Recent Stranger Things set photos appear to show a Hawkins trailer park engulfed by the Upside-Down’s vines, but why is this good news for the Netflix hit’s upcoming season 4? The first season of Stranger Things was an instant hit for directors the Duffer Brothers and has since gone on to become one of the biggest original programs created by Netflix. Over its three seasons, Stranger Things has won acclaim for its stellar cast and intriguing combination of mystery, sci-fi, and horror tropes.
The genres that Stranger Things manages to straddle might sound like an odd mix, but the consistent small-town setting allows the show to bounce between terrifying horror and sweet teen romance without either element becoming jarring or dissonant. As a result, recent photos from the set of Stranger Things' upcoming fourth season might be good news for longtime viewers of the series.
These photos show a trailer park consumed by the Upside-Down’s vine-like tendrils, leading fans to speculate the Upside-Down may finally spread into real-life Hawkins in the next series, or this may be another previously-unseen section of the Upside-Down. Whatever the case, this sight proves the Indiana town will be a major setting in Stranger Things season 4 despite the Byers, Eleven, and Hopper leaving Hawkins. Here are all the ways a Hawkins return is good for the show.
Why Stranger Things 4 Needs Hawkins
The small-town setting of Stranger Things is vital to the show’s mystery atmosphere, and its rare divergences from this milieu (like season 2’s sojourn to Chicago) have been fan-despised misfires that failed to capture the right scope and scale for the series. El’s visit to her secret sister Kali left many viewers and critics unimpressed as the episode led Stranger Things to sacrifice its small-town setting and the attendant tropes of its 80s horror inspiration; it was an interesting experiment but it didn't quite work. The small-town atmosphere of Hawkins allows the villainy of Hawkins Lab going undetected by the outside world (despite its creepy experiments) to feel believable, if far-fetched. In contrast, the reveal that the wider world is filled with Eleven-style super-powered experimental subjects is a touch too much for the somewhat grounded action of the series.
How Eleven & Mike (and Jonathan & Nancy) Can Be Reunited
Two of Stranger Things’ main couples, central romance Eleven and Mike and B-couple Nancy and Jonathan, were severed at the close of season 3 due to the Byers leaving Hawkins. The end of these two love stories was surprisingly abrupt and threw off the dynamic of the show's characters, with both Nancy and Jonathan and Mike and Eleven being gung-ho pairings who often drove the action. The question of Jonathan and Nancy’s breakup could be answered by Jonathan returning for a job in the reopened paper, and the sight of Hawkins in the new Stranger Things set photos could (hopefully) be proof the upcoming season will offer a reunion to the lovelorn pair.
As for Eleven and Mike, the fact El is one of few Stranger Things characters who has accessed the Upside-Down makes it seem more likely either she or Will Byers will be the character inhabiting the creepy netherworld these set photos display. This may not guarantee that the Byers will instantly return to Hawkins, but it does look like the most likely direction for the plot to follow. It’s possible that like Hopper in the second season of the series, a character who thus far hasn’t ventured into the Upside-Down will find their way inside, while Nancy Wheeler (who remains in Hawkins) has previously survived an encounter with the netherworld. But with El and Will being the characters who enter the Upside-Down most frequently (at will in the former’s case and unwillingly for the latter), it is more likely that the two Stranger Things stars are set to return to Hawkins and one with be inhabiting the ruined trailer park seen in the set photos.
How Hawkins Can Fix Hopper Siberia’s Plot
If Hopper ended up in Siberia via a gateway in Hawkins’ Upside-Down, there’s no reason he can’t return the same way. The Stranger Things antihero could even pick up a Mind Flayer-style parasite on the way through the dimensional portal - a la season 2 Will Byers - a twist that would make Hopper’s redemption from his callous season 3 self more engaging. This quick return to Hawkins could also avoid a multi-episode, trans-Atlantic journey for Hopper, a subplot that could otherwise see the aforementioned issue of the show broadening its small-town scope rear its head again. Seeing the presence of a Hawkins-based portion of the Upside-Down in these season 4 set photos reinforces the likelihood the town will be the season's main setting, meaning Hopper could return early on in season 4. This would also avoid a drawn-out Russian subplot few viewers would be excited about and ensure his reunion with Joyce, Eleven, and the rest of the cast. The Upside-Down providing a solution to Hopper’s Russian exile could also offer Stranger Things another chance to explain how the portal works, something fans have wondered about throughout the series.
Why Stranger Things 4 Could Still Go Wrong
However, just seeing Hawkins in these Stranger Things set photos may not be as promising as it seems. The show could still split its time between Indiana, Russia, and wherever the Byers are, creating an undesirable “3 lines, all waiting” structure for the season. This disjointed storytelling is something that could be remedied by the absent Byers family returning to the town of Hawkins in Stranger Things season 4, thus reuniting the central group and returning them to their adventures. Whether this Stranger Things reunion comes about via Christmas holiday, a move back to Hawkins for work or school, or another plot contrivance, the sooner the show brings its leading figures back together in one place, the better. This is why the sight of Hawkins in these set photos is exciting news for Stranger Things viewers, even if the town is looking a lot worse for wear thanks to the malignant influence of the Upside-Down.