[TV/Netflix] Stranger Things (Possible spoilers)

[BloodyAngel12]

I agree Hopper is likely still alive and is the "American" the Russians have, but what I don't understand is how he would even get to Russia if there's a new gate there. If the Upside Down is a mirror of our world then the distance to get there would be too great.

I still say the Russians took him with them when they evacuated before the US army turned up.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

I still say the Russians took him with them when they evacuated before the US army turned up.

How though? The room he was in blew up with no where to go but the gate. How would they take him before that or after?

[Selah]

Okay, so just finished S3 and I have a question. When did the Russians come into the story? From what I remember there were "reports" of Russian spies in S1 or S2 and that was it... so what am I missing?

[RangerDaz]

The Hopper disappearance is meant to justify why and how he goes from Fat body to Hellboy muscled badass body lol.

For me the best explanation is that he jumped to the other side.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

Okay, so just finished S3 and I have a question. When did the Russians come into the story? From what I remember there were "reports" of Russian spies in S1 or S2 and that was it... so what am I missing?

I'm not sure I follow what you're asking. Season 3 episode 1's opening is the first appearance of Russians in Stranger Things.

[RangerDaz]

Okay, so just finished S3 and I have a question. When did the Russians come into the story? From what I remember there were "reports" of Russian spies in S1 or S2 and that was it... so what am I missing?

I have a better question about the Russians... how did they managed to build a deep secret lab in a complete different country than theirs, right under the noses of all the local population?

Whoever builds a laboratory requires escavations, loads of building materials, bulldozers and other machines required for construction, and probably years from start to finish. Dont forget all the noise and traffic problems it would create in that location.

Suddenly a big shopping mall with a giant subterranean russian laboratory appears in the middle of an american village? Acording to the timeline, it should have been built between the end of season 1 (or even 2!) to start season 3.

Those russians are very efficient!

[Selah]

I'm not sure I follow what you're asking. Season 3 episode 1's opening is the first appearance of Russians in Stranger Things.

Right, supposedly in one of the episodes prior to S3, someone who Hopper considered a loonie called in about "Russian spies" and he writ them off. The only thing is, besides that one incident the Russians being there makes no sense. Were they established somewhere in the prior seasons and I just missed it?

I have a better question about the Russians... how did they managed to build a deep secret lab in a complete different country than theirs, right under the noses of all the local population?

Whoever builds a laboratory requires escavations, loads of building materials, bulldozers and other machines required for construction, and probably years from start to finish. Dont forget all the noise and traffic problems it would create in that location.

Suddenly a big shopping mall with a giant subterranean russian laboratory appears in the middle of an american village? Acording to the timeline, it should have been built between the end of season 1 (or even 2!) to start season 3.

Those russians are very efficient!

It is weird, what kills me more is, why were they trying to open the door to the other realm? It made no sense. Are they going to explain it in S4 or something?

[BloodyAngel12]

1983
Eleven is put in a sensory deprivation tank to watch a Russian spy in another location, and she encounters the monster

Sunday, November 6 1983
Season 1 starts

Saturday, November 12 1983
Season 1 ends.

Monday, December 12 1983
Epilogue: Hopper places Eggo waffles in a box in the forest.

Thursday, June 28 1984
The Russians try to open the Gate to The Upside Down with their own research program similar to the one in Hawkins National Laboratory. However, their efforts are futile. The scientists are given one year

Monday, October 29 1984
Season 2 starts.

Monday, November 5 1984
Season 2 ends.

Unknown Date
Murray Bauman's report has succeeded in closing Hawkins Lab.

Saturday, December 15 1984
Epilogue: The Snowball

Friday, June 28 1985
Season 3 starts.

Thursday, July 4 1985
Season 3 ends.
Dr. Owens and the U.S. military arrive at Starcourt and immediately takes over the Russian base.

Unknown date. 1985
At a prison in Kamchatka, the prison guards feed a prisoner to a Demogorgon. They also hold an American prisoner, but it is unknown who he is.

