Stranger Things Season 3: What's Happened To Every Character so Far

The wait is over. The third season of Stranger Things has finally arrived on Netflix. And believe it or not, it has been close to two years since the last episodes of the series premiered on the streaming service back in October 2017. A lot has chance since then.

With so much time having passed and so many TV shows having aired since then, you might not remember exactly where your favorite characters left off. Sure, you could hunker down and devote your life to bingeing the first two seasons over the next couple of weeks. However, you simply might not have time for that. If that's the case, GameSpot is here to help.

We've rewatched every episode of the series thus far and are ready to get you up to speed on everything Stranger Things. Who ended Season 2 in a relationship? Was the Steve and Dustin bromance the best thing to ever happen? Is Barb still dead? We're ready to catch you up with our Stranger Things refresher.

Of course, if you need even more Stranger Things content before the series returns on July 4, we've ranked every episode thus far and have found a treasure trove of episodic photos and behind-the-scenes looks at production on Season 3.

At long last, Eleven got something of a happy ending in the Season 2 finale. Documents were forged to make Hopper her legal guardian, she got to go to the dance with Mike, and it seemed like she was free of the Upside Down once and for all. Based on the trailers we've seen so far, she's getting to lead a normal life, from going to the mall and hanging out with Max, to seemingly still being in a relationship with Mike. That normalcy will be ending quickly, though.

It took nearly the entirety of Season 2, but Mike was finally reunited with Eleven, who he promised never to leave again. Mike played a crucial role in helping the gang defeat the Demodogs and the Mind-Flayer, despite being nearly killed by its vines. At the Snow Ball dance, Mike and Eleven finally shared a kiss.

Will spent two seasons of Stranger Things suffering a series of highly traumatic experiences, first trapped in the Upside Down and then possessed by the Mind Flayer. Thanks to his mom and brother Jonathan, he was finally freed from the creature's possession and got to attend the Snow Ball with his friends. While Season 3 will clearly present more dangers for the gang, producer Shawn Levy has assured fans that it won't all be focused on Will this year. "We're going to give Will a break," he told Glamour. "We're not going to put Will through hell for a third season in a row."

Dustin got the best gift of all in Season 2: a bro for life. The Dustin and Steve friendship caught us all by surprise, but it's easily one of the coolest things about the show. The Season 3 trailer revealed that Dustin and Steve's bro-down has not ended, and that's all that truly matters. Unfortunately, his pet demodog Dart is no longer in the picture, which is probably for the best.

Mike and Eleven aren't the only ones that got romantic in the Season 2 finale. At the Snow Ball dance, Lucas asked Max to dance--in as awkward a way imaginable--and the two shared their first kiss. It was a signal that the kids were starting to grow up, a sentiment echoed in the Season 3 trailer.

After being the new kid at the beginning of Season 2, Max ended up with a core group of friends and a potential boyfriend in Lucas, and all she had to do to get there was become wrapped up in a war against otherworldly monsters. She also finally stood up to her bully of a step brother, making him promise to leave her and her friends alone. Go Max.

Who is Erica, you ask? She's Lucas's sister, who we met in Season 2. While she wasn't seen much, the dynamic between the two was very sarcastic. Erica will be a bigger part of Season 3, which is exciting. It's time for her to shine!

Nancy has spent much of Stranger Things so far in a teenage love triangle between Steve and Jonathan. It took the intervention of creepy private investigator Bauman for her and Johnathan to admit their feelings for one another. By the end of Season 2, they seem to be a couple, as they both share loving look at the Snow Ball where they are working.

As Will's brave and devoted older brother, Jonathan has had much to deal with over the two seasons of Stranger Things. The end of Season 2 leaves him in a much happier place--he has helped free Will from the grip of the Mind Flayer and seems to be in a relationship with Nancy.

Steve has undergone quite the transformation over the course of two seasons. Introduced initially as Nancy's selfish, jealous boyfriend, he eventually ends up losing her to Jonathan but showing himself to be heroic and resourceful in the fight against the Mind Flayer. While Steve ends Season 2 single once more, what we've seen of Season 3 suggests he'll be spending quite a bit of time with new character Robin, with whom he works at the mall.

Max's bad boy older stepbrother Billy spends much of Season 2 cruising around town, listening to hair metal, working out, and being mean to his sister. But he's eventually put in his place by Max, who drugs him with a syringe taken from the laboratory, threatens with him a bat, and gets him to promise to leave her and her friends alone. We know that in Season 3 he has a new job as a lifeguard and is still catching the eye of Mike's mom Karen.

Still definitely dead.

There are good things in Joyce's life by the end of Season 2--Will is back and free from inter-dimensional possession, Jonathan has a nice girlfriend, and she's on good terms of Hopper. But she's still grieving over Bob's death and has almost certainly been deeply affected by the experiences of the past two years. Here's hoping for a happier Season 3.

After Season 2, Hopper is a dad again--officially. Once the portal to the Upside Down was closed, a birth certificate was forged, giving Hopper permanent custody of Eleven. Perhaps they'll live somewhere other than his creepy cabin in the woods. And hopefully, he's maintained his friendship with Joyce. As the only two adults to survive the whole ordeal, they've got a lot in common.

The eccentric reporter-turned-conspiracy theorist finally managed to get the Hawkins National Laboratory shut down, with the help of Nancy and Jonathan. Bauman's return to Season 3 has not been confirmed yet, but there have been wild rumors that he might be a Russian spy--and in any case, he's a great character, so expect to see more of him.