Stranger Things 3: Before watching upcoming season, a recap of what has happened on sci-fi show so far

The much-loved sci-fi thriller series  Stranger Things 3  arrives on Netflix on 4 July and will see the Hawkins gang get ready to take down a bigger, more dangerous threat. Season 3 comes almost 21 months of waiting, but is set just a few months after the events of its predecessor. So, here is a brief refresher to update yourself with some details that you may have forgotten. [caption id=“attachment_6926071” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] A still from Stranger Things 3. Image from Twitter[/caption] A new pair of siblings in town Max (Sadie Sink) is introduced as a tomboy, who enjoys skateboarding and arcade games. She moves to Hawkins after her mother marries Neil Hargrove. Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) is her muscle car driving step-brother with an unpleasant personality. He quickly becomes the subject of many girls’ appreciation in his high school but is seen to have an intense rivalry with Steve (Joe Keery). Chief Hopper adopts Eleven Season 2 saw Jim Hopper (David Harbour) take on the role of a father-figure for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). He kept her hidden in his grandfather’s hunting cabin in the woods to protect her from being tracked down by the scientists who had been conducting experiments on her for years. Dr Owens (Paul Reiser) helps Hopper acquire a fake birth certificate for Eleven that officially declares her as his daughter. Eleven tracks down her mother After a big argument with Hopper, Eleven sets out on a search for her mother Terry Ives (Aimee Mullins). She finds out that Terry suffered from major brain damage and is under the care of her sister Becky. Eleven is unable to communicate with Terry but taps into her memories, only to find out that Terry’s attempts to rescue her daughter from the Hawkins Lab were foiled by Dr Brenner (Matthew Modine), who eventually forced her to undergo electroshock therapy. She also finds her “sister” As she delved deeper into her mother’s memories, she discovered that there was another girl who was confined alongside her in Hawkins Lab. She leaves for Chicago to find out her “sister” Kali (Linnea Berthelsen). She heads a gang that kills people who wronged them in the past. A love triangle between Nancy, Steve and Jonathan We see Nancy’s (Natalia Dyer) inability to cope with the her friend Barb’s (Shannon Purser) death, which affects her relationship with boyfriend Steve. At a Halloween party, a drunk Nancy admits to not having any feelings for him. She eventually gets close to Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), especially after their sleuthing mission. They are a couple by the end of the season. Eleven sends the Mind Flayer back to the Upside Down Will (Noah Schnapp) is possessed by the Mind Flayer, taking over his body and creating destruction all over town. His mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) realises that the monster is vulnerable to warmth and draws it out of his body by exposing it to heat with the help of Nancy and Jonathan. In the climax, Eleven uses her telekinetic powers to shut down the gate to the Upside Down, severing the Mind Flayer’s connection with the human world. However, on the night of the Snow Ball dance, its silhouette is seen looming over the school. From the promotional material of the show released by Netflix, we know that season 3 takes place during the summer vacations of 1985. The gang have gone back to their normal lives, taken up summer jobs and are on “the cusp of adulthood.” This time around the centre of all chaos is the newly opened Starcourt Mall. This installment’s cast will also include Maya Hawke, Jake Busey and Cary Elwes. Many fan theories have surfaced on the internet, including one about the Hawkins gang breaking up, Billy and Max’s mom Susan being in danger based on the episode title Suzy, Do You Copy?, Eleven’s birthday celebrations and Billy being infected with a virus that turns him into a monster. The last theory may be accurate as the trailer suggests that he is the new host of the monster. Stranger Things has been created by the Duffer Brothers, who also executive produce the show alongside Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Iain Paterson.