Things are hotting up in the town of Hawkins, Indiana as a new clip for season 3 of Stranger Things arrives just in time for summer. The Netflix series returns on Independence Day this year, which also happens to be the festive setting of this eagerly anticipated new series.
Stranger Things 2 was a Hallowe'en special and now July 4, 1985 in Hawkins will be just as much of a monster fest of a holiday. We saw in the official trailer, released in March, that a terrifying new creature is on the loose, but Eleven is still at the height of her powers - even if she is using them to prank Dustin upon his return from summer camp.
More positively, friendships are blossoming between Dustin and Steve, not to mention Eleven and Max, and romance is blooming between Joyce and Hopper, and Nancy and Jonathan are closer than ever. It's a good sign; the last thing we want is for this motley crew to grow apart as they grow up.
But a brand new clip is a strong clue that a previously minor character could be of strong importance this time round. It sees Mike Wheeler's mom (among other moms) relaxing by the pool and waiting for the appearance of their favourite lifeguard, Billy. Billy Hargrove made his first appearance in the second season as Max's bullying older brother. Angry as he was, we realised quickly just how troubled he was too, with his domineering attitude a result of his father's abusive treatment of him.
Billy has, hopefully, turned a corner by season 3. Though his flirting with Mrs. Wheeler is not unknown to Stranger Things fans. Is this the romantic sub-plot we can look forward to this summer? We hope not for the sake of Mike. There's also the possibility that he's actually going to disappear like Will in the first series, going by the title of episode three The Case of the Missing Lifeguard.
Meanwhile, there's a new kid on the block called Robin (played by Maya Hawke - the 20-year-old daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman). She's an alternative chick who works at the ice-cream parlour Scoops Ahoy in the Starcourt Mall alongside Steve Harrington. No doubt she's set to stumble across some dark happenings.
More Stranger Things 3 clues come in the form of a series of posters bearing the caption 'One summer can change everything'. Amongst some of the captions accompanying the artwork are 'One friendship can change everything' (featuring Eleven and Max), 'One Jopper can change everything' (Joyce and Hopper) and 'One Jancy can change everything' (Jonathan and Nancy).
We can draw few conclusions about the adventures of Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Will, Max and Lucas from these statements, but one thing's for sure: They're not kids anymore.
Stranger Things 3 hits Netflix on July 4, 2019.
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