The Upside Down has never looked cuter. Fisher-Price’s latest Little People collector sets bring us the world of Stranger Things but in adorable miniature. Of course, the world of Stranger Things is no less harrowing or strange than we know it to be in these toy sets; it’s just, well, cuter. Vecna certainly looks like the most adorable version of himself that we’ve ever seen. But he’s not the only one. In total, Fisher-Price has announced three new Stranger Things Little People Collector sets, and they include all our favorite characters and moments from the series. These sets are the perfect thing to distract us as we wait for Stranger Things 5.

Take a look at the details of the “Castle Byers,” “Max’s Song, and “Hellfire Club” collectibles below.

Stranger Things’ New Fisher-Price Little People Collector Sets

Castle Byers Figures Take Us Back to Season One

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Head all the way back to the very first season of Stranger Things with this Fisher-Price Little People Collector Set. With this collection of figures, you can explore the castle both from within and without the Upside Down. There’s even a precious Demogorgon that gives Dart a run for its money. Just wait until it adorably tries to chomp your face off.

A release for this set shares, “True fans know Eleven loves a good waffle and can see the nethering creep and crawl across the packaging bringing Castle Byers and the Upside Down to life.” And additionally, “Fans can revel in the wonderful world of Stranger Things with this Little People Collector set, which features the whole gang including Eleven, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, and Will Byers, plus the monstrous (but really awesome looking) Demogorgon. Each figure stands over 2.5 inches tall and is styled in each character’s signature look from the first season.”

It really is a blast from the past, in the best way.

The Castle Byers Stranger Things Fisher-Price Little People Collector set is available on Amazon. It costs $29.99.

The Max’s Song Stranger Things Little People Collector’s Set Is Adorably Terrifying

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Okay, this Little People Stranger Things toy set is absolutely ridiculous, but we love it. Is there a more harrowing scene than when Max starts to rise to the sky with her eyes rolling back into her head in Stranger Things 4? Any minute now, Vecna will crack her bones. Just look at the darling terror on Steve’s face. The juxtaposition of terrifying and cute really shows how committed these Stranger Things Little People sets are to their bit.

A release shares, “Fans of the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, can relive the memorable scene from Season 4 when Max’s favorite song saves her from Vecna’s curse with this special edition Little People Collector Max’s Song set from Fisher-Price. Featuring 5 Little People figures styled like Max Mayfield, Lucas Sinclair, Steve Harrington, Dustin Henderson, and Vecna, this must-have set comes in a display-worthy package that takes fans from the cemetery to the Upside Down.”

And little Vecna? Come on, this one is just incredible.

The Max’s Song Stranger Things Fisher-Price Little People Collector set is available at Target. It costs 29.99.

The Hellfire Club Figure Set Is the Best

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Who could more deserve a Little People Collectors figure than Eddie Munson? No one. This Stranger Things collection celebrating the Hellfire Club is our favorite. It captures the joy the club brings to all its members and especially to us. We love all the details on this set of figures, especially Erica’s American Flag, Dustin’s cap, and the miniature Hellfire Club shirts. We’re going to need these figures for our collection immediately.

A release shares, “​Inspired by the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, this special edition Little People Collector Hellfire Club set brings the members of the Hawkins High School’s group down to Little People figurine size. Assemble the team and relive the campaign to vanquish Vecna with Eddie Munson, Dustin Henderson, Mike Wheeler, and Erica Sinclair. Arriving in a specially designed, display-worthy package, this Little People Collector figure set is the perfect gift for fans and RPG players.”

The Hellfire Clubs Stranger Things Fisher-Price Little People Collector set is available at Best Buy. It costs $24.99.

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For fans of the character, an Eddie Munson prequel book was always going to be a bittersweet offering. After all, many fell fast for Eddie in Stranger Things 4, only for him to meet a harsh death. The figure of Eddie Munson attracted so much love so quickly because his narrative, however short, resonated powerfully with anyone who had ever felt othered in their lives. And conversely, his death brought so much pain because it seemed like an undeserved end for a character who had already survived so much and in whom so many saw themselves. All of this left Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus with a tall order on its hands. Could going backward in Eddie Munson’s story be as satisfying as a much-hoped-for going forward?

