The End Of 'Stranger Things' Season 2 Left Dart's Fate Unclear

One of the most surprising aspects of Stranger Things Season 2 wasn’t just the amazing bromance between Dustin and Steve that no one knew they needed until they saw it, but also the relationship that formed between Dustin and his pet demodog, Dart. But since Eleven closed the gate and all of the Upside Down creatures died, is Dart alive on Stranger Things? Season 2 ended with all of the monsters presumably dead or stuck back in their alternate dimension, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Dustin’s pet met a similar fate.

In fact, after the gate was closed and the camera panned to the dying demodogs underground, there was even a wrapper for a 3 Musketeers bar near some whimpering and dying creatures, one of whom may have been Dart. But like all of the other new friendships and relationships of Stranger Things Season 2, Dustin and Dart’s connection was a highlight of the season. The demodog might have grown up to eat Dustin’s poor cat, but it totally redeemed itself (at least somewhat) when it allowed Dustin the the group to pass by and narrowly escape the clutches of all of the other creatures.

If Dart died on Stranger Things Season 2, along with all of the other creatures from the Upside Down, then at least he went out on a high note, eating nougat and being a good BFF to Dustin. Unfortunately, there’s nothing yet to suggest otherwise either, since all of the demodogs presumably died once the gate was officially closed.

But if the gate opens again and that scary Shadow Monster (officially called the Mind Flayer) finds a way to cross over, does that mean some of those demodogs will be back, including Dart? They all seemed to be dead at the end of the finale, but the big threat in the Upside Down on Stranger Things might have the power to bring back all of the demodog worker bees. Co-creator Ross Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter:

They've shut the door on the Mind Flayer, but not only is it still there in the Upside Down, it's very much aware of the kids, and particularly Eleven. It had not encountered her and her powers until that final episode. Now, it knows that she's out there. We wanted to end on a little bit of an ominous note on that level.

This could mean that if the Mind Flayer is still there, looming over the kids in their world, this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the demodogs, which might include Dart if he somehow managed to survive. That 3 Musketeers wrapper could have been an indication of his death, sure, but it might also have been placed there to tell viewers that Dart is still out there somewhere.

If Dart helped Dustin once before, maybe he'll become something of a reformed demodog in Season 3. So it's not as if there couldn't be more to his storyline. It's just a question of whether or not the writers are looking to incorporate it into the future plot. It would be interesting if one of the creatures were on the side of good for a change.

That being said, I’m inclined to believe that since all of the other demodogs seemed to be dead that Dart is gone too. But it’s hard to ignore the adorable friendship that blossomed between Dart and Dustin, so giving Dart a second chance in Season 3 would mean a much-loved reunion between the two. And if not, they’ll always have nougat.

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