October 1985
Mike, Nancy, Max, Lucas and Dustin help Eleven and the Byers pack up their house. They share a tearful farewell with each other, before the Byers family along with Eleven move out of Hawkins.

Now the Russians must of figured out that door was easier to open at place that it already happened at. The story breaks and Hawkins Lab is closed and maybe a Russian spy gets hold of the real details that happened at Hawkins lab. The Mayor sells land to the Russians and they build a lab under Hawkins by disguising it as a new mall being built. I guess the Russians were trying to copy the Americans in a kind of arms race type deal.

[Ealyssa]

It is weird, what kills me more is, why were they trying to open the door to the other realm? It made no sense. Are they going to explain it in S4 or something?

The cages and eletric spears or the last scene weren’t enough hints ? Looks like they are capturing the beasts to use them as an infinite source of warhounds. Or at thevery least trying to understand their power.

The real question IMO is how do they know about the other dimension. As Aleksei said they tried multiple times in russia with differents keys, but always failed to open something because “the place is important“.

[Jotaux]

I have a better question about the Russians... how did they managed to build a deep secret lab in a complete different country than theirs, right under the noses of all the local population?

Whoever builds a laboratory requires escavations, loads of building materials, bulldozers and other machines required for construction, and probably years from start to finish. Dont forget all the noise and traffic problems it would create in that location.

Suddenly a big shopping mall with a giant subterranean russian laboratory appears in the middle of an american village? Acording to the timeline, it should have been built between the end of season 1 (or even 2!) to start season 3.

Those russians are very efficient!

They did it while building the mall. It was no secret a mall was being built. I'm no construction guy but I imagine they built a basement, started the building on top and while that was going on they started going deeper.

[Sanguinerd]

What if they wanted to use the gate as an actual gate to get from Russia to the US undetected or have the ability to open more gates from inside the upside down wherever they wanted.

The real question IMO is how do they know about the other dimension. As Aleksei said they tried multiple times in russia with differents keys, but always failed to open something because “the place is important“.

Eleven saw that demogorgon first when trying to spy on the Russians right so what if when Eleven opened that first gate by accident it also had some effect in Russia or something.

[Boricha]

Right, supposedly in one of the episodes prior to S3, someone who Hopper considered a loonie called in about "Russian spies" and he writ them off. The only thing is, besides that one incident the Russians being there makes no sense. Were they established somewhere in the prior seasons and I just missed it?

It is weird, what kills me more is, why were they trying to open the door to the other realm? It made no sense. Are they going to explain it in S4 or something?

They're going to use it as a weapon of course. An infinite supply of crazy monsters and a good prison to throw people in. This season seemed to be more absurdist and just having fun at the cost of realism. The Russian base under a mall is some top tier red scare conspiracy theory stuff. There's also lots of fight scenes where people really should have died or been seriously injured, but they kept it going because it was just fun to watch. I thought they handled it well enough. I wasn't too concerned with the logistics.

[PACOX]

"the American" in the end could also be Dr. Brenner. Could explain how the russians knew where to open another gate to the upside down.

I don't remember what happened to Murray, what his last scene was? I thought he got out.

- - - Updated - - -

According to the wiki Murray joined up with Joyce after the explosion and was escorted out of the facility by American soldiers. So you guys think the russians paid him a visist afterwards?

He definitely gets out (I thought is was clear but I guess it happened fast enough for a lot of people to miss). They were intercepted by the American soldiers and he quickly throws his hands up and says they are American so him and Joyce did not catch a bullet.

I was actually wondering why Hopper didn't run through the door they escaped through, it was where the machine was, and why they were just allowed to leave the scene.

[Shadowferal]

Seems like the next season will focus more on Hop.
hm...Vietnam veteran...

[Skizzit]

How though? The room he was in blew up with no where to go but the gate. How would they take him before that or after?

