Hopper’s fate and possible survival.
Season 3 of Stranger Things saw the main cast splitting into three groups as they dealt with different threats that eventually merged into one, requiring the combined efforts of the whole gang, as well as a couple of sacrifices. Billy Hargrove redeemed and sacrificed himself to keep the monster away from Eleven and the rest, Hopper also sacrificed himself when it was time to close the gate (though it’s very likely that he’s still alive, somewhere), and Eleven lost her powers. And yet, the biggest shake-up was the revelation that the Russians weren’t just experimenting underneath Starcourt Mall, but also at a base in Kamchatka.
The mid-credits scene was brief but dropped some very important hints at what the Russians are up to, making way for a bunch of theories. Stranger Things season 4 might not arrive as soon as fans would like, so concrete answers on the Russians' experiments will have to wait – however, when looking back at season 3, there are a couple of hints that can give an idea of what the Russians have been doing and what can be expected from them in the season.
The Russians Are Opening Various Gates
Stranger Things season 3 began with a look at the Russians’ attempts to open a gate to the Upside Down at a Russian base, but the machine failed and closed the gate before exploding and killing the scientists nearby. A Soviet general named Stepanov then told fan-favorite Alexei he had one year to fix it. Alexei and company later realized that, in order to successfully open the gate, the location of the machine, referred to as “the Key”, was very important, and given that one had already been open in Hawkins, the fabric of space-time was still vulnerable enough for them to open another with the Key.
Alexei later revealed that there were other Keys around Russia, but the only one that worked as intended was that underneath Starcourt Mall. This implies that various gates were at least partially opened at different spots in Russia, just like the one shown at the beginning of the season. The reasons behind the efforts of the Russians to open various gates to the Upside Down are unknown, though it wouldn’t be surprising if their goal was to spy on the Americans or even use what they find there as weapons.
The Russians Have A Demogorgon (& Prisoners)
The Dr. Brenner has been working with the Russians for a while now, which would explain how they know so much about the gate and how they are able to contain a Demogorgon (and not die trying). Brenner’s guidance could be key to the Russians handling the Demogorgon – he would definitely know that it likes to feed on humans, as he was attacked by one – and even using it to their advantage.
The aforementioned scene also showed that the Russians have (at least) one American prisoner, which they are keeping alive for whatever reason. A big part of the Stranger Things fandom is convinced test subjects from Hawkins Lab.
The Russians Might Have Their Own Gifted Children
If the Russians are experimenting on people, just like Brenner and company at Hawkins Lab, then it’s very likely that they already have their own gifted children. In one of the Stranger Things tie-in comics, Brenner tells another test subject from Hawkins Lab, named Francine, that they are “not the only program like this in the world”, and that with her help, Eleven’s, and the rest of the children, it’s a war they will certainly win. Of course, how successful those other experiments have been is unknown, as well as what the effects of these could be.
Back in November, is was reported that Stranger Things will add four new characters, all of them male and three of them teenagers. That said, it wouldn’t be surprising if these were some of the gifted children from Russia – and, again, if Brenner truly ed the Russians, they could be a parallel to Eleven, Kali, and any other kid Hawkins Lab experimented on that hasn’t been introduced yet, finally giving Eleven an adversary of her same calibre.
What The Russians’ Experiments Mean For Stranger Things Season 4
The Russians’ experiments are a big shake-up for the series. Them opening multiple gates on different parts of the world represents a bigger threat to this dimension, and it wouldn’t matter at all that the one in Hawkins was closed. Even if Brenner was on their side, Mind Flayer), so opening various gates would also mean that different creatures can enter this dimension.
The Russians keeping a Demogorgon is also a big concern, as they could be experimenting on it and could even turn it into a weapon. As for the prisoners, it’s already alarming that they are holding people captive, and even worse if they are using them as the creature’s food. Using them as test subjects is also dangerous, and if those experiments are resulting in gifted children, then the Hawkins squad could be in big trouble – more so because Eleven is now powerless. Stranger Things season 4 is on its way to be the one that changes the formula of the series, which has been pretty much the same in three seasons: a threat from the Upside Down and Eleven saving the day with her powers. The big menace might not be coming from the other dimension this time, but from the other side of the world, and could have much bigger implications than a monster.