It’s funny, sometimes I think I have like a sixth sense. Not in the case where I can see dead people we all know that I am not mentally strong enough to handle that kind of power. Like at all. First dead person I see I’m freaking out and bleaching my eyes. I don’t want that kind of gift thank you very much. No, I’m talking more in the way that I can kind of sense things coming… sometimes. Let’s take yesterday for an example. As I was getting ready for work I picked a Stranger Things t-shirt as my undershirt, dress professionally but still represent, and started thinking, “man, remember Stranger Things?” It felt like it had been so long since the show last aired and not only did I miss it but wondered if its return would have the desired impact. Nowadays a show can be absent only for so long before people start to lose interest. But then we got that random teaser with the scurrying rats. I have no idea what it meant, but got the impression they were running from something… a Demogorgon perhaps? This cryptic teaser, that the Deadly Class cast had some fun with, promised that something was coming soon and I was excited.

I’m not going to say that I willed this teaser into existence buuuuuut I’m not going to deny it either. You have to admit, this seems more than a coincidence. Feel free to send me your thank yous my way. I had a feeling that a trailer was coming soon, and with John Wick 3 announcing a trailer on Thursday, I figured the trailer would either be today or Friday. You don’t want to have to compete for trailer attention. But then again a trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood drops today too and… well, I’m overwhelmed.

All this is beside the point because the trailer for season three of Stranger Things is finally here. You know, watching the first season of this show is one of the most magical television experiences I can remember in recent memory. Binge watching with my sister that summer was such a fun experience. Getting her to catch up and then watching those last four or five episodes together was an absolute blast. Then the watching and re-watching and re-re-watching… I’ve missed Hawkins. A lot.

July is still quite some time away but this trailer serves a very specific purpose. It reminds us that Stranger Things is still out there waiting to tell us stories and that’s important. With the impending end of Game of Thrones right around the corner, it’s crucial that we don’t forget that there are other shows to return to. Can Stranger Things fill that void? It’s tough to say considering it’s a binge show, but I think people are more than ready to return to Hawkins and that’s what matters. I’m sure we’ll get another trailer as the release date gets closer but I’m happy that Eleven, Demogorgon, Hawkins, Dustin, Steve Harrington, and Hop are back in the public conscience. They’ve been gone for far too long.

Now, you guys want to break this baby down? Here we go…

• Immediately it’s hard to miss just how much older these kids are getting. I worry that they’ll age out before the series ends but I do think that there’s a time jump in our future. But the opening of this trailer reminds us just how tremendous the chemistry between these kids is. It also appears that Dustin is returning from camp? Maybe?
• Eleven using her powers for pranks by the way. I love how this little touch shows her growth as a character/young adult. She’s finding her voice and living, a theme that continues as we see her being a teenager with Max as they dance about and go to the mall.
• Any time you can include a version of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” in a trailer, you got me hook line and sinker.
• It looks like we’re going full ‘80s this season. From tube socks, local pools (lifeguard Billy ya’ll), the mall, and Nancy’s perm. I’m here for it all. That’s part of the charm of Stranger Things, all that ‘80s nostalgia.
• Both Hop and Joyce still seem haunted… Hop’s mustache is a glorious spectacle to behold.
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• Mike explaining, possibly, to Will that they’re not kids anymore hit all the emotional buttons. Look at Will’s arc, here’s a kid who has had his childhood ripped away and while he’s growing up with his friends a part of him wants to hold on to those D&D nights in Mike’s basement. The thing is, life is moving too fast and Will looks like he could be on the outside of the rest of the group’s maturation. Will’s story is the backbone of Stranger Things in a lot of ways and I couldn’t help but feel the need to hug him as he looked at that old Halloween photo. Seriously, how much more pain can Will Byers endure?! Show mercy!
• Steve Harrington! Mother/Babysitter of the year returns with goofy hat included! I can’t tell you how happy that secret handshake with Dustin made me. With time passing by I love that Steve has remained a part of these kids’ lives. “How many kids do you know?” says it all. On top of that, be sure to peep the hairspray bottle that Dustin is carrying at the trailers open. Another little touch that enhances the characters. Rest assured I will learn this entire handshake.
• It looks like the amusement park/carnival and the mall will be new primary locations for our cast. I love Eleven’s face as she seemingly walks into the mall for the first time.
• Hop wants to keep someone safe and one has to wonder if he’s talking to Joyce or Eleven. It’s interesting how that shot is spliced as we see Joyce first but immediately followed by Eleven in the in-between Upside Down.
• Man with gun in a room filled with ‘80s tube lighting. Dangerous and sweet visual.
• Is that Will in the shower with some of the Upside Down buried in his arm or is that just a nightmare? I thought he was rid of all that poison?
• Some quick shots of the kids running through a darkened mall, Lucas’s sister in an air duct, and some guy with a gas mask getting electrocuted. Anyone else getting a Dawn of the Dead vibe from this trailer? I’ve just got a feeling that whatever is chasing after our friends this season will force them to fortify in the mall.
• That shot of all the kids under the pink/purple lighting staring ahead at something… Best. Shot. Of. The. Trailer. Plus our first look at Jonathan.
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• Cary Elwes as the Mayor of Hawkins gets all my votes. This is another case of the Duffer Brothers including important actors of the ‘80s into their story. We saw this last season with Paul Reiser and Sean Astin… oh, Bob. Now I’m sad.
• Rats from the teaser running possibly from whatever the eff type of Demogorgon is revealed at the end. Seriously, that thing is scary and angry. We know the portal was closed at the end of season two but we also know that the Queen Demogorgon is looking for Eleven. Is this abandoned warehouse the way in for the Upside Down creatures?
• Eleven. Blindfolded. Super Market. Eggo aisle. That is all.
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• Too many quick splices to count but we get gunfire, the in-between Upside Down, Steve dancing (?!), a kiss, and a slingshot. Way too many awesome moments to keep track of and tons of little callbacks to the first season.
• All the chills and excitement just to hear the theme song and logo again… welcome back, friends!

There you have it Geeklings, a pretty extensive breakdown of the first season three trailer for Stranger Things. I’m happy with the work we did here. What did you guys make of it? Are you excited to return to Hawkins? What was your favorite part of the trailer? What do you expect from this season? Sound off in the comments or throw me a line on Twitter @iamgeek32. I think it might be time to give season two a re-watch… maybe season one too. Oh man, I’ve got all those Stranger Things feels! Let’s do this Netflix, don’t make me wait until July. Please?