Stranger Things 3: Is the (spoiler) still open?

If you’ve watched all three seasons of Stranger Things, you know that things aren’t always what they seem. With that in mind, we have to ask: is the Upside Down still open? Spoilers ahead!

If you haven’t finished Stranger Things 3 yet, you’ll want to stop reading this and go watch the rest of the season so it doesn’t end up spoiled for you.

The Upside Down has been a mysterious force that drives the actions of many characters while also leaving things largely unexplained. In season three, we find out that the Russians have been keeping the Upside Down open so that they can run experiments. Based on how things turn out for them, it appears they don’t have a grasp on it either.

At the end of the season, Murray, Joyce and Hopper take on the task of closing the opening so that the kids, but especially Eleven, won’t be in harm’s way. They still end up in trouble, but closing the opening gets them to safety.

Joyce and Hopper are interrupted by Grigori as they try to close the opening. He and Hopper end up down by the machine that incinerates anyone near it. Since Joyce can’t keep waiting, Hopper sacrifices himself. However, he might still be alive.

In Hopper’s speech to Eleven and Mike, he emphasizes leaving the door open three inches. While we know he had that rule at the cabin, it could also act as a message to Eleven to keep the Upside Down open so he can return. If that is the case, then we can reasonably assume that there’s a good chance that we aren’t done just yet with the Upside Down and there’s still a spot where it can be accessed.

Not to mention, we didn’t actually see Hopper incinerated, so there’s a chance he somehow escaped, which led him into the Upside Down. Given that the show made us think that the Upside Down was closed once before and it really wasn’t, it feels like a safe bet to say that it isn’t fully closed again.

It’s also possible the Russians have somehow figured out how to open the gate in Russia. If not, how would they catch a Demogorgon? And, how would the Demogorgon still be alive?

When the gate was shut the first time, all the Upside Down that was spreading in Hawkins seemed to die or at least become dormant. The Demodogs and Demogorgons would likely have died, too. That scene at the very end could mean the Russians opened the gate again.

What do you think? Is The Upside Down open again outside of Hawkins? Let us know in the comments below!