Finally! Netflix officially announced that the hit '80s horror series Stranger Things will be back for season 2. Unfortunately, we don't have an exact release date, but we do know it will be sometime in 2017. Not only did we get confirmation of renewal from the streaming service, but we also got a new trailer.
The 56-second clip gave us even more than we expected. Not only that, but the creators of the show, brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, gave a few extra spoilers. They revealed a new major influence (James Cameron,) the number of new characters (four,) and the new setting (the world beyond Hawkins).
In terms of the trailer, though, we're trying to decipher all the subtle clues presented to us in the brief teaser without their help. Though with the assistance of this massive Stranger Things Reddit thread, we discovered some interesting clues.
First, we learned that the second season will be longer than the first, tallying a total nine episodes instead of the previous eight. As the signature theme song starts to play, the names of each episode come into focus and then fade away.
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Here's the best theories for what each of those titles mean.
1. Madmax
The first episode has a slightly different name than the rest of the series. It's just "Madmax." It could be referring to the '80s cult action/ post-apocalyptic film of the same name. Does this mean an action adventure is in store for the kids? Another commentary points out that the timeline of the movie's release (1981) doesn't match up with the 1984 setting, and offers another idea: a new character is introduced named Max. 2. The Boy Who Came Back To Life
We know that there are four new characters and that people can come to life (sorta) from the Upside Down (like Will did) so maybe another body is found in the dark, grimy world beyond and is brought back to life. 3. The Pumpkin Patch
Could this be a Halloween special? Is that too literal for the Duffer bros minds? Possibly. 4. The Palace
Since the Duffer brothers have mentioned that the Indiana Jones films will be an influence, this title could refer to a building, Pankot Palace, which is central to the plot of Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom.
5. The Storm
The vaguest of titles, this probably doesn't mean a literal weather storm, but rather a fury of violence, of terror, or of discovery. 6. The Pollywog
A "polliwog" is a tadpole. This could be what the kids called offspring of the demogorgons. Imagine the horror finding out there are multiple demogorgons around town.
7. The Secret Cabin
A secret hideaway to get away from the demogorgon's offspring, perhaps? This could be the episode where the cast finally ventures outside of Hawkins for refuge. Or for a fight. Even though Eleven isn't confirmed to reappear in season 2, this sounds like a good place for her to show up again and save the day.
1. Madmax
The first episode has a slightly different name than the rest of the series. It's just "Madmax." It could be referring to the '80s cult action/ post-apocalyptic film of the same name. Does this mean an action adventure is in store for the kids? Another commentary points out that the timeline of the movie's release (1981) doesn't match up with the 1984 setting, and offers another idea: a new character is introduced named Max. 2. The Boy Who Came Back To Life
We know that there are four new characters and that people can come to life (sorta) from the Upside Down (like Will did) so maybe another body is found in the dark, grimy world beyond and is brought back to life. 3. The Pumpkin Patch
Could this be a Halloween special? Is that too literal for the Duffer bros minds? Possibly. 4. The Palace
Since the Duffer brothers have mentioned that the Indiana Jones films will be an influence, this title could refer to a building, Pankot Palace, which is central to the plot of Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom.
5. The Storm
The vaguest of titles, this probably doesn't mean a literal weather storm, but rather a fury of violence, of terror, or of discovery. 6. The Pollywog
A "polliwog" is a tadpole. This could be what the kids called offspring of the demogorgons. Imagine the horror finding out there are multiple demogorgons around town.
7. The Secret Cabin
A secret hideaway to get away from the demogorgon's offspring, perhaps? This could be the episode where the cast finally ventures outside of Hawkins for refuge. Or for a fight. Even though Eleven isn't confirmed to reappear in season 2, this sounds like a good place for her to show up again and save the day.
8. The Brain
I'm hoping we find out who the "brain" behind all the government operations is.
9. The Lost Brother
Everything lost often gets found. Does this mean that there is already talk of a third season? We hope so. Many redditors believe that the word "lost" isn't referring to the physical definition of the word, but rather the state of feeling psychologically lost or possessed.
I'm hoping we find out who the "brain" behind all the government operations is.
9. The Lost Brother
Everything lost often gets found. Does this mean that there is already talk of a third season? We hope so. Many redditors believe that the word "lost" isn't referring to the physical definition of the word, but rather the state of feeling psychologically lost or possessed.
Let the anticipation and speculation begin. See you in 2017, Hawkins.