When El ended up in the Upside Down at the end of S1, she was able to find another door out someplace else. She came out in the hallway of the school nearby. My guess is Hopper either jumped into the portal right before it closed or was blown there and soon after found a door out but ended up in the Russians lap so they captured him and took him back to Russia when they fled.

I have a better question about the Russians... how did they managed to build a deep secret lab in a complete different country than theirs, right under the noses of all the local population?

Whoever builds a laboratory requires escavations, loads of building materials, bulldozers and other machines required for construction, and probably years from start to finish. Dont forget all the noise and traffic problems it would create in that location.

Suddenly a big shopping mall with a giant subterranean russian laboratory appears in the middle of an american village? Acording to the timeline, it should have been built between the end of season 1 (or even 2!) to start season 3.

Those russians are very efficient!

I think people are overthinking things a bit. Remember, this whole series is an homage to cheesy '80s action and horror movies. Lots of times there really wasn't much in the way of an explanation as to why or how, crazy stuff just happened so that the movie could happen. I just look at the Russians building a huge underground base like that. They paid off the Mayor to build the mall as cover for building the base. That's really enough justification for me.

I was actually wondering why Hopper didn't run through the door they escaped through, it was where the machine was, and why they were just allowed to leave the scene.

You mean at the end? Hopper was stuck on the other side of the machine. When he tossed the Russian Terminator into the machine, something broke off and it was throwing off a laser looking thing that was spinning like a fan blade blocking the path back to the door.

[RobertoCarlos]

When El ended up in the Upside Down at the end of S1, she was able to find another door out someplace else. She came out in the hallway of the school nearby. My guess is Hopper either jumped into the portal right before it closed or was blown there and soon after found a door out but ended up in the Russians lap so they captured him and took him back to Russia when they fled.

I think people are overthinking things a bit. Remember, this whole series is an homage to cheesy '80s action and horror movies. Lots of times there really wasn't much in the way of an explanation as to why or how, crazy stuff just happened so that the movie could happen. I just look at the Russians building a huge underground base like that. They paid off the Mayor to build the mall as cover for building the base. That's really enough justification for me.

Yeah the show is more whimiscal/fantasy in tone. Its not realistic at all and doesnt really try to be.

I mean kids know better on the spot first aid training than most adults because "I skateboard"

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

When El ended up in the Upside Down at the end of S1, she was able to find another door out someplace else. She came out in the hallway of the school nearby. My guess is Hopper either jumped into the portal right before it closed or was blown there and soon after found a door out but ended up in the Russians lap so they captured him and took him back to Russia when they fled.

The only reason there was a gate for El to get back through was being of the Demogorgon opening small gates everywhere. We even see him come out of the same spot El does before. There should be zero reason for there to be another gate anywhere near there.

[RobertoCarlos]

Hopper was a total jerk this season. I dunno why hes so beloved. The only sympathic thing about him is his dead daughter/bond with eleven thing.

Lets look at what he does this season,

- Abuses his police privilege and basically tortures information out of people completely ignoring the law.
- Asks Joyce to go to dinner, says its not a date. Then continues to get upset and treat it like a date when she doesnt turn up. And being super passive aggressive about it for the rest of the season.
- Basically acts like a child whenever things dont go his way like Eleven hanging out with Mike too much or Joyce not falling over him
- Is a bully to nerds and flat out beats them up.
- Alcoholic

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

Hopper was a total jerk this season. I dunno why hes so beloved. The only sympathic thing about him is his dead daughter/bond with eleven thing.

Lets look at what he does this season,

- Over uses his police privilege and basically tortures information out of people completely ignoring the law.
- Asks Joyce to go to dinner, says its not a date. Then continues to get upset and treat it like a date when she doesnt turn up. And being super passive aggressive about it for the rest of the season.
- Basically acts like a child whenever things dont go his way like Eleven hanging out with Mike too much or Joyce not falling over him
- Is a bully to nerds and flat out beats them up.
- Alcoholic

And guess what, he still saved everyone.

[Shadowferal]

Even jerks can be heroes.