(Credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things has never been short of plot twists. And the rewatch marathon on Netflix that’s going on in anticipation of its fifth and final season makes them clear as daylight.

While the second season taught viewers to warm up to everything unnatural, the third instalment of the hit sci-fi series transported them back to the summer of ’85 when Robin Buckley entered the Hawkins gang.

But Stranger Things season three didn’t just reveal new Demogorgon slayers. It introduced some major dangerous players, including the Russians, who had a hunch about the Upside Down in more capacity than anyone could have imagined. In fact, the instalment also gave away the real purpose of the Starcourt Mall, making it twice as thrilling an adventure as the last one.

Although the recaps have been fruitful in jogging memories that have become a little foggy with time, the Stranger Things cast has unveiled behind-the-scenes secrets that the audience now needs to catch up on. So, here’s an overview of season three, from perspectives we hadn’t seen before.

Maya Hawke was super nervous during her first scene

Stranger Things didn’t waste much time in season three to introduce viewers to one of the most beloved characters of the show, Robin Buckley, portrayed by Maya Hawke. It happened as soon as in chapter one when she was working with Steve at the counter of Scoops Ahoy. On screen, she seemed like the coolest character ever. But it turns out she was fighting her very own demons during one of her first scenes for the season.

“[I was] trying to decide how I was gonna hold my hands. Would my character be leaned in and collapsed or more upright? I thought about it so hard. My hands were shaking. I was so nervous,” she recalled to Tudum.

Joe Keery was reportedly present during her last audition and was “rooting” for her all the way. But if she could turn back time and go back, she has one precious advice for herself, “You can relax. This space has you,” she said.

Cara Buono resorted to a hidden pull float for Karen Wheeler’s backstroke

Cara Buono never really knew how to swim. “I grew up in the Bronx… my parents didn’t take me for lessons,” she said. So, when the producers of the series informed that she’d be doing a backstroke in the first chapter of the third season, she went ahead to enrol herself for swimming lessons. However, when the time actually came for her to film the specific scene, she was still in the learning process and hadn’t had the opportunity to perfect the technique.

Subsequently, her husband chimed in with a useful way out by ordering her a “little floatie.” He cut a piece and “put it in the back of my bathing suit,” allowing her to stay afloat.

Priah Ferguson was worried that Erica’s insults were going too far

Stranger Things chapter eight kicked off with Murray pitching his plan to go through the gate to the Upside Down by walking, although it’s guarded with maximum security from the Russian forces. Erica instantly opposes with quite a few biting remarks, which made Priah Ferguson rather nervous to say it out loud to her co-star.

“I was talking to my mom in the trailer, and I was like, ‘I really don’t wanna hurt his feelings,” she said. “And she was like, ‘He’s an actor. I’m sure his feelings won’t get hurt.’” By the looks of it, her mom was right on point. But if you still can’t recall the season, all four seasons of Stranger Things are currently streaming on Netflix. So, don’t hesitate a recap before the final ride.