On November 26, after three long years of waiting, Volume One — the first four episodes of the fifth season of Netflix’s sci-fi horror show Stranger Things — finally debuted. This release, however, has only ignited fans’ thirst for the upcoming three episodes of Volume Two, which will come out on Christmas Day, and the two-hour long finale of Volume Three on New Year’s Eve.
The show’s finale has been an extremely popular subject on social media, though the credibility of its theories is lacking. Cleo Barowsky (II) comments that she’s seen the idea of time traveling in the show on TikTok. The theory that the Upside Down is actually a version of Hawkins in the future — a wormhole — is foreshadowed in Season Five, Episode Three, when Erica Sinclair learns about them during class. Barowsky admits, however, “It feels a little too far-fetched to fit [the theory] in[to] four or five more episodes.” Considering the minimal number of episodes left in the saga, many viewers are doubting how realistic these theories are.
Some fans compare the series to other shows or novels to speculate how it will end. Eleanor Scharfenberg (II) draws a connection to the Harry Potter series in response to seeing theories about how Will may die when Vecna is defeated. Scharfenberg explains, “Like how Harry was connected to Voldemort, […] I think Vecna will die, but [Will] won’t fully die, just the Vecna inside of him will.” Another popular connection fans have made is to the novel A Wrinkle in Time, which is also referenced and even pictured in the background of scenes in Season Five.
Most theories revolve around Vecna, who is the main villain highlighted in this season. Some viewers believe that the Broadway play’s adaptation to the series, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, is important to understanding the character of Vecna, also known as Henry Creel. For example, the play might reveal some insights as to why Henry was afraid to enter the cave Max Mayfield hides in. Monica Mercuri from Forbes Magazine reports, “Henry’s psychic abilities trace back to an incident in his childhood in the Nevada desert, when he wandered into a cave on his eighth birthday.” This poses a question: could Henry still be inherently evil if he fears his memory of gaining the power he has?
Additionally, an important character in Stranger Things: The First Shadow is Patty Newby, Henry’s love interest and the only one who cares for Henry prior to his transformation to Vecna. Will Patty make an appearance in Season Five? Is her connection to Bob Newby significant?
Some other theories also stem from commonalities to previous seasons. One example is the comparison between the show’s Season Four and Season Five posters. The characters on the poster with bikes that had lights on in Season Four died, so the theory is that the characters who have their bike lights on, Will and Dustin, in this season’s poster may face the same tragic fate.
One common theme in all of these predictions is that no one wants their beloved characters’ stories to come to an end. Boston Latin School Science Department Director Ms. Kathleen Bateman comments, “The real tragedy is the loss of so many short lived, well-developed and promising characters. […] This makes me worry about Derek.” Whether it’s characters like Will and Dustin, who have been key protagonists since the beginning, or brand-new characters that have stolen the hearts of viewers, death may be the only certain theory so far.
