Netflix finally revealed that the series is returning for its fourth season [2], they did it with a video sure to send shivers down your spine.
Though the teaser video, which dropped on Sept. 30 [3], doesn't provide a premiere date for season four, it does confirm one of the biggest theories [4] from season three's finale [5]: we're leaving Hawkins, folks! It also leaves us with a whole host of other questions and ideas, so keep reading to see everything we've come up with from such a short video.
Season 4 Takes Place Outside Hawkins
The teaser video makes two obvious references to a new location: there's a sign saying "Welcome to Hawkins" as the camera pans backwards, as if someone is walking away, and the video ends with the words, "We're not in Hawkins anymore" flashing across the screen. If Joyce's decision to move away [7] with Will, El, and Jonathan — as well as the introduction of Russian scientists with that ominous postcredits scene [8] — wasn't enough of an indication that things would be changing in the fourth instalment, this teaser definitely should be.
In an interview with Entertainment Weeekly [9], Matt and Ross Duffer spilled some details about where the Netflix sci-fi hit is headed in the fourth season [10], emphasising that the next move would expand the Stranger Things [11] world.
"I think the biggest thing that's going to happen is it's going to open up a little bit, not necessarily in terms of scale, in terms of special effects, but open up in terms of allowing plotlines into areas outside of Hawkins," Matt explained.
We're betting that two of those areas we'll be exploring are wherever Joyce and the kids have wound up [12] and the snowy mountains of Kamchatka, Russia — specifically, that ramshackle prison we've gotten glimpses of. Obviously, the biggest question going into season four is who "The American" is in said prison, and we've already gotten some major hints [13] to their identity. But there's another big mystery that could mean this line doesn't allude to what we think it does . . .
Is That Hopper's Cabin in the Background?
Good eye! It does look like Hopper's cabin in the background of the video with the porch light on, which is likely a reference to how the next season will focus on his rescue. But it could also be a clue to where he is [14]. We've talked about Hopper possibly being the American in Russia, but what if Hopper is actually trapped somewhere a lot more familiar, like the Upside Down [15]? That would give a new meaning to the line "We're not in Hawkins anymore," which could actually be more of a reference to The Wizard of Oz. Just like Dorothy, Hopper could be trapped in an alternate world that mirrors his own but is much darker and more dangerous. Welcome to Hawkins, indeed.
This theory definitely holds some weight when you look back at the video, since it's basically Hawkins turning into the version of the town that we often see when Will or Eleven flash into the Upside Down. It also brings us back to that voicemail from Murray Bauman [16], where he asks that Joyce call him back because he has some news that's "not good or bad, but it's something." Hopper being trapped in the Upside Down isn't bad because, hey, at least they know where he is, but it's not good because . . . well, he's in the Upside Down. Sure, he's been there before, and he has a pretty good handle of the layout, but it's bound to drain him before too long.
The idea that Hopper is trapped in the Upside Down also calls back to that heartbreaking final message [17] he left Eleven. He asked that she please leave the door open three inches — what if that's all he'll end up needing to find his way back home? If season four does end up taking this route for their new location, we hope the gang figures out how to rescue Hopper ASAP because something tells us they're in a race against time.
What's With the Clock in the Teaser?
A pretty prominent and loud element of the teaser is the presence of a grandfather clock buried within a tree. Throughout the short 45-second video, the ticking of said clock can be heard in the background as its hands tick past 11 o'clock. With every tick, the surrounding forest seems to fall into decay, with the familiar vines of the Mind Flayer wrapping around everything — even the show's logo. Soon the entire scene is corroded, and then the screen goes black, and the bell of the clock tolls, signaling the new hour.
This could be a reference to a few things: a metaphor for Eleven leaving behind her persona after she's lost her powers [18], the introduction of a new powered individual like Eleven (Number 12), general time passing by, or more interestingly, a time jump [19]!
We already know that each season follows a seasonal timeline. But with the circumstances of Joyce moving the kids [20] to get away from Hawkins and dealing with a rapidly growing cast [21], it wouldn't be farfetched for them to go beyond the standard year time skip. Imagine coming back to Hawkins in a time when the remaining members of the Party (Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Max) are older and have become complacent in the absence of the Upside Down. They wouldn't be able to sense the danger coming their way until it's too late. That would really take the It references [22] to a new level!
The ticking clock could also be a signal that someone's time is running out. The most obvious suspect is Hopper, who is undoubtably in trouble as everyone tries to figure out where he is and rescue him. It could also be that the town of Hawkins itself is running out of time, as it's once again taken over by the darkness of the Upside Down and all its creatures. It definitely seems like an old foe will be making a comeback that spells trouble for the sleepy little Hellmouth town.
Is That the Sound of a Demogorgon?
If the sound of the clock isn't deafening enough, the teaser also features the growling of a demogorgon. We thought we left the terrifying creatures back in season one, but as the season three postcredits scene revealed [23], they're definitely still around.
Obviously, the Russians aren't done with Hawkins or the Upside Down just yet, and we saw that they have a demogorgon in their prison. We can't put anything past them, so it's highly likely that they're planning on getting/creating a whole lot more. There's no reason why they couldn't create a whole army of demogorgons, especially if they have a certain doctor working for them [24] as well. And who knows what evil things they could do with even more demogorons at their service after they open another portal [25]?