We’ve been dying for some good Stranger Things season 3 theories, and these new characters give us a glimpse of what we might expect from the new season.
We recently got our first clues about what we can expect from Stranger Things season 3. There were two big reveals recently. Three new characters were announced and some casting information was released, including who was cast as new character Robin. With so many new faces in Hawkins (and more screen time for returning ones!) there is a lot that could happen in season 3.
Related: Stranger Things 2: Why we love Lucas’ little sister Erica and want to see more family in season 3
Here are our best Stranger Things season 3 theories and what these new characters might mean for Hakwins, Indiana.
Major Larry Kline
What we know:
Early information about Major Kline revealed that he is a pathetic and self-interested politician. A casting call went out for a male, age 40s to 60s.
What characters he might interact with:
Unlike some of the adults in the series, who spend a lot of time with our teenage heroes, Major Kline’s political angle makes it seem like he’ll spend more of his time with adults. He’ll likely interact with Hooper and whoever is left at Hawkins Lab.
If they’re still around next season, it also seems likely that he’d interact with Barb’s parents. Her death is the most political issue we’ve seen in Hawkins so far, and he’d likely want his place in her story. That tragedy-baiting certainly fits with the “pathetic” label.
What we want to see:
A pathetic and self-interested politician might not be the ideal way to bring a political conversation to Stranger Things, but it certainly gets the job done. I hope that this character will be a way to start answering some of the more difficult questions Stranger Things has left us with. How do we punish bad guys? What can we do about PTSD (which I definitely think more than one of our Hawkins favorites will be struggling with in the coming episodes)?
His self-interested nature might lead him to try and take advantage of Eleven’s powers — and maybe even lead him to try and take advantage of others.
Bruce
What we know:
Bruce’s character description positions him as a different kind of monster for Stranger Things: he’s described as sexist, overweight, and bedraggled. He will be a morally compromised news reporter in his 50s.
What characters he might interact with:
The first character I think of when when it comes to reporters is Murray Bauman, a reporter and private investigator who works with Nancy and Jonathan to get justice for Barb in season 2. In Stranger Things season 3, we might see Murray and Bruce interact. Considering their history with Murray, it also seems likely that Nancy and Jonathan would interact with Bruce. As a reporter, he’s likely to stir up trouble interacting with anyone and everyone in Hawkins.
And no set of Stranger Things season 3 theories is complete without a good conspiracy theory. If this theory proves to be true, Bruce might not make any lasting relationships in Hawkins.
What we want to see:
New bad-boy-in-town Billy made room for Steve’s redemption arc in Stranger Things season 2. With a bigger bad guy in Hawkins, will we get to see a more nuanced side of Billy? I think that’s likely. A reporter also has plenty of ways to stir up trouble for Hawkins lab. I know he’s supposed to be “morally compromised,” but I’m hoping he starts letting out a few more of the lab’s secrets.
And, look, if we have to have a sexist reporter and he has to interact with Nancy, I want her to have the opportunity to go off on him. Nancy proved throughout the first two seasons that she could hold her own against monsters. I want her to prove that she can defend herself with words as readily as she can with a shotgun.
Patricia Brown
What we know:
The casting call for Patricia says they’re looking to cast a woman in her 70s. According to information we have so far, she’ll spend a lot of time gardening and giving advice to the kids in her neighborhood.
What characters she might interact with:
We speculated here that Patricia might be Dustin’s new bestie. Now that he’s learned about hair product and girls from Steve, he might be open to a new, wise mentor. We can see her putting him to work in the garden or offering him some lemonade as she gives him advice — on monsters or girls, whatever expertise she has to share. She could potentially give advice to any number of our other favorite Hawkins kids from Eleven to Will to Erica.
What we want to see:
She may be a sweet little old lady, but I’m immediately suspicious of any adult on Stranger Things. I didn’t completely trust Hopper until season 2 and I wasn’t sure of Bob’s intentions until it was too late. Patricia might bring some secrets of her own to the story. I’d like to trust her — and I certainly hope she leads our Dusty in the right direction — but I’ll be keeping my eye on her.
If she proves to be trustworthy, I’d love to see her interacting with Eleven. El has found some wonderful support systems in Joyce, Hopper, and Mike. With her still searching for answers about her childhood, though, someone with deeper roots in Hawkins and a memory that reaches back decades could provide her with some of the answers she’s looking for.
Robin
What we know:
Robin is the only new character who has been cast so far. She’ll be played by Maya Hawke. She’s described as an alternative girl who is both sharp and playful. When she gets bored with her mundane day job, she’ll uncover a dark secret in Hawkins.
What characters she might interact with:
Hawke is 19 years old, just a few years younger than the actors who play Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve. From what we know, Nancy and Jonathan will be entering their senior year next season. It seems likely that Robin will be their same age and will interact with the two of them the most.
Her character description does describe her as having a “mundane day job,” however, which would fit better with someone no longer in high school. Provided that his mom-duties didn’t take him away from him school work too much, Steve will have graduated and may be someone Robin interacts with more. Robin may also work with Joyce or interact with the other adults in Hawkins.
What we want to see:
Though some people are speculating that Robin will be a new love interest for Steve, I hope Steve keeps his sights on soccer-mom duty and college. I think it would be more interesting for Robin to develop a friendship with Nancy. Since Barb’s death, we haven’t seen Nancy with any good friends, especially not female ones. It would be awesome to see these two ladies team up.
The mystery Robin uncovers might have to do with the deep, dark secrets of Hawkins lab. We know Eleven and Eight, but we still don’t know what happened to all the other numbered patients Hawkins had all those years ago. With no closure for Doctor Brenner or Eleven’s mom, there are still plenty of secrets to uncover.
Erica Sinclair’s Squad
What we know:
Erica actress Priah Ferguson has been upgraded to a reoccurring series cast member. She’ll certainly be getting an upgrade in terms of storytelling: she’s got a new squad of friends and she’s ready for a mission to save the town from a dangerous new threat.
What characters she might interact with:
We can speculate a little bit more about Stranger Things season 3 theories with Erica since we already know her. We don’t know anything else about Erica’s new friends, not even how many there will be. It does seem like Erica will be spending most of her time with them.
They’re likely to have a scene or two with Lucas, but it seems even more likely that Erica will want to stay away from her “nerdy” older brother. I can see her getting along well with Max, though who knows how that will go now that Max is maybe-dating Lucas.
What we want to see:
We definitely want to see more of Erica’s sass, which is what made us love her so much in season 2. Seeing more of Erica leaves the door open to seeing more of everyone’s family members, including the non-Steve, non-Joyce moms of the show.
As for the dangerous, unexpected threat that Erica and her friends face, I think it might have something to do with Eleven’s sister Kali. I don’t think Erica will get totally sucked into the mystery of the Upside Down and the Mindflayer, but Kali’s powers — and Eleven’s other long-list siblings — may give her enough danger and mystery to grapple with.
Those are all the Stranger Things season 3 theories we have for now, but there are sure to be more theories to come as we get more information about the newest season. We’ll be sharing it all here!