How Stranger Things Is Going (Should) to End.

STOP RIGHT NOW IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED SEASON 2! THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON!

Quick Recap:

Like most, I am a huge Stranger Things fan! I was honestly surprised that I didn't see more Stranger Things costumes during Halloween. Clayton was actually feeling a bit under the weather recently and we were able to binge about 5 episodes in one night. It only took us 2 days to finish. My first impression is that it was good...I'm still teetering, but I think I liked season 1 better. My BIGGEST reason for that is because of the introduction of #8. I am super into learning more about the backstory of 11 and the other kids the la experimented on, but I did not like the episodes with #8. I think it was rushed through and left a lot to be desired...At this point, she feels like an incredibly irrelevant character. The Duffer Brothers should have given us more context on the relationship between 11 and 8, or just cut that section altogether. I feel like I couldn't connect to her character at all the way that I did with everyone else in the series.

Other than that, I liked the plot of this season and I felt like the writers really increased the shock factor. I'll admit that I was not a fan of Bob, Joyce's bae, in the beginning, but when he died, I realized I had come to love him. I quickly got over when I remembered that Hopper and Joyce are meant to be and I need season 3 to make that a reality. I loved the Demo-dogs (not sure how the hell that's suppose to be spelled), and the way that those creatures developed. I'm glad they made them very similar to the original Demogorgon, instead of creating "new" monsters. The most intriguing part of this all, is when we saw Dr. Brenner again and he told 11 that she has a wound that continues to grow...pretty similar to the wound she had to close in the season finale. And lastly, I'm interested to see where the character of Max and Billy go...I was instantly connected to them after seeing the scene at where the father is yelling at Billy. I assume we will learn more.

Also, if you haven't heard, the Duffer Brothers intend this to be a 4 season series. So brace yourselves.

The Best Ending of All Time

Alright, so I was talking with a friend regarding our thoughts on season 2. We generally agreed about everything and started talking about what's next. I've read the theory that 11 may be the monster, and after finishing season 2, I strongly believe that is the way the Duffer Brothers are headed. Based off of that theory, I believe the show will go something like this:

First and foremost, Joyce and Hopper's relationship will continue to evolve romantically. They've been through so much together that at this point it is inevitable. Hopper will continue to grow his relationship with 11. After all, it seems that she is his daughter now. Will is doing fine and dandy for now, but they have only solved a temporary problem. The monster is no longer inside of Will, but that doesn't stop him from having True Sight. That giant sky monster is still out there, and Will will be forever connected to the Upside Down until it is destroyed. Will and 11 are very connected in a way. She's saved his life twice now, and Will is just as connected to the Upside Down as she is. Their relationship will become more sibling-like as the seasons develop.

It appears that the monsters in the Upside Down are getting stronger, as is 11. This is no coincidence. I'm not sure how, but I think we are going to see that 11 is the true cause of the Upside Down. I believe that these monsters are projections that she created while locked up in Hawkins Lab. I doubt she did this knowingly, but out of fear and confusion as a child in these experiments. At this point, the monsters are growing stronger and stronger and she's having to get stronger to control them. Things are going to come to a head, and in the end, 11 is going to have to die to end this....

While she develops meaningful relationships with Joyce, Hopper, and Will, creating the family she never had, Will will have developed his True Sight, and will come to find that the only way to stop this, is to get rid of 11. Joyce, of course, will always choose Will over saving anyone else, and Hopper will be forced to relive the loss of another daughter....Their little family will suffer, but in true 80's cinema fashion, they will all come together after the tragedy and Hawkins, Indiana will go back to a quiet, small town it was before.

What do you think?

Now there will obviously be mini stories within this main plot, like the relationship between Mike and 11, Dr. Brenner's story, and the development of Max and Billy. I don't think those mini-stories will have a huge part in the overall plot, hence why I only focused on 11 and her story. For all I know, this theory is totally off. The Duffer Brother;s might throw a huge curveball in the mix. Don't know, but I'm ready to find out!