Stranger Things decided to answer one of the biggest questions season 3 left before the new season even gets a release date, but this only highlights the show’s big problems. As a Valentine’s Day treat, Stranger Things dropped a surprise teaser, titled “From Russia with love”, which revealed that Jim Hopper is alive and imprisoned in Russia. Season 3 left fans wondering what truly happened to Hopper as his body (or what should have been left of it) wasn’t found, and the mid-credits scene teased the Russians have an American prisoner that they are keeping away from the Demogorgon (for now, at least).
Since then, fans had been coming up with lots of theories on who the American prisoner could have been, and the most popular options were Hopper and Dr. Brenner, two characters that could definitely be of use to the Russians. Now that it’s known that Hopper not only survived the explosion at the underground Russian lab but is also the American prisoner, the questions that remain are how he was captured, what the Russians want with him, and how he will escape and rejoin the Hawkins group – more so because Eleven lost her powers at the end of season 3, so knowing that he's alive and tracking him down will be harder.
While the reveal was exciting and many fans are happy (and relieved) to know that Hopper is alive, this also highlights Stranger Things’ biggest problems, which could end up hurting the series if the creative team behind it don't work on fixing them soon.
Stranger Things season 1 was released in 2016 and was a big hit thanks to its combination of sci-fi, horror, drama, and for all the 1980s influences it has, most notably the works of Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, and John Carpenter. Because everything was new and the audience was getting acquainted with Hawkins, the kids, the teenagers, the adults, the bad guys, and the Upside Down, everything went on smoothly for the team behind the series. The second season arrived in 2017 and got its dose of criticism, especially for the episode “The Lost Sister”, which took place outside Hawkins, but in general, season 2 got a positive reception, even if the show’s biggest problems began to show.
By the time season 3 arrived, these issues became clear: Stranger Things is scared of change. Not only its characters (especially Will), but also its writers. All three seasons have had the same structure, with a supernatural creature from the Upside Down threatening to create chaos in this dimension, at least two different groups trying to solve one part of the problem, and everyone joining forces at the end but Eleven being the one who ultimately saves the day with her powers. Not to mention, season 2's "controversial episode" left the door open for the inclusion and exploration of the stories of other test subjects like Kali, but season 3 went back to its safety net and completely forgot about her and any other kids from Hawkins lab. While it has been an effective formula so far, it has become repetitive, and following it again in season 4 would definitely hurt the series.
Hopper’s “death”, the Byers (and Eleven) leaving Hawkins, and Eleven losing her powers all pointed at season 4 taking a different direction, but the early reveal of Hopper’s survival shows that might not be the case after all, and fear of change continues to be at the core of Stranger Things – both in-universe and behind the scenes.
Stranger Things season 3 relied too much on shock value, with the deaths of Billy, new fan favorite Alexei, the supposed death of Hopper, and almost everyone being close to dying at some point (Nancy at the hospital, and Robin and Steve when captured by the Russians, just to name some). Hopper’s situation ended up being a cliffhanger but only for a couple of minutes as it was clear he was going to return, whether as the American prisoner or in some other way. The actual emotional value that his “death” had, especially after Eleven read the letter, has gone to waste now, and it proves that what happened at the Russian lab was just another of the many “shocking moments” included in season 3, and one that couldn’t even pay off properly.
The problem isn’t that Hopper survived – it’s how Stranger Things handled it. Obviously, fans were not going to be happy if Hopper was actually dead, but it would have given the series a much needed shake-up, prompting the writers to step out of their comfort zone and take the characters and story on different routes. It’s understandable, of course, that the team behind the series wouldn't let David Harbour and Hopper go just like that, given that they have become fan-favorites and a big part of the show’s heart, so the big reveal should have either arrived earlier or later.
Revealing in the mid-credits scene that Hopper is alive instead of just teasing an American man being held captive in Kamchatka would have been more effective, serving as a proper cliffhanger by leaving fans wondering how could that even be possible after everything that happened in the season finale. Or, simply, keep the secret until season 4 is released, and make his survival and return a proper part of the storyline. Revealing the “twist” ahead of the new season might work well as a marketing trick, but it probably won’t be that effective when incorporating it into the story, thus risking falling into the same old habits of refusing to embrace change.
Of course, not all hope is lost just yet, and Stranger Things can still learn from its past mistakes and do something different and more character-driven, finally leaving its old pattern behind. Hopper being imprisoned in Russia opens the door to many possibilities on his survival, return, and role in the Russians’ plans – as long as the writers work towards correcting the series’ problems for what could be the final season of Stranger Things.
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