Vecna is the main villain
The final episodes of season 4 came close to one of the most interesting fan theories that Dr. Brenner’s first ward, Number One, aka Henry Creel, aka Vecna, was involved in the appearance of the Upside Down. After Henry’s laboratory massacre in 1979, Eleven pushed him into an alternate dimension, the Upside Down, and he was trapped in it. At the same time, it turned out that number One is not the Mind Flayer, but its creator – more on this later.
The contempt for people characteristic of young Henry / Number One / Vecna eventually acquired the proportions of misanthropy, and his admiration for the Upside Down led to the desire to turn Hawkins and the rest of the world into her likeness , which brought him nothing but problems. This goal is served by all the actions of the ruler of the Upside Down since Season 1 – “reconnaissance in force” in the form of sending the Demogorgon through the long-awaited gates, the first attempt at a large-scale offensive in Season 2, attacking Eleven in Season 3 to deprive her of her strength, and all his actions in Season 4 season – murders to open and expand portals between the Upside Down and our world – partially successful.
By the way, the dislike for Hawkins brings Henry-Vekna closer to Max from season 2. Neither of them came here of their own free will, but if Max more or less managed to settle down in Hawkins, then Henry was less fortunate.
What is the wrong side
In Stranger Things season 4, the Duffers promised more answers about the nature of the Upside Down – and in many ways kept their promise. In episode 9, it turned out that number One traveled for a long time through an alternative dimension – the Upside Down, and studied it until he came across dark particles floating randomly in space. With the help of his power, Number One used them to create the Mind Flayer, a spider-like monster he dreamed up as a child. He took control of the “monster”, thus gaining all of its powers and full power over the Upside Down, including the Demogorgons he saw.
Particles of the Mind Flayer Number One spread throughout the Upside Down: the one who inhaled them – like, for example, Will, but more on that later – becomes part of the collective mind, subject to his, Vecna’s, will. By the way, these same particles also lit up in the prison-laboratory in Kamchatka, where Hopper was imprisoned. Thus, we are talking here about a kind of creation of the world in a dimension similar to hell. A funny parallel to the anti-Satanic hysteria in season 4 – we’ll go through that too.
Is Vecna dead?
It was the hive mind created by the Eternal that became his most powerful weapon – and at the same time a weak spot. Due to the fact that the heroes – primarily Odie – simultaneously attacked the fiends of the Upside Down from several sides, it was possible to thwart Vecna’s ideal plan to take over our world with lightning speed and send the villain himself to “rest”.
Nevertheless, there is no question of victory: there is no body at the site of the fall of the shot and burned Vecna, which means that the final battle is yet to come. Fans of the A Nightmare on Elm Street series, references to which dominate Stranger Things season 4, know that Freddy Krueger dies from episode to episode solely to resurrect and take revenge. The same, apparently, is true for Vecna, who either managed to escape to the Upside Down to lick his wounds, or was saved by one of his pet monsters.
The question of how to destroy Vecna completely remains open for now. If you recall the same Freddy Krueger, then one of the ways to destroy him was “pulling” into the real world in a physical body. Considering that the wanderings in the Upside Down promise to continue, it is possible that the heroes will find the exact “recipe for murder” there.
What happened to Hawkins
In Stranger Things season 4, the victory over the forces of evil was only partial. Despite all the efforts of the heroes, Vekna managed, albeit briefly, to kill the fourth victim, which was Max, and open portals to the Upside Down throughout the city, which the authorities filed as an “earthquake”.
Although Odie brought Max back to life – more on this below – the Upside Down still broke through into Hawkins, “combining” the two realities. Ashes falling from the sky, taken by little Holly for snow, are all the same particles of the Mind Flayer, sort of spores of the Inside Out, killing all life and bringing our world into a “wrong” dead state, as shown in the last frames.
The season 4 finale can be seen as both a defeat for the heroes and a victory – Vecna is still alive, but Hawkins and the entire Earth have received a reprieve from Armageddon.
