Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things Season 3.
Stranger Things Season 3 is out, and following its pretty crazy mid-credits sequence, fans are already wondering where Season 4 will take the popular Netflix series. Some have speculated a holiday-themed season (or special) is on the way, while others think another big event will set the stage for the show's next chapter. No, we're not talking about St. Patrick's Day or Easter, but the Chernobyl disaster.
It may sound a little crazy, but after considering this recent theory posed on Reddit by u/gamernation, it isn't that hard to believe. To start, _Stranger Things Season 3 takes place during the Summer of 1985. This theory suggests that Season 4 of Stranger Things will hop forward again, but this time pick up in the Spring of 1986.
This is when the Chernobyl disaster happened, in which a Soviet power plant had a nuclear disaster with devastating consequences. For more details on that, reference the hit HBO series Chernobyl, but for the sake of brevity, it was a horrific accident and widely publicized event. With Russians now in Stranger Things and the event so near, will it play a part in Season 4?
Stranger Things isn't an entirely historically accurate show, but it does pay homage to major events (and products) of the 80s quite a bit. It isn't hard to believe Chernobyl would be referenced even if the timeline for Season 4 didn't match up with the same year. This feels especially true now that Russians are firmly injected into the story, and more scenes could take place behind the Iron Curtain.
For example, what if the disaster was a front or distraction to explain away the mysterious experiments happening in the Soviet Union? Or, what if the Chernobyl incident is actually the doing of Upside-Down related experimentation, or a big battle in which Eleven attempts to close the Russian portal after getting back her powers? The Duffer Brothers probably don't even have the major beats of Season 4 plotted out yet, so the possibilities are endless.
The Chernobyl disaster has been in the news a lot lately, thanks in no small part to HBO's acclaimed miniseries based on it. Provided this theory is accurate (not all theories are), perhaps the show could play on that by bringing in an actor or two from the miniseries. With that said, one has to wonder if audiences may find a plot line that involves Chernobyl insensitive, especially given the impact the miniseries has left on audiences.
Granted, it took around two years for Season 3 to come out following Season 2, so the current buzz surrounding Chernobyl and level of outrage over using it for a Stranger Things story line could fade. It's certainly an interesting theory, but with the way the young cast is aging, it seems the Duffers would be better served to take the story beyond that. Then again, Season 3 jumped ahead less than one year, so who knows?
Stranger Things Season 3 Has A Notable Error, But It's No Coffee Cup
CinemaBlend doesn't have the details right now, but will be sure to update readers on the progress and details of Stranger Things Season 4 when it becomes available. Stick with us in the meantime for more on the hottest television shows and a look at what's happening in movies.
