The first volume of Stranger Things Season 5 is out on Netflix, and with it comes major revelations about not only what came before, but also what comes next.
Warning! Spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1:
In Season 5 Episode 4, we see Noah Schnapp's Will demonstrate his powers, complete with an Eleven-style nosebleed. When all seems lost, he is able to take control of several Demogorgons and kill them, preventing the invasion from claiming the lives of most of the cast.
This is a big moment for Stranger Things and a significant development in what we know about Will's abilities. Season five built towards this point, showing the growing connection between Will and the hive mind that Vecna had created within the Upside Down, to the point that he could see through the eyes of the Demogorgons themselves. In the previous scene, Will was apparently able to get the Demogorgon to resist his mother (Winona Ryder), and then, right before he died, he leveled up, with white eyes and arms raised in the air as this new power ignited within him.
How all of this plays out in Volume 2 is the subject of intense speculation among fans – and something we here at IGN have discussed ourselves (see our article, Stranger Things Season 5: Our Biggest Questions After Episodes 1-4to find out more).
In an interview with IGN, Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown responded enthusiastically to the news that Will would gain powers and hinted that volume two would explain how it works. We asked the pair if they shared notes on how to do the Stranger Things psychic hand movements, but Noah demurred, saying he wanted Will's movements to feel different.
“I remember talking to The Duffers about it,” Noah said. “They'll reveal more in volume two, like how it works. But the powers come in a different way, so I wanted to make sure it wasn't Eleven's doing.”
This phrase about powers coming in different ways is interesting. This is something the Duffers explained in detail in a recent interview with the publication. Diversity. They confirmed that Will's powers are based on proximity – unlike Eleven, who can turn her powers on and off at will, essentially Will must be close to the hive mind that Vecna created within the Upside Down to take control of his various monsters.
“He taps into the hive mind,” Matt Duffer explained, “and then he can manipulate anything inside the hive. You'll see how far he can go with that as you keep watching. But that's how he's able to manipulate the monster. So he can't open the door because the door is not part of the hive mind.”
And how did Will get his powers? They were the result of a connection to the hive mind, which we see at the beginning of season five in a flashback scene that takes us back to the moment when Will was kidnapped by Vecna ten years ago. “So it’s very different from Eleven in that respect,” Matt continued.
Also in our interview, Millie Bobby Brown reacted to the shocking return of Kali/Eighth, who was revealed to have been captured by the military and placed in a room at the base inside the Upside Down.
“I didn’t know she was coming back, so when I read it I was like, oh my God! Kali! she said. “I felt like this storyline started but never got the closure it deserved. So I'm very excited. I think what's really interesting about the next volume is that she's back for a reason, and that's very impressive.”
Kali, also known as Eight, is one of the children experimented on at Hawkins Lab and is Eleven's sister of sorts. She has psychic abilities, but not telekinetic abilities like Eleven. Considering what happened to Kali, it's likely that she won't be happy about recent events.
Stranger Things season five will debut on Netflix in three parts, with the first four episodes dropping on Thanksgiving Day on November 26th. The next three episodes will premiere on Christmas Day, with the series finale debuting on the streamer and in more than 350 theaters nationwide on New Year's Eve.
Stranger Things season 5 release dates:
- VOLUME 1 – November 26, 5:00 pm PT
- VOLUME 2 – Christmas Day, 5:00 pm PT.
- FINAL – New Year's Eve, 5:00 pm PT.
We've got plenty more on Stranger Things, including Ross Duffer urges fans to turn off trashy TV settings before watching Season 5. And be sure to visit us Stranger Things: Season 5, Vol. 1 spoiler review.
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Wesley is IGN's News Director. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
