In just three episodes Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 2 have finally shed some light on one of the series' biggest mysteries by explaining what the Upside Down is. In fact this is after all these years. However, at the same time, it raised a bunch more questions, and now I'm worried that some things won't be answered in the 128 minutes we have left in Hawkins…
Long before the fifth season premiered in November, Jim Hopper actor David Harbor assured fans that “all OG storylines” would be resolved in a satisfactory manner. This is actually no easy task considering how many characters are still in the game and the physics-defying discoveries we've seen so far. But anything is possible!
Where is the Mind Flayer located?
The Mind Flayer's massive spider form was destroyed at the end of season three, but at this point it's pretty clear that this won't be the last time we see the beast. Explaining the Upside Down's connection to The Abyss to the rest of our Hawkins heroes, Dustin suggests that the latter is the original home of the Demogorgons, Demobats, and the Mind Flayer, and we know Henry has had run-ins with it before too, so it seems entirely inevitable that it will show up in the finale somehow. (Can I mention here that Vecna's home in the Abyss looks like the Mind Flayer's spider exoskeleton?!)
However, I'm hoping that when it does show up, we'll be given some kind of explanation as to where it was while Eleven, Will, and company were fighting Vecna—and whether that's actually the case. is the one who answers.
Why was Upside Down frozen on November 6, 1983?
Look, I know that the Upside Down first formed on November 6, 1983, when Dr. Brenner, while searching for Vecna, caused telepathic contact between Eleven and the demogorgon. I'm not stupid, but that didn't stop me from finding out for sure Why the wormhole got stuck that day. We might need a physicist to explain this to us if Dustin doesn't take care of it in the finale…
Why did the white goo harden after Jonathan and Nancy broke up?
After Nancy shot the exotic matter with her shotgun, she and Jonathan passed out in a room in the upside-down version of Hawkins Laboratory. When they woke up, they found themselves lying in the same mucus that covered the stairs they used to climb to the roof.
When their attempts to get out failed, they jumped on a table in the center of the room and started talking about their relationship, eventually deciding that they were too caught up in the whole “save the world” thing to realize that they weren't right for each other. Jonathan turned down the offer before the couple said they loved each other and noticed the slime had frozen right at table level. I want to know why it stopped! It was very convenient!
Why is Henry afraid of the cave and who is the man he killed there?
The series doesn't reveal why Henry/Vecna is so afraid of the cave Max has been hiding in all this time, although Tom. 2 hinted at a traumatic memory of his time in the system. In a flashback, young Henry, in his Boy Scout uniform, comes across a wounded man with a metal briefcase in a mine. Henry cautiously approaches the man, who is also carrying a gun, admitting that he followed his cries of pain, but the man shoots him in the arm.
An unexpected act of violence prompts Henry to smash the man's head with a rock and steal the briefcase, and it becomes clear that there is much more to be found here.
Those who have seen the play “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” will probably there's already some context on thisbut it will be great to see how the series catches up with those who aren't already in the know.
Why does Vecna want to merge the Void with the real world?
At this moment I can't Really understand why Vecna wants to merge the Void with the real world, other than to destroy almost every person on Earth? The Big Bad has previously spoken about how he considers himself, Eleven and company to be superior to non-superpowered humans, and that he wants to live in a world where there is no form of binary control. But he is is still human after all, and if he's that afraid of the cave, we bet he wouldn't want to live in a literal hell…
What are Kali and Hopper really up to?
After he ran through the Upside Down with a bomb strapped to his chest and she tried to convince Eleven that they would have a better chance of stopping Vecna if they sacrificed themselves, I don't have much faith that Kali or Hopper won't do something reckless in the series finale. I hope they both realize there are other ways to save those they love in Right Side Up, but only time will tell what's going on in their heads.
Is Will going to tell Mike how he feels?
In episode seven, “The Bridge”, Will came out as gay to those close to him (as well as a few others who happened to be in the room), and although he mentioned having an unrequited crush during that scene, he didn't directly tell Mike how he felt about him.
“Once Will starts talking about Tammy and all of this and his experience, yes, it's Mike – and his friends – who realize it and understand it now for the first time, even if Mike has been somewhat oblivious to what his friend has been saying all these years,” Ross later explained People. “It tracks what Will has felt over the years.” I hope we get more closure and something more intimate that the boys can discuss together in the finale.
Who won't make it out of the finale alive?
The Duffer Brothers have already assured that Stranger Things won't follow in Game of Thrones' footsteps and abandon the group of main characters in its final episode, but the plot armor surrounding some of the originals is now getting a little flimsy. Some characters have been put in life-threatening situations and come out unscathed, and while I don't want to say goodbye to any of them, I hope they don't all survive just because the writers were worried about any potential backlash.
Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1 and vol. 2 is currently streaming. Don't miss the finale with our guide to Stranger Things season 5 release schedule. Everything that's upside down isn't your bag? Check out our selection best shows on Netflix for inspiration for a watchlist.
