Is Hawkins Lab' The First Filming Location For Season 2 of 'Stranger Things'?

It looks like the first filming location for Season Two of Stranger Things has been confirmed and from what we can tell, cast and crew are already setting up at the Hawkins Lab location - the physical location of the gateway to "The Upside Down" in Stranger Things.

What is "The Upside Down"?

Being one of the most talked about aspects of Season One of Stranger Things, the parallel universe known as "The Upside Down" was one of the highlights of the first season, while it also sits as the originating source of the science-fiction element incorporated in to Stranger Things.

The "Upside Down" was depicted as a mirror world existing on the other side of our world. As it was only briefly explored during Season One, Season Two is going to have the task of explaining the mythology behind "The Upside Down" - that is, when filming at the Hawkins Lab site begins.

New reports from Bloody Disgusting indicate that filming for Season Two of Stranger Things is almost underway but how can that be when it was only last month that we learned Stranger Things was renewed by Netflix for a second season? Here's what the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers had to say in regards to Season Two.

We want to retain the tone, but all of our sequels feel a little different," said Ross Duffer. "It's not about just taking another monster — it's a bigger, badder monster. We want it to feel a little bit different, a little bit darker." His brother added: "It's going to be very different structurally, which is fun

There's not much information in that excerpt from the Duffer Brothers, but their intended plans for Season Two seem to have already made it through production and are in the later stages of development which mean plans for a second season might have been conceived earlier than the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers lead us to believe.

What does the filming location for Season Two of Stranger Things tell us of the plot?

Along with news of filming for Season Two being underway, knowing that filming is underway also reveals quite a sum about the plot of Stranger Things as well. (Filming locations for Stranger Things can be found here, and the recent set images of crew setting up for filming can be seen here.)

For one, Hawkins Lab wasn't shut down after the events of Season One. Any reasonable person would assume that the lab would be closed down after the massacre of most/all of the staff in the final episode of Season One but that doesn't appear to be so, since filming has commenced on the Hawkins Lab site (located at 1255 Briarcliff Rd. NE, Atlanta, Georgia).

Although it's very possible someone else from the town of Hawkins, IN has ventured into the government facility used as a cover for Hawkins Lab - possibly on another exploratory mission to "The Upside Down".Going back to the aspect of the Hawkins Lab site being a familiar setting utilized in Season Two, there'll likely be more development of "The Upside Down".

Logically speaking, canon of Stranger Things dictates that the site is still owned by the government, which means any government agency could come in and pick up the pieces of what's left, then continue the research & development as if nothing ever happened - just one potentiality.

Another plausible reason for why Season Two of Stranger Things has begun filming at the Hawkins Lab site is because "The Upside Down" will be main location of Season Two. The first season barely touched upon what "The Upside Down" is and how the gate between the worlds functions, the properties and functions of the parallel world are still unknown, Season Two will likely delve deeper into "The Upside Down" - potentially bringing characters like Sherriff Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) back into the parallel world of "The Upside Down".

Season One teased the bigger plot-thread involving "The Upside Down" in future seasons.

A subtle hint to "The Upside Down" being revisited was included in the last scenes in Season One, Episode 8 of Stranger Things wherein Will Byers is seen looking into a mirror when his vision cuts to a distorted vision of his bathroom - identical to the appearance of "The Upside Down". It was then that the notion of Season Two revisiting "The Upside Down" was clear. Acknowledging that filming is taking place at the Hawkins Lab site, it's reasonable to say "The Upside Down" will be further explored - most likely to discover why Will is mentally trapped in between worlds. Who knows, maybe even the Will Byers that was found by Sherriff Hopper isn't the real Will Byers? - speculative, for the moment.

What do you think? Are you excited for Season Two of Stranger Things? And does filming at the Hawkins Lab location mean either Hawkins Lab and/or the Upside Down will be emphasized in Season Two of Stranger Things?