Clinical Death Max
Season 4 of Stranger Things also confirmed the assumption that positive emotions will play a role in the story as a source of strength for Eleven. Odie’s happy memories associated with Max helped her to carry out something like telepathic resuscitation – to “start” her friend’s heart after a minute of clinical death. However, even Odie could not change the fact that after the torture of Vecna, Max remained blind and crippled.
It is not yet clear what awaits Max next. The sudden emergence of a man from a coma in action films of the 1980s and 90s is the same stamp as those that the Duffer brothers like to play with. On the other hand, in episode 9, Odie tries to contact Max by entering her mind, and finds nothing and no one there at all.
According to Dr. Brenner in Episode 8, Number One robs his victims of all their memories and abilities. It turns out that Vekna managed to absorb Max’s mind despite Odie’s efforts. So the battle with Henry / Number One / Vecna in the final season 5 also means a battle to return the soul of Max Mayfield to her body.
What happened to Hopper, Joyce, Murray, Dimitri and Yuri
In the Stranger Things season 4 finale, Hopper and Joyce return to the cabin in Hawkins, escorted by Dr. Owens’ agents. It goes without saying that none of the other participants in the “Kamchatka conference” are with them.
It can be assumed that Murray returned to his home. Dimitri and Yuri, apparently, went somewhere else – probably under the protection of special agents, so as not to become victims of the almighty KGB. The line of the former coward Yuri, apparently, is completed. But the story of friendship between Jim Hopper and Dmitry Antonov turned out to be too successful to be limited to one season. Will we see the fearless guard again? Not excluded.
Death of Eddie Manson
The head of the “Hell Club” and hard-and-heavy lover Eddie Manson in the 4th season of “Stranger Things” continued the tradition of a cute character who dies before the end credits. Many consider Eddie’s death at the hands of the Demo Bats to be stupid and futile. But let’s not forget that Eddie is still an outcast in Hawkins. If he returned, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to prove his non-involvement in the murders. Remember the conversation between Lucas and Jason, who stubbornly sees only what he wants in the story with Chrissy. But the same can be said about the rest of the inhabitants of Hawkins. In addition, Eddie still blames himself for running away, leaving Chrissy’s body in the trailer – this becomes the main incentive for him to take the flying reptiles away from the gate and Dustin. “There is no shame in running away. This is not the time to be a hero.”, Eddie says in season 4 episode 1, only to face danger in the finale and become “a hero, if only for a day” , as sung in the David Bowie song “Heroes”, which sounded in seasons 1 and 3.
Why Eddie played Metallica’s “Master Of Puppets”
Eddie’s other truly heroic act turns out to be a guitar solo that distracts the bats from the Upside Down. The song “Master Of Puppets” – released, by the way, in the same 1986, when the action of the 4th season of Stranger Things takes place – became one of the main hits of Metallica, and the album of the same name is considered almost the best in the work of the group. Moreover, Metallica has long been actively accused of promoting Satanism and cults – as well as members of the “Hell Club”. The choice of “Master Of Puppets” both emphasizes Eddie’s tastes and the essence of Vecna, who happens to be the main puppeteer of the Upside Down.
More interestingly, the song “Master Of Puppets” embeds the story in the social context of the time: the trials of teenage “Satanists” who only loved Metallica, Iron Maiden and Stephen King are not fiction at all. So Eddie, in fact, had no other way but a heroic death – although this is a direct path to the #JusticeForEddie flash mob. The first step towards him can be taken by Dustin, who gave Uncle Eddie the guitar pick of his deceased friend.
