Stranger Things Season 3 Ending Explained: The Battle of Starcourt Mall

For those who might have forgotten, Stranger Things 3 was deeply influenced by the rising mall culture of the 1980s, with the Starcourt Mall being a central location for much of the season’s action. However, this seemingly innocent shopping center was a front for a covert Soviet research facility beneath it.

The Russians had established the first Key to the Upside Down on American soil, and it turned out to be crucial in their plans (though, as one Soviet mentioned, there were likely more in Russia, but none as successful as the Hawkins Key).

As Steve, Dustin, Erica, and Robin uncovered the Key, they quickly alerted Hopper. Hopper devised a plan to infiltrate the Russian base and shut down the machine with the help of Joyce and Murray, the conspiracy theorist.

Unfortunately, the plan went awry when Hopper had to fight a Russian assassin, preventing him from joining Joyce in the control room. Joyce, on the other hand, managed to deactivate the machine, possibly at the cost of Hopper’s life.

While Joyce wanted to investigate the result, Murray escorted her away to avoid the approaching Soviet soldiers.

Everyone’s Gone Their Separate Ways

After the events at Hawkins, Eleven and the Byers family relocated to California, meaning that Will was no longer with his friends from the D&D group, and the couples Jonathan/Nancy and Eleven/Mike had to deal with being apart.

Before leaving, Eleven and Mike promised to meet up for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with Eleven telling Mike she loved him. Their relationship seemed to be going well when season 3 ended.

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Nancy didn’t make any specific promises, although Nancy did offer Jonathan the option to stay in her basement if he ever wanted to.

“No, not the American.” A quick teaser in a Russian facility hinted at a prisoner being fed to a creature from the Upside Down. Just before the prisoner was taken, one of the guards unlocked another cell.

This moment seemed to hint that Jim Hopper could be alive, though we’ll have to see how Stranger Things season 4 develops that storyline.

Billy’s Final Act

Billy, after being possessed by a creature from the Upside Down, was brought back to himself when Eleven used her powers to connect with his mind and share a memory of his childhood. This emotional experience led Billy to stop the Mind Flayer from harming the kids.

Sadly, Billy met his end when the Mind Flayer impaled him. His death deeply affected his stepsister, Max, despite their complicated relationship.

Eleven Loses Her Powers

After being bitten by the Mind Flayer, a piece of it remained inside Eleven, causing her to lose her powers. Though this was believed to be a result of the bite, she still had no abilities when the Byers family moved to California three months after the battle.

By the time season 4 starts, Eleven is still grappling with her identity without her superpowers.

Dustin’s Hacker Girlfriend, Suzie

Throughout season 3, Dustin talked about his girlfriend, whom he met at camp. Toward the end of the season, the team discovers that Suzie is real, and she is exceptionally skilled with computers.

The Kids Are in High School Now

In the three years since the previous season, the characters have grown older. However, in the Stranger Things universe, it’s only been about six months since season 3, which took place during the summer of 1985.

The younger kids are about to start high school, and their experiences are expected to be even scarier than battling the Upside Down monsters.

Erica Becomes More Involved

After being an integral part of the team that uncovered the secrets of the Starcourt Mall, Lucas’ younger sister, Erica, became a fan favorite. She’s now more involved in her brother’s life and even has an interest in D&D.

Despite Will’s attempt to leave all things D&D behind in California, Erica quickly gets her hands on his old D&D books, indicating that she’s going to be part of that world too.

Eleven’s Medical Journey

While much of season 3 focused on the conflict with the Russians and the mall, it’s worth remembering that Eleven had her struggles. Season 1 introduced Dr. Martin Brenner, a scientist who worked at the facility where Eleven grew up.

He manipulated her into calling him “Papa” as part of the cruel experiments he subjected her to. Eleven escaped, leaving him to face the Demogorgon. Brenner was initially presumed dead but was later revealed to be alive in season 2.

At that point, Dr. Sam Owens took over from Brenner, adopting a much more compassionate approach to Eleven and working closely with Hopper. With Dr. Owens appearing in the trailer for season 4, it’s clear that the series will revisit Eleven’s past.

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