Stranger Things fans convinced Hopper is alive after spotting Joyce Byers clue at scene of explosion
STRANGER Things fans are full of hope after spotting a pivotal moment in the run up to Jim Hopper’s disappearance.
Fans of the Netflix sci-fi show have been fretting over the fate of Hopper (David Harbour) ever since the season 3 finale aired, looking for all manner of clues about his potential fate.
The leading theory is that he is in Russian custody, after a post-credits scene saw two guards talking about “the American” they had incarcerated.
Now some eagle-eyed viewers have found another hint that backs up the theory that Hopper survived the blast at the underground facility.
One Reddit user pointed out that Joyce closed her eyes ahead of the blast that saw Hopper disappear, meaning that a glimmer of hope was kept alive for her, just as it was for viewers.
They noted that since no body was recovered and nobody witnessed Hopper reaction to the blast, there’s reasonable grounds to suspect he’s alive.
User Gabbiegabbie wrote: “So I was re-watching the latest episode and thought to myself, we didn’t see Hopper die but Joyce did, and she would have known if he was still alive.
“But, Joyce (Winona Ryder) was closing her eyes when she shut down the machine and didn’t open them until Hopper was already supposedly dead.”
It’s fair to say Joyce could have missed something big by trying to spare herself from a potentially gory sight.
Perhaps a rift to the Upside Down opened up and Jim was pulled inside?
Others began to chip in with their own thoughts, drawing parallels between the perspective of Joyce and viewers.
“The cut to black for dramatic effect also mirrors Joyce’s eyes being shut - she doesn’t see it = we don’t see it… She thinks he is dead = we think he is dead,” one replied.
While another opined: “The way the scene is cut is meant to do exactly that - make us think he might have gotten out but… maybe didn’t."
The buzz comes after Dustin Henderson actor Gaten Matarazzo addressed fan theories that his girlfriend Suzie could be an undercover Russian spy.
He also suggested that Will Byers would be at the centre of a significant Upside Down twist.
Stranger Things seasons 1-3 are available to stream on Netflix now.