David Harbour’s Sheriff Jim Hopper had a pretty transformative character arc back in season 2 of Stranger Things. It started with the reveal that he’d been hiding Eleven away in his cabin and ended with him legally adopting her, which also helped him deal with the grief of losing his own daughter some years ago.
In the latest run of the hit Netflix series, things get even more interesting for Hopper, as the character arguably steals the show and gets a ton of moments to shine. Unfortunately, though, he’s killed off in the final episode as he’s seemingly disintegrated by the particle accelerator in the Russian lab. But does that really mean we’ve seen the last of him?
Fans are already speculating about how Hopper might have survived and a small easter egg found earlier on in the season may’ve actually hinted that the Sheriff’s still alive. If you’ll recall, at one point in the new run, Hopper calls a special number which was given to him by Dr. Owens that’s to be used if Hawkins needs help. Should they need to get in touch, he also gives them Murray’s phone number – 618-625-8313 – and it turns out fans can actually call it themselves for a fun little surprise.
If you decide to give it a try, you’ll get a few messages. The first is something for his mom, telling her to only call between certain hours. But then we get a message that’s for Joyce, with Murray telling her that he’s been trying to reach her as he has something that he needs to tell her but wants to do it in person. He doesn’t say what it is, but just hints that it’s “not good or bad but it’s something.”
Of course, this has led to a ton of speculation, with fans now thinking that what he has to tell her is sensitive information and that’s why he doesn’t want to relay it over the phone. And what could be so important that he needs to tell her in person? Well, how about something to do with the fact that Hopper is still alive? Maybe he’s been investigating and has found either the Sheriff himself or strong evidence that points to him having not died at the end of season 3.
Again, this is all just speculation for now, but don’t be surprised if it turns out to be a hint that David Harbour’s fan favorite character will be returning to Stranger Things.