The answer is complicated. But mostly, it boils down to the fact Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan deeply understands what makes Eddie Munson so loved. Although delving into those purely good aspects of Eddie leaves a sting behind given his ending, the novel offers fans more time with their favorite character at his best.

Moved by forces unknown, the first part of the book I read was the acknowledgments. At the very end, author Caitlin Schneiderhan notes, “Thank you to everybody out there who has ever been an Eddie Munson, been saved by an Eddie Munson, or loved an Eddie Munson. You’re not alone.” And ultimately, that is the most powerful summary of this novel I could offer. Despite the balancing act it faced, Flight of Icarus shone because it was a love letter to Eddie, to the way the character has made many feel seen, and to the struggles he survived, which feel so resonant to those facing the same obstacles in reality.

Although a first-person narrative can be a tough sell, in this case, it worked because it brought the reader intimately into Eddie’s world, offering up his thoughts about himself and those around him, his hopes, and his fears, and allowing him to truly be at center. Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus lets readers sit next to Eddie for a time and experience another portion of his life with him. In that way, it let everyone feel less alone.

Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus‘ Plotlines Build Up the Eddie Munson We Know

In a more literal sense, three main plotlines run through Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus. One focuses on Eddie’s backstory and his fraught relationship with his wayward father, Al Munson, who envisions Eddie as his mini-me, at least when convenient. A second features an original character named Paige, who sees Eddie as a rock ‘n roll god and seeks to help him get his big break in music. And a third stars the Hellfire Club and Eddie’s at-the-time best friend named Ronnie, who really just wants Eddie to love himself.

Of the three, the strongest Flight of Icarus plot was the arc between Ronnie and Eddie. Although sadly, this arc was also the shortest of the trio. Ronnie and Eddie’s playful but snarky dynamic gives Eddie a confidant to challenge and check him and offers up that incredible “platonic life partners” dynamic that we don’t see enough of in fiction. It strongly calls to mind the friendship between Robin and Steve. There even seems to be a subtle implication Ronnie is also queer. (Eddie notes that “she didn’t think she’d have a crush on anybody.”) Suffice to say, this friendship definitely leaves fans wondering what mischief the four would have gotten up to in another life.

Meanwhile, the storyline between Eddie and Paige is fun and gives readers a look at an Eddie Munson romance if that’s what they’re into. For me, it was the plot that moved the story forward the least. But it did feature some poetic descriptions by Schneiderhan of Eddie immersing himself in his music which will stay with me. It also lets Eddie see that even a good vision of who he is that isn’t true to himself isn’t right.

Finally, of course, there’s Al Munson. Meeting Eddie’s dad puts an even sharper focus on the hardship Eddie has experienced his whole life. In Hawkins, Al Munson exists as a huge pariah. And Hawkins has tarred and feathered Eddie with the brush of perceptions only his father has earned. This, of course, does heap onto Eddie’s shoulders. But it’s not really the Munson-aversion that hurts the worst. In Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus, we learn Al Munson has been leaving Eddie behind his whole life. And, in a sense, no differently than Hawkins, Eddie’s father can’t truly see Eddie as a person, not unless he needs something from him. There’s more than one scene that will make your heart clench for Eddie, who truly just wants to be loved.

The true throughline of every part of the Flight of Icarus is Eddie Munson learning what it means to be just Eddie Munson and not only squaring with that but celebrating it. Every argument, aspiration, disappointment, and joy in the novel steps him closer to figuring out that Eddie being happy with Eddie is the most crucial success of all. And that’s exactly the journey we and Eddie deserve to go on.

Stranger Things Cameos in Flight of the Icarus

When it comes to Stranger Things cameos beyond Eddie Munson, fans can expect some treats. It’s clear that Flight of Icarus saw at least a portion of what the internet was asking for. HellCheer fans get an extended and emotional memory of Eddie and Chrissy meeting at the school talent show, cementing headcanons for how their friendship and romance could have blossomed. Wayne Munson appears as the father figure that Eddie sorely needs, a true voice of love in Eddie’s life who encourages him, more