[NJChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Spoiler!

I'll be disappointed if Hopper is alive and well if and when season 4 premieres, since Tom the newspaper editor commented "Fact, in the real world there are consequences to your actions" which should be strong foreshadowing that Hopper won't appear in season 4 but if there's a season 5 then it's fair game he's still alive

I liked it. Nothing will top season 1, but considering the corners they have to write their way out after the previous season, I think they did a very good job in season 2 and 3.

Spoiler!

There are a couple reasons Hopper is alive. Obviously the old "main characters aren't dead if they don't show you their death". Same reason why Brenner is alive and kicking somewhere, possibly working with the Russians?
Although he was more about the kids than the "gate".

The obvious clue is saying an American is in the cell when the Russians called him that all season. But to me a more subtle possibility is that L can't use her powers. I know why that was important for the season, but to me an important reason to have her not find them at the end is to keep her from mentally finding Hopper.

Finally, the writers had to know people would consider that he jumped into the gate. So if you want his death to be emotional and you don't want to lead people on, you show him dead. If you are killing off the most popular character, you get your money's worth. You don't leave it open-ended. You make it obvious so the emotion is full and unquestioned. So perhaps he jumped into the gate, and the season is used showing how he ended up in Russia. Perhaps explaining where the Russians got the demogorgon. Perhaps at some point in the season L gets her powers back and finds Hopper in the prison.