Finally, the long wait is over. After three long years, the first four episodes of season five of Stranger Things are finally released. This season is promising, introducing new characters, plot twists and storylines that’ll knock your socks off. However, as we wait for the next half of the season, it’s impossible not to try and guess what’s going to happen, so here are some of my personal favourite fan theories for season five, volume two, to keep you entertained while we wait.
Time Travel
There’s a significant theory circulating, connecting various aspects of the show that reference time travel, such as Back to the Future and A Wrinkle in Time, both of which have strong ties to the concept. There are also many parallels between season five and Harry Potter, specifically Prisoner of Azkaban, which also references time travel. Theories suggest that Venca is trying to use time travel to take over the world, or even that the only way to save the world was to make sure Will gets captured, meaning that Eleven opened the door that led to Will’s capture. After all, demogorgons don’t have telekinesis.
Will’s Unfortunate Fate
Whatever happens in volume two, I don’t have strong hopes for Will’s well-being. One theory about Will is that he will lose an eye. There are many shots of Will in Stranger Things that have one eye blocked by something or other, often rods, which could be a reference to the second season, when Mr. Clarke was talking about Phineas Gage, a man who got a rod through his head and lost an eye in the process. As Mr. Clarke was talking about gage, the camera focuses on Will.
Another reason to doubt the survival of Will’s eye is the eye of Vecna, an item in DnD. The eye of Vecna gives the wielder powers (like how you will get powers by channelling them from Vecna), but not at a price. To gain the eye of Vecna, the wielder must remove one of their own eyes, hinting at a sacrificial loss.
Sadly, however, I worry that Will’s eye won’t be the only thing lost. Speculation has been going around that with Will’s connection to the upside down and the hive mind, destroying the upside down might kill Will in the process.
Hopper’s Engagement to Joyce
During season five, it is revealed that Johnathan got a ring from Murray. While the obvious first thought is that Johnathan will propose to his girlfriend, Nancy, some fans have speculated that the ring will be given to Hopper so that he can propose to Joyce. The ring is revealed during episode 37 of Stranger Things, at 37 minutes and 37 seconds. The number 37 has been related to Joyce and Hopper’s relationship throughout the series, often showing up in scenes with the two of them. Some fans say this is nonsense, but others say it’s a clever hint for what’s to come.
Predicted Deaths
For a less hopeful theory, there’s a lot of speculation about who will die this season. And while Will’s life may be on the line, he isn’t the only one. The Duffer brothers mentioned that this season will have some heartbreaking deaths, making many people worried about which characters are going to go. The talk seems to be around a certain couple of characters, including Will (as aforementioned), Steve, Jonathan, Hopper, Max, Dustin, Robin and Eleven.
For me personally, I feel that Hopper and Max are safe; the series already hinted at their deaths, and nothing happened. It would feel stupid and pointless to throw them out now. Robin is another whom I hold little concern for. Many people feel that Robin is getting a suspicious amount of screen time, but I just feel that the writers are trying to do more with her character. However, the others hold a bit more concern.
People have pointed out that Johnathan hasn’t done much since seasons one and two, and his teased engagement seems like a good way to add some heartbreak to the audience. I personally don’t see much reason to believe that Johnathan will die, but I also don’t see much reason for him to live. Still, I think he’s relatively safe, as the duffers wouldn’t put Joyce through that much heartbreak, especially if something bad happens to Will. Some people say that Johnathan’s death would cure the love triangle between Nancy, Steve, and Johnathan, but I feel that Johnathan’s death would add a shallow conclusion, making Nancy pick Steve out of necessity rather than love. The theory of the engagement ring to Hopper for Joyce further solidifies my opinion that his death is useless.
Steve, as a character, was originally supposed to be killed off in season one, but Joe Kerry, his actor, pulled up such a good performance that the duffers felt obligated to keep him on screen. The audience has been known to love Steve, and taking him from the cast seems like a good way to add emotion to the audience, but I don’t see much reason for it to happen. It seems unreasonable for an already depressed and grieving Dustin to lose another older brother figure. If anything, I think Dustin has more reason for concern.
Throughout season five, Dustin has been a completely different character, no longer the happy, sweet kid we met in season one. He’s now quiet and moody, seemingly never happy. His relationship with his friends is suffering as Dustin is locked in his grief after Eddie died. Although he’s not talked about much, I don’t have the best feeling about him. His character has been too depressing this season for him not to at least raise a few concerns, although in the end, I think he’ll be okay. I don’t think any of the main four boys are going to die.
While I have suspicions about the other characters, none of them I truly believe are going to die, except one, Eleven. There are many reasons to believe Eleven will die. Her strong ties with the upside down and her righteous sense to always do what’s good for others put her at risk of needing to sacrifice herself in a heart-wrenching way. However, my strongest reason for this belief is a scene in the first episode of season five. Mike and Eleven sit on the roof of the WSQK and talk about their future together, describing a seemingly perfect life after this is over, with so much hope for their future. The moment this scene happened, my hopes for Eleven’s survival died. No character has had an emotionally charged discussion about their happy future life where everything works out and lives to see that future come true.
The True Villain
Throughout the show, creatures from the upside-down have been terrorising our cast relentlessly. Each season has presented us with something new so far. The demagorgan in season one, the demadogs in two, as well as the introduction to the mindflayer, next the mindflayer in season three, this time with a physical form, and then demobats and Vecna in four. Right now, Vecna is our only villain in season five, but what’s to say that the duffers don’t want to continue the trend of new villains and bring us something new for the last half of the season? Many fans are speculating that the next villain will be Thessalhydra, an eight-headed dragon from DnD. During the first season, the Thessalhydra is defeated by the four boys, potentially hinting at parallels between the beginning of the season and the end. Another hint is that the painting will be painted for Mike in season four. The painting shows the four boys fighting another multi-headed dragon, which might have been a way for the writers to sneak a little foreshadowing into the show.
With all the theories floating around, it’s nearly impossible to see what could be true and what is just speculation. Right now, the only thing to do is wait patiently for the next season to come out on Dec. 25. While some theories could be plausible, some seem really out of place. But hey, even though some theories are a bit weird, I’ve seen stranger things.