Dr. Brenner, Dr. Owens and Colonel Sullivan
In Stranger Things season 4, the story of Dr. Martin Brenner ended, who somehow managed to get out of the Upside Down and led the Nina project. The first episodes of season 4 led us to a kind of rehabilitation of the “villain” Brenner – however, in the end, this whole structure collapsed again, forcing us to recall the non-standard concepts of honor and duty inherent in him. That is why the doctor dies saving Odie, and in the last minutes frees her from the collar, but never receives redemption – too much has happened between them for Brenner to deserve forgiveness.
The fate of Dr. Owens remains murky. By leaving him chained in the laboratory, Brenner unknowingly spared Owens’ life, even though he fell into the hands of Colonel Sullivan. It is possible that we will see these two again. Sullivan’s harsh methods look justified in a virtual martial law in Hawkins. And Owens’ good-heartedness and his unwillingness to once again complicate the lives of the rest can somehow help Odie.
Will’s connection to Vecna
The finale reveals the fact that Will Byers is still connected to Vecna through the Mind Flayer. As Stranger Things season 2 showed, anyone who inhaled particles of the Mind Flayer becomes part of the hive mind of the Upside Down, which happened to Will in season 1. Although the Torturer was driven out with heat, the psychological connection between Will and the Upside Down remained: in season 3, he feels the approach of evil with his skin, and in the final 4 he directly says that he is able to feel Vecna - probably due to the arrival of the Upside Down in Hawkins.
This in a certain sense brings Will closer to Harry Potter , he can become something of a spy in the camp of the enemy, turning around the situation that the heroes faced in the same season 2, when Vecna used Will. On the other hand, once Vekna realizes this connection, both Will and all of Hawkins’ rescuers will be in great danger.
Will’s failed coming out in season 4 could be another incentive to sacrifice yourself for a friend who is more than a friend to you, no matter how ambiguous it may seem.
How the Season 4 Finale Changes the ‘Stranger Things’ Universe
The finale of Stranger Things season 4 makes it clear that the events of the series are getting bigger not only due to special effects or wide “geography”. Seasons 1, 2 and 3 were mostly about one Hawkins, it was about small-town incursions that the authorities successfully covered up, ignored or wishful thinking, but they will not be able to do this again. Events in the town become the topic of federal news. Concealing an anomalous rift from which pillars of smoke are pouring out is much more difficult than the death of a schoolgirl (Season 1), scientific experiments (Season 2) or “very strange things” in a mega mall (Season 3). Apparently, about the help of “the whole world”, as in “Harry Potter”, there is no question. But now it looks like the people of Hawkins will have to wake up from their hibernation and take matters into their own hands.
What will happen in Stranger Things Season 5?
Shortly before the premiere of season 4, the Duffer brothers said that the “jump in time” between seasons 4 and 5 will be greater than before – largely due to the fact that the actors no longer look their age and begin to get confused in it themselves. Of course, the season 4 finale makes you think that the action of season 5 will begin almost the next day – but it is obvious that this will not happen before Vecna heals his wounds and comes up with another Cunning Plan.
The infiltration of the Upside Down into Hawkins could make life easier not only for Vecna, but for our heroes as well. For them, this is a good opportunity to start operating on enemy territory. The threat looming over Hawkins and the remaining inhabitants of it will allow them to think through all tactics and strategy, including scientific explanations for the laws of the Upside Down and how to defeat it. In addition, the Duffers directly said that in season 5 we will learn even more about the Upside Down.
The threat to the whole world is becoming more tangible than ever, and involuntarily makes you think about whether the Duffers are going to return to the narrative of Kali, which fans have been waiting for this season. After all, her arc, despite the much-maligned Lost Sister series, needs to be completed.
In the 5th season of Stranger Things, we are in any case waiting for the final battle with evil and an open ending for Odie’s fate. The final shots of season 4, in which she stands apart from the rest of the group, hint at the possibility of another self-sacrifice.
