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slayernina · 5 years

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Stranger Things 4: who is the American?

Theory time compilation + mine

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Edit: Hopper confirmed as the American. But if you want to especulate there was another prisoner at the lab, here we go...

Option 1: Hopper

Obviously, they cannot kill Daddy Hop. Also, he was near a portal so if he’s not in the Upside-Down, he’s the American. Against this theory is mostly, the fact it is too obvious plot wise. But hey, sometimes is good to be predictable (specially if the other option is shock for shock out of nowhere aka Game of Thrones style).

Edit: At this point noone believes Hopper is dead. The question is if he is the only American or if what it is in Russia is a clone of the Upside Down.

Option 2: Dr Martin Brenner

In the overlooked 2x07 episode (aka the Kali Episode), Ray Carroll reveals Brenner was alive. On 1x08, last image was Brenner getting caught by a demogorgon, but any body displayed. He is the master mind behind of the MKUltra and Indigo’s experiments and Eleven’s Papa, so dramaaaa. Since he is the main everything and had plans for the demothings to be used, it is logical the Russians would want to capture him. Pictured the last time he was seen onscreen. In the other hand... Why the demogorgon spared him? Just for his assholerism, like he did using Billy as his main commander?

Option 3: Dr Sam Owens

Related to the MKUltra experiment? Check. Connected with the Party? Check. Screwed everything accidentally because the world now knows about Barb and Hawkins lab? Check. If he’s not killed/reprimanded by the USA gov, then the Russians would want him. The last time we saw him onscreen, he made a weird oh-crap face at the portal that killed Hopper.

Option 4: Mayor Larry Kline

Even if the didn’t know about the Upside-Down, he knew about the laboratory under the mall, maybe about the Hawkins lab, and ruined eeeeeverything, so there is a lot of angry people there. I doubt the characters would be invested enough to rescue him, but hey, this corrupt politician still could do damage.

Option 5: Billy Hargrove

(Billy is alive theory here)

(Billy is the American theory by BitchinRobin here)

(Billy is alive because an eye in a twit from ST writers here)

(Billy is alive because of a prosthetic here).

Dacre Montgomery fucking with us in interviews: too much to count

Briefly: both the USA and Russia govs could be interested in him because he was on direct contact with the Mind Flayer, so the idea of study his dead body could be reasonable. And there is a possibility he developed some side powers like regeneration or enhanced strenght and durability (canon, seen onscreen) after said contact, like Will’s True Sight and creature sense. Plus at least a couple of main characters would be invested to rescue him. Against this resurrection is, basically, there is already a huge cast and maybe bring back someone who is dead would affect again the plots and characters’ development. And despite the fan response, Billy is a side character at best.

Option 6: Murray Bauman

He knows about all the conspiracies from both govs, about the Upside Down, had direct contact with the main characters and is bilingual, so it solves the problem of adding a new character as a translator. It also fits thematically with the concept “the American”, as he refers himself a couple of times, and represents along Hopper the American foil to Russian Alexei.

There is a pic of him walking around the set with civilian clothes, so we can eliminate this possibility at 99%.

Option 7: Kali

She’s number 8, was initially stolen from London so the idea of her travelling/being kidnapped far far away works, disappeared from the narrative after season 2 and has a direct connection with Eleven. Also, she is Eleven’s dark version, so it could be interesting to explore the idea of Evil Eleven and Kali. Her gender could be an issue in this, though (I don’t know if the American word in Russian has gender or not, so help).

Option 8: Terry Ives

She’s Eleven mother, other than that, anything. She’s completely broken, a full healing now would cheat the story too much.

Option 9: some unexpected random new character

Probably related with Hawkins lab or MKUltra experiment. On the book Suspicious Minds, Terry Ives had her own Fellowship of Nerds to fight Brenner, some of them with powers, so...

Crack theory: Ted Wheeler

Because in reality, he’s an undercover agent of some sort and knows everything.

Bonus theory: there is more than one American

According to some comments over there, the way the actor says “American” in Russian can be plural, so “Americans”. Maybe our random extra wasn’t Russian or can’t speak very well, so they didn’t catch this mistake, but maybe there is indeed two (or more) people inside. I repeat, I don’t speak Russian, so if someone can confirm this, please go ahead.