The hit supernatural sci-fi Netflix series, Stranger Things, has taken the world by storm and become a massive modern pop culture staple in just three seasons. Even though the filming of Season 4 has been delayed due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, fans from all over are highly anticipating the show’s return. Despite the excitement around getting to see our favorite characters again and what happens next in the story, there is concern that we may never get answers to some of our biggest questions. Adding to that, it seems that after each season, there are even more questions swarming around our skulls than answers.

Here are some of the many questions fans need answered before the Duffer Brothers call it quits on Stranger Things.

What is the goal of Hawkins National Laboratory?

Hawkins Laboratory is essentially the cause of all the problems the small town of Hawkins, IN is facing, such as the Upside Down, Demogorgons, and little girls with superpowers. Their mysterious experiments have put the whole world in danger, but for what purpose? Did they intentionally open a portal to the Upside Down? If so, how did they know about it? How do they choose which people to experiment on? What is their end goal with all of these experiments?

It could be that they want to build weapons or an army against the Russians, given when the show takes place, or it could be that this agency has gone rogue and wants to use this against the American government to take over. It does not seem they have been reporting their findings to any higher authority, which is extremely suspicious. Either way, an exact answer needs to be specified before the show comes to its inevitable close some day.

Who are the other experiments and what sorts of mental powers do they have?

One of Stranger Things protagonists, Eleven, is known for her telekinetic powers she likely received from being experimented on at Hawkins Lab. Since she was dubbed “Eleven,” it’s safe to assume that there were at least ten other people the mysterious scientists experimented on. We know of Eight, a.k.a. Kali, after meeting her in Season 2. She also has mental powers like Eleven has, except they work a little differently. Kali is able to induce mental hallucinations, causing her target to see or hear something that isn’t actually there. Other than Kali, there haven’t been any other confirmed experiments.

Who are these other experiments? Eleven’s mother could be one of the numbered experiments, but it’s unclear if she counts or if only children received these numbers. It’s safe to assume that the other experiments have some sort of mental abilities as well. Perhaps there is someone out there who can read minds or tell the future. It could be a lot of fun to get to meet these other characters who have been experimented on, assuming they are still alive.

Why are Eleven’s powers dissipating?

Toward the end of Season 3, Eleven’s powers began to fade until she couldn’t use them at all. It’s a bit sad considering these abilities are an extension of her, like we use our hands to hold things or our legs to walk. She uses them to close doors and even communicate with her boyfriend. She must feel pretty empty after losing them.

What was the cause of this, though? Did the Mind Flayer drain them? Did she use them too much? Is she dying? Is the door to the Upside Down closing and cutting any connection she has to it? Is there a way for her to get them back? Only time will tell, assuming we actually ever find out.

What is Hawkins’ connection to the Upside Down?

Why is all this paranormal activity happening in Hawkins, IN? It’s clear that this is where the door to the Upside Down is, but why? Perhaps the scientists of Hawkins Lab opened that doorway? Did Brenner and the other scientists choose this location because it had a stronger paranormal connection somehow? If so, how does it have this connection before the lab is established?

Season 3 shows that the Russians have a Demogorgon of their own, which they must have gotten during their time under the Hawkins Mall. This indicates that Hawkins is the epicenter of all this paranormal activity, but many fans would like to know why this town is chosen out of any place on Earth.

Are there other places that have the same connection to the Upside Down?

As stated, Hawkins appears to be the epicenter of all this paranormal activity involving the Upside Down and mental abilities, so much so that even the Russians needed to go there for their own needs. However, it does make one wonder if there are other locations around the world that may have the same connection to the Upside Down that Hawkins has.

We may never actually get an answer to this one, but it’s difficult not to think about whether or not there are Demogorgons lurking around an uninhabited island or mountain, or if there are Demodogs running amok in another small town. It’s certainly possible that all these paranormal sightings that are reported, like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or demons and portals to Hell in abandoned mine shafts are actually linked to the Upside Down somehow.

Are there dimensions other than ours and the Upside Down?

For much of Stranger Things, the viewer gets to see both our world and the Upside Down. If there’s a dimension other than our own like the Upside Down, it’s certainly possible that there could be other dimensions out there as well. It’s doubtful that we’d ever see if that’s the case since that’s not the focus on the series, but the idea has a lot of potential and does make one think.

It’s interesting to think about what those other dimensions could look like. Maybe they have something like the Demogorgon or the Mind Flayer, or something even worse. There’s likely other horrors from another dimension wreaking havoc somewhere else within this world.

What is the Mind Flayer’s goal?

The Mind Flayer is easily the biggest threat faced by the core character group. He’s a giant, terrifying entity that rules over the Upside Down and controls the Demogorgons and the rest of the otherworldly creatures. He’s clearly evil and wishes harm to Eleven and her friends, but we don’t exactly know why. In Season 1, the Demogorgon just seemed like a wild animal that needed to eat. However, in Seasons 2 and 3, we discover that the Mind Flayer wishes to build a large enough army and build up enough power to defeat Eleven since she is the only one strong enough to stop him. The question is, though, what is she strong enough to stop him from?

On the surface, he appears to want to take over our world to either expand the Upside Down or transform our world into the next Upside Down. Simple “world domination” seems a bit lame and uncreative compared to the rest of the otherwise well thought-out show. Even if it is world domination, what happens after the Mind Flayer achieves that? What would he want to do then? There must be an actual reason for these constant attacks in Hawkins, and it’s probably more than killing Eleven, being connected to Will, or wanting to take over our world.

Will the citizens of Hawkins, IN ever know or care about all the death that has happened?

Throughout Stranger Things, there have been quite a few characters who have met their end, including Barb, Bob Newby, Billy, several nameless citizens, and more. If Hawkins is such a small town, these deaths and disappearances would be the primary topic of gossip among the townsfolk. However, it seems as though they’re completely oblivious to everything happening. At first, most of it was kept a secret. Now, though, there have been many casualties, and monsters have attacked places as public as a shopping mall in the 80s. People would have to know by now.

When Nancy speaks to Barb’s parents, they’re definitely sad about losing their daughter, but they also seem content with mourning their loss and moving on without any answers. Other people have died or gone missing, but no one else seems to notice. They’re too distracted with the new mall in town or their boring day jobs. With the amount of people dying or disappearing, one would think they would wake up to what is happening. Perhaps now that we are approaching Season 4, the rest of Hawkins will be aware of the monster attacks rather than just the core group of characters being the only ones who know anything. If not, it just sort of feels like a plot hole. It could lead to exciting changes if the citizens of Hawkins finally know and care about all the death happening around them.

There is unfortunately no current release date for Season 4 of Stranger Things due to the current pandemic, but hopefully it finally answers at least some burning questions. Each season so far has raised more and more questions, so it’s about time they begin answering them.