As fans continue to dissect the new Stranger Things 4 teaser and theorize about the rainbow room or Dr. Brenner's return, I'd like us all to turn our attention to the number three. The number appears twice in the teaser, once at the very top when a clock strikes 3:00, and once more later in the clip. So what does the three in the Stranger Things 4 teaser mean? Lucky for you, I've got a theory.

First, I should acknowledge that some fans on reddit are hoping that the clock close-up — with the big hand on the 12 and the small hand on the 3 — means that Stranger Things 4 will hit Netflix on Dec. 3. But, as user Buddy-Buddy820 noted in the comments, given all the changes to the show's production schedule already due to COVID, it seems strange that they would risk teasing a release date that could change at any moment. So, assuming that this clock shot isn't a discreet release date announcement, but is actually meant to emphasize the number three, then the question is why.

Within the context of the teaser, it seems obvious that the number three would point to Three, another test subject in Hawkins National Lab. This would tie into the prequel comic Stranger Things: SIX, which introduced Three, along with fellow subjects Six and Nine. The comic takes place in the late 1970s, when Three, a teenage boy named Ricky who can manipulate people's emotions, recruits another teen with special abilities, Francine (aka Six), to join Dr. Brenner's trials. Per ScreenRant, Three is extremely loyal to Dr. Brenner, and only escapes the facility after Six is killed.