An interesting question concerns those who at different times inhaled a large amount of Mind Flayer particles: in addition to Will, the same happened to the sheriff and Dustin in season 2, as well as Steve in season 4. The fact that the first two could become the next victims of the infection – or, as it turns out now, the servants of the collective mind – we talked in our selection of theories even before season 3, but this topic has not received development. Even Steve seems to be doing quite well. Is it an oversight of the Duffers or a loaded gun that must fire sooner or later? See you in Stranger Things Season 5.
Why does everyone watch Stranger Things?
When Matt and Ross Duffer conceived Stranger Things, they hardly expected that they would be able to make a series that would win the hearts of viewers and critics alike. Some have already rushed to declare it a cult, and the number of various awards and awards received by the series has exceeded a dozen. After the first season, the second followed, and the shooting of the third has already begun. At the same time, there are no real stars among the actors of the series (Winona Ryder was her, but faded away), and the plot is quite peculiar.
What is the nature of the series?
Since the legendary first season of Twin Peaks, there have been a great many series about mysterious, fantastic and terrible events, but Stranger Things stands out against the general background in at least three ways.
The first of these is a surprisingly warm, “lamp” atmosphere, unexpected in a series with thriller elements.
The second is genre specificity. The series is not a simple mixture of several genres: each age group of its characters – children, teenagers and adults – has its own genre line. The youngest characters live in the world of a children’s adventure film with elements of science fiction; teenagers get into a thriller, and adults into the reality of a conspiracy detective. This approach allows you to show events from different angles and give the universe of the series the necessary volume.
Thirdly, using quotations and reminiscences from the 1980s science fiction, the authors of the series always pick up an unexpected denouement to the stereotyped beginning, giving the action an intriguing unpredictability. Sometimes, however, for the sake of her, as in the case of the dummy of Will’s corpse, one has to sacrifice psychological plausibility (it would be unlikely that Joyce, heartbroken, would not have run up to her son’s body).
Is Stranger Things a show for kids or adults?
The series owes much of its popularity to its fascinating and fairly simple cinematic language, which makes it accessible to viewers of any age – from 12 to 90. Children are attracted by the images of Will and his friends, Eleven, Maxine, relationships between schoolchildren; adults – the investigation of Sheriff Hopper, and all – the activities of a mysterious laboratory and a creature from another dimension. Thus, Stranger Things can be seen as a series for family viewing – provided that all family members like a mixture of detective, science fiction and thriller.
Why is the action set in the 1980s?
Given that the Duffer brothers were born in 1984 and understandably don’t remember much from that era, the timing of the action is driven not by nostalgia but by other factors. The first of these is the show’s creators’ admiration for King’s novels, Spielberg and Carpenter’s films, and other cult works of the time. The second reason is related to the plot: it was for the 1980s (as well as for previous decades) that various government experiments related to the confrontation between the two superpowers were something, if not ordinary, then quite possible.
How did Hopper know Eleven survived?
Viewers often ask the question: why did Hopper leave food for Eleven in the forest if he himself saw that it turned into dust? How could he know she was alive? This act can be interpreted as a tribute to memory, or as a sign of hope: so many unusual things happened to the girl that one could count on another violation of the laws of nature. Hopper didn’t know if Eleven had survived or not, but he hoped it would.
What actual events underlie the scenario?
Oddly enough, a fantasy series is not fantastic in everything. According to a number of conspiracy theorists, a laboratory that investigated such paranormal phenomena as teleportation and telekinesis really existed. In the park of the small American town of Montauk, a decommissioned radar still sticks out – the memory of the mysterious “Montauk Project”. According to unconfirmed reports, the scientists involved in this project studied children with paranormal abilities in the early 1970s, and if the parents did not agree to hand over their offspring “for experiments”, they were kidnapped.
At least two people – former employee of the military base in Montauk Preston Nichols and former “experimental” Duncan Cameron – said that they personally took part in experiments designed to open a portal to another dimension. Sounds very familiar, doesn’t it? But the military base at Montauk has been closed since 1981, no one is allowed in, so it’s unlikely we’ll ever know what really happened there.
