Stranger Things 2: air date, episodes, theories & everything you need to know 

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More \'80s than a John Hughes movie marathon, Netflix\'s

was the surprise TV sensation of 2016. Seriously, post-July, people just wouldn\'t shut up about it.

Eleven, the Upside Down, the Demogorgon, Steve Harrington\'s hair... All became iconic overnight.

Six weeks after the first eight episodes dropped, Netflix confirmed a second season (though it later transpired that they\'d been lying to us, the swines, and had already ordered more before the show had even launched).

Here\'s everything we know about the much-anticipated sequel to the Duffer Brothers\' loving tribute to Spielberg, Carpenter and King.

Stranger Things season 2 air date: when can I watch?

Netflix has confirmed that we\'ll be returning to Hawkins for more freaky goings-on this Halloween – October 31, 2017.

Filming on the new episodes wrapped in late May, with Noah Schapp (Will), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) and more posting wrap messages to social media.

Last day of filming S2 with these guys on Saturday. I will miss everyone so much!! @sadiesink_ @finnwolfhardofficial @milliebobbybrown @therealcalebmclaughlin @gatenm123

Stranger Things cast: Who\'s back, and who\'s joining the fun?

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Of course, the boys are back: Finn Wolfhard as Mike, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas and Gaten Matarazzo as the inimitable Dustin.

There\'ll also be a whole lot more of Will now that he\'s returned, transformed, from the Upside Down – with actor Noah Schnapp promoted from recurring to series regular.

Winona Ryder is returning as frazzled Joyce Byers, as are Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler and David Harbour as Jim Hopper (though surely the haunted cop hasn\'t

And things won\'t be getting any easier for Nancy Wheeler (Natalie Dyer), with both moody outsider Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) and reformed douchebag Steve Harrington (Joe Kerry) still on the scene.

still be turning things up to Eleven? Of course it will – Millie Bobby Brown is confirmed to be reprising her role as the sweet but terrifying telekinetic wonder.

There\'ll be no #Justice4Barb though, with series creators Matt and Ross Duffer confirming that Shannon Purser\'s beloved geek will stay dead, but "will not be forgotten".

Despite his apparent death at the hands of the Demogorgon, "Bad Man" Brenner (Matthew Modine) is also being revived for season two, though he\'d better watch his back...

"If the Monster is dead, was it a singular monster?" teased Matt Duffer. "What else could be out there? There\'s a lot more mystery there to be solved."

will be bulking out its cast in 2017 with some new additions: tough 13-year-old girl Max (Sadie Sink), her cocksure stepbrother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) and the mysterious Roman (

[Above: New cast members Sadie Sink and Dacre Montgomery]

\'s Will Chase will also play a "pivotal" role in the new series, starring as Neil Mayfield, the father of a new family from California who move to Hawkins, Indiana - could he possibly be Max and Billy\'s father?

Character actor Brett Gelman, who\'s appeared in everything from

, has been hired to play "a disgraced journalist-turned-conspiracy theorist who is investigating a cold case" in Hawkins.

And there\'ll be a few more \'80s icons joining Ryder and Modine, too: starting with

favourite Sean Astin, who\'ll play Bob Newby, a kind-hearted nerd who went to high school with Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Hopper (David Harbour).

Newby now manages the Hawkins RadioShack and is in a relationship with Joyce. "Bob is new to our weird Hawkins group, but he\'s immediately memorable and I think people are going to be very surprised by where that takes them this year," said director Shawn Levy.

), joining the series as Dr Owens – a high-ranking member within the Department of Energy on a "clean-up" assignment, tasked with containing the events of last year.

Owens is an ambiguous character, Reiser has revealed. You\'re not sure if he\'s a good guy or a bad guy – though he\'s got more "a little more humanity" than Dr. Brenner.

"My guy is much more hands-on and among his many degrees is that he has a bedside manner that Modine\'s character did not have," the actor explained.

Stranger Things episodes – how many can we expect?

There\'ll be nine episodes in season two - and we even know what they\'ll be called:

You can read our rampant speculation here on what these episode names might giveaway about season two – though the Duffer bros. have cautioned that the titles may change before the season drops.

