After an extended break–that for us personally, was far too long–Stranger Things is returning on July 4, 2019 with a season that throws the kids of Hawkins, Indiana into the summer of 1985, which as the teasers have hinted “will change everything.”
To prepare for the newest entry of the beloved Netflix showOpens in a new tab we’ve collected all of our most vital, exciting, easter egg-filled, and important coverage so you can get reacquainted with the world of Stranger Things before jumping into the top secret mystery of season three next month.
First, the final season three trailer:
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Season One

Though you’re probably very familiar with the first groundbreaking season of Stranger Things here are a couple of rad recaps to help you remember
A gorgeous animated recap of the season that started it all.Opens in a new tab
In case that’s not enough, we’ve also got this brilliant bit where Millie Bobby-Brown raps the first seasonOpens in a new tab.
Season Two

We took a unique approach to recapping season two with each episode centering around a certain angle, character beat, or moment. We’ve collected them all together below along with some post-mortem pieces that might give you some much-needed insight into where we left the characters at the end of last season.
Our season two premiere recap focused on the strangely somber return of the nostalgia-heavy showOpens in a new tab.
For episode two we pondered what it means to be normal in Hawkins, Indiana.Opens in a new tab
As we moved into the third episode the question on our minds was “What do you do if your bully is an interdimensional monster?”Opens in a new tab
Stranger Things is full of monsters but in this recap, we explored what it truly means to be monstrous in Hawkins, Indiana.Opens in a new tab (NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT OVER)
The fifth episode of the second season made us wonder just who we could trustOpens in a new tab.
In a season steeped in sci-fi homages, there was a lot of love for Ridley Scott’s classic space-horror chiller AlienOpens in a new tab.
In a vital but controversial episode, we got to learn all about Eleven and her originOpens in a new tab.
(NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT OVER)
Season two packed in the classic references and this entry focuses on all the radical Jurassic Park riffsOpens in a new tab.
(NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT OVER)
After the finale here’s a roundup of where we left all of the characters at the end of the sophomore offeringOpens in a new tab.
Season two introduced a really interesting new subset of characters who opened up some X-Men tinged potential for the futureOpens in a new tab.
It’s always fun to try and decipher all of the clues and homages in Stranger Things and here we uncover what the horror tropes utilized in this season can tell us about where we’re headed next.Opens in a new tab
Season Three

Heading into the newest entry of Stranger Things we’ve been keeping an eye on all the theories, reveals, tie-ins, and potential secrets that have already been teased.
If you’re looking for clues about where season three could be headed we looked back at some of the movies that were released in the year that the upcoming entry is set to see if we could decipher any hints.Opens in a new tab
One of the best ways to work out what might be going on this season is to check out our breakdown of the first full trailer for Stranger Things S3Opens in a new tab.
We explored very intriguing theory about Eleven and the maniacal mind flayerOpens in a new tab that might play a big part in season three.
In case you didn’t already know Netflix has been building up the mystery of Stranger Things with the release of a behind the scenes book which introduced a new enigma in the shape of some morse code messaging.Opens in a new tab
Keep your eyes peeled as we’ll be updating this piece with all our season three thoughts when the show hits.
You can watch season one and two of Stranger Things on Netflix now and season three joins the streamer on July 4th!
Images: Netflix