Through two seasons, the most dominant criticism of Netflix’s series has been that the show perhaps over-relies on nostalgia (and under-relies on things like original story or true stakes). But with its season teasers, the show seems to playfully lean into this. Last year’s season two trailer brought viewers hero kids in uniforms and ample amounts of , and, for season three, the team has focused on another staple of 1980s American culture: the mall.
Bookstores! Old corporate logos! Whatever these people were thinking with those pants, that hair, and all the bright color! Made to lovingly look like an ad found on some old bootleg VHS, the new teaser delivers tons of style, though admittedly little substance. We learn Hawkins will be even more “Small town, USA” with the arrival of a mega-mall. We get a glimpse of Steve slinging ice cream with a likely soon-to-be-familiar co-worker (whom you can read a little about via casting news here). And… well, that’s about it.
Noticeably absent from this new teaser is any firm indication of timing for S3, although the ad says this new mall will arrive “next summer,” which could indicate a bit of a delay for fans. The first teasers for S2 infamously showed up during the 2017 Super Bowl, giving fans about a 10-month heads up before the Halloween-ish premiere. Ten months from now would put S3 around mid-May 2019. That would roughly mirror the summer-release timing of S1, though again, there’s no firm word from Netflix on S3’s release date just yet. The company’s online media center lacks any S3 press materials, but the writers’ room has tweeted about post-production being in progress.
Whenever new episodes of surface, you can rest easy knowing that Ars will again be following along. While S2 may not have lived up to the unexpected delight of its predecessor, the show still had plenty to like, despite some obvious misgivings ( Malls traditionally make excellent places for showdowns between humanity and some super-powerful others, so that along with the show’s consistent dedication to era-appropriate tech/nerdom should, in theory, provide a good entertainment baseline.
Plus, maybe this teaser does give fans all the info they need to be excited for S3 after all. As we wrote when reviewing the last go-round in Hawkins, “I would personally watch an entire 50-minute show of Dustin, nerd tween, and Steve, high-school heartthrob, walking down the train tracks and discussing life.” Let’s make it a food court instead and work on a quick release date, OK Netflix?
