This week, the news we’ve been waiting for finally arrived: Netflix renewed their terrific hit series “Stranger Things” for a second season. Even more, the announcement came with a teaser that revealed the titles of the nine episodes to come — “Madmax,” “The Boy Who Came Back To Life,” “The Pumpkin Patch,” “The Palace,” “The Storm,” “The Pollywog,” “The Secret Cabin,” “The Brain,” and “The Lost Brother” — setting fans to already theorize about what it could all mean for the series that will pick up one year after season one. And while we’ll have a long wait until 2017 to see what Matt and Ross Duffer have up their sleeves, some clues are emerging.
The writing and directing pair have already said to expect the next season to act more like a sequel than a direct followup (they’ve cited the influence of James Cameron), and that they plan to introduce new characters, and THR has some intel on what those roles will be.
First, it looks like Eleven (who might not even be coming back) will no longer be the only tweenage member of the cast, with the introduction of the 13 year-old Max, a tomboy of sorts who has a complicated relationship with her step-brother Billy. A potential series regular, Billy is 17 years-old, and is the kind of kid who has the rumor that he killed someone hanging over his head. He also drivers a Camaro. Last is Roman (who will be played by either a man or woman), a character in their 30s, who is suffering from a painful loss in their past, and is on a quest for revenge.
So, that’s intriguing stuff to think about for now, along with the fact that “Stranger Things” might already have an end game in mind. Latino Review reports that the series already has a five-season arc mapped out. Take this all with a grain of salt, because the source of this feels like a game of telephone, but apparently, before production of the first season started, Netflix approached the commerce secretary of state of North Carolina to discuss the NC Film Grant Program, and how it would apply to “Stranger Things.” The streaming service reportedly said they had five seasons of “Stranger Things” in mind, and wanted a guarantee that the incentives to shoot in North Carolina would still be applicable following the first year. The state couldn’t make any promises, Netflix headed to Georgia, and here we are. Could the Duffers have far more secrets about the show than their letting on? Perhaps.
But let’s take it one step at a time. There’s still plenty to come just in season two alone, and we can’t wait to dive into The Upside Down all over again.