Much like the last season, this year too, we are introduced to some new faces in the opening episode. We see a few Russians conducting a science experiment and this, in some way, is connected to the world of upside down. We already know that Hawkins had been a centre of some Frankenstein-like experimentation and now it’s revealed that this is also connected to the cold war. The setup is intriguing but if it holds for an entire season, is yet to be seen.
The young kids of Hawkins are teenagers now and as expected, much of their time is spent in figuring out the sorrows of young love. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) are dating and Hopper (David Harbour) is hating it. Will (Noah Schnapp), on the other hand, is still caught up in the trauma that he faced in the opening season. The moment this boy starts touching the nape of his neck, you know it’s a signal for incoming danger. But looks like this time his mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) is ahead of the curve.
Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) still remains the coolest kid on the block. His banter with Steve (Joe Keery) makes for the best scenes from the first two episodes. Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) have teamed up again this year and they are on to something big. Billy (Dacre Montgomery), who didn’t have a substantial part last season, is the key to the mystery this year. His experience with the upside down world is going to get worse and the premise for the same is introduced in the first two episodes.
The mystery is yet to unfold but from the clues that we have gotten so far, Stranger Things 3 is off to a good start.