The Duffers will helm the first two episodes, with Levy – who directed episodes 3-4 of season one – back in the same slot for season two.

director Andrew Stanton will join the fun for episodes 5-6, with

\'s Rebecca Thomas tackling episode 7 and the Duffers\' back in the director\'s chair for the final two outings.

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First, we got an early teaser in late 2016 – scored by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein\'s synth-tastic theme tune:

Then, Netflix dropped our first proper trailer during Super Bowl LI – Eleven\'s back, the boys are obsessed with

and, by the looks of things, Will is still somehow linked to the Upside Down:

Stranger Things 2 trailer: 8 things you may have missed

Stranger Things spoilers and theories: what\'s going to happen next?

fan theories are so plentiful that they now form approximately 23.8% of the entire internet. Honest.

We\'ve got our own thoughts as to what went on in the first eight episodes, and what might be coming in season two – which you can read right here. Warning: possible spoilers!

Stranger Things takes spoiler security to GoT levels

In the meantime, here\'s what we know 100% about season two (and that\'s a real stat):

It\'ll be set in late 1984, a year after the events of the first season, and will venture outside of Hawkins, Indiana. In fact, according to Matt Duffer, "the opening scene [of the premiere] does not take place in Hawkins."

Could that scene take place in the Upside Down? Certainly, we\'ve only seen "a tiny bit" of the show\'s dark netherworld, which will be explored "a little bit more" in season two.

"The Upside Down will be more of a place… you\'ll spend more time [there]," composer Kyle Dixon teased. Part of that will be through Will Byers, who\'s still somehow connected to the strange netherworld

"He seems to be seeing images from the Upside Down – the question is whether they\'re real or not," Matt Duffer revealed. "So it seems like he\'s having some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder."

"[The boys] feel alone because their best friend is back and he\'s not acting like their best friend anymore. He\'s changed," teased Gaten Matarazzo.

Police chief Jim Hopper is desperately trying to keep the Upside Down secret from the community to protect the Byers family. "Hop starts season 2 in a completely different place than season 1," Harbour revealed. "He saved Will and has found a renewed interest in life.

"So his arc for season 2 in my mind becomes more about butting up against the places where his hero fantasy can\'t take him. The places where that hero complex may force him to make the wrong decisions.

Meanwhile, the breach to the Upside Down remains open, under the watchful eye of newly-arrived government scientist Dr Owens (Paul Reiser).

Two new siblings are also moving into town – Billy (

\'s Sadie Sink). While Max fits in well with Will and his friends, Billy seems to be hiding a dark secret.

"Stephen King always has really great human villains," Matt Duffer teased. "The evil in the real world is often as bad or worse than the supernatural evil, so we wanted to introduce a character like that."

As for the monsters the boys will be facing this season, Finn Wolfhard, has hinted at a "more horror-oriented" second season, while Matt Duffer would only reveal that our heroes will come up against a "different kinds of horror" when Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) befriends a creature who\'s literally out-of-this-world.

Shawn Levy elaborated: "I think overall the kind of forces of evil that are inherent in season 2 make that Demogorgon look quaint in retrospect."

We\'ll also dig more into Eleven\'s backstory – and you can expect some "emotional" reveals.

will be "next level" crazy, a "little darker" and "a little weirder" – if we\'re talking \'80s, think of this season as

One theory to already be debunked, though: the show is not looking to cast more Hawkin Lab guinea pigs like Eleven...

The rumour sprung out of a Reddit post that claimed the show was looking for extras who\'d be willing to shave their heads... but the official

"We actually needed women who would be willing to cut their hair and get bangs, while all the male extras actually needed to grow their hair out," she explained. So, \'80s hair then, basically.

Stranger Things season 3: what does the future hold?

So what\'s in store for Eleven and the gang beyond season two? Surely given the incredible success of

, we\'re looking at a show with a long lifespan?

It\'s looking very probable, with the Duffers hoping it\'ll run for four or five years, with season two laying "the groundwork for further seasons."

In fact, a third season is already in the planning stages.

writers Matt and Ross Duffer already have a story in mind for season 3

"We are not gonna be caught off guard," said producer/director Levy. "So we are definitely optimistic and we have started thinking ahead."

will actually end on a cliffhanger – leading straight into season three...

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