Stranger Things Season 3: What Does The Ending Really Mean?

8. The Gate Has Been Closed... Again

Throughout the season, it was revealed that the Russians were attempting to reopen The Gate (a.k.a. the portal between the real world and the Upside Down), but as Alexei explained, their weapon wasn't able to fully open it. As a result of this, The Gate effectively spent the whole season in transition, never quite open but never quite closed either.

Of course, that was enough to start this madness all over again, as it reactivated the remnant of the Mind Flayer that Joyce expelled from Will's body during the second season.

However, it was Joyce and Hopper who managed to not only switch off the machine but destroy it altogether and, just like that, the gate has been closed once more.

As the season didn't address the other mini gates that were opened at various times during the first two seasons (the ones in the woods or the high school), we should assume that they no longer exist and, as a result, the Upside Down has been sealed off once more.

But for how long?