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In just three episodes, Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 2 finally shed light on one of the show's biggest mysteries, explaining what the Upside Down actually is after all these years. It posed a bunch more questions at the same time, though, and now I'm worried certain things won't be answered in the 128 minutes we have left in Hawkins...
Long before season 5 premiered in November, Jim Hopper actor David Harbour assured fans that "the OG storylines" would all be wrapped up in satisfying ways. A tall order, really, given how many characters are still in play and the physics-defying reveals we've seen so far. But anything is possible!
Below, I break down my most pressing questions coming out of Vol. 2, from the Mind Flayer's whereabouts to a long overdue conversation between Will and Mike. It goes without saying that there are spoilers to follow, so if you've yet to catch up and don't want to know anything that happens, turn back now!
Where is the Mind Flayer?
The Mind Flayer's huge, spider-y form was destroyed at the end of season 3, but it's pretty obvious at this point that that won't be the last we'll see of the beastie. While 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 demogorgons, demobats, and the Mind Flayer, and we know Henry has had run-ins with it before, too, so it seems pretty inevitable that it'll make some sort of appearance in the finale. (Is this a safe space to mention that Vecna's home in the Abyss looks to be the Mind Flayer's spider-y exoskeleton?!)
I hope when it does turn up, though, we'll be given some explanation as to where it's been while Eleven, Will, and co have been playing fisticuffs with Vecna – and whether or not it really is the one in charge.
Why is the Upside Down frozen in November 6, 1983?
Listen, I know that the Upside Down was first formed on November 6, 1983, when Dr. Brenner forced telepathic contact between Eleven and a demogorgon in his search for Vecna. I'm not silly, but that hasn't stopped from wanting to know exactly why the wormhole is stuck in that day. We might need a physicist to explain this one to us, if Dustin doesn't take care of it in the finale...
Why did the white goo solidify after Jonathan and Nancy broke up?
After Nancy blasted the exotic matter with her shotgun, she and Jonathan passed out inside a room in the Upside Down-version of Hawkins Lab. When they awakened, they found themselves lying in the same goo that covered the stairs they used to climb up to the roof.
When their attempts to get out failed, the two hopped on the desk in the room's center and started talking about their relationship, ultimately deciding that they've been too swept up in all this "save the world" business to realize that they're not right for one another. Jonathan un-proposed before the pair said they love one another, and noticing that the goo had solidified right at table level. I want to know why it stopped! It felt very convenient!
Why is Henry scared of the cave, and who is the man that he killed down there?
The show hasn't revealed why Henry/Vecna is so scared of the cave Max has been hiding in all this time, though Vol. 2 did hint at a traumatic memory of his taking place in the system. In the flashback, a young, Boy Scout-uniformed Henry stumbles across a wounded man carrying a metallic briefcase in a mine shaft. Henry approaches the man, who's also toting a gun, with caution, admitting that he followed his anguish shouts but the man shoots him in the hand.
The unexpected act of violence prompts Henry to bash the man's head in with a rock and steal the briefcase, and it's clear there's much more to be unearthed here.
Those who've seen the stage show, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, will already have some context on this, but it'll be cool to see the TV series catch those who haven't up to speed.
Why does Vecna want to combine the Abyss with the real world?
At this point, I can't really fathom why Vecna wants to merge the Abyss with the real world, other than to extinguish almost every human on Earth? The big bad has previously spoken about how he sees himself, Eleven, and co as superior to non-superpowered folk and that he wants to live in a world where there's no form of binary control. But he is still human at the end of the day, and if he's so scared of a cave, we'd wager he's not going to be keen on living in a literal hellscape...
What do Kali and Hopper really have planned?
After he ran through the Upside Down with a bomb strapped to his chest and she tried to convince Eleven that they'd have more chance of stopping Vecna if they sacrificed themselves, I don't really trust Kali or Hopper to not do something reckless in the series finale. I hope they both realize that there are other ways to save the ones they love in 'The Rightside Up', but only time will tell what's going through their heads.
Is Will going to tell Mike how he feels?
Episode 7, 'The Bridge', saw Will come out as gay to his nearest and dearest (and a few others who just happened to be in the room, too), and while he mentioned having an unrequited crush during said scene, he didn't explicitly tell Mike how he feels about him.
"Once Will is talking about Tammy and all that and his experience, yeah, it's Mike – and his friends – all realizing and understanding now for the first time, even if Mike has been somewhat oblivious over these years, what his friend is saying," Ross later explained to People. "He's clocking what Will felt over the years." I hope we get more closure and something more intimate where the boys can address it together in the finale, though.
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 off a bunch of main characters in its final episode, but the plot armor surrounding some of the originals is getting a little farfetched now. Several characters have found themselves in life-threatening situations and walked away unscathed and, while I don't want to say goodbye to any of them, I hope they don't all live just because the writers were worried about any potential backlash.
Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are streaming now. Don't miss the finale with our guide to the Stranger Things season 5 release schedule. All things Upside Down ain't your bag? Check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix for some watchlist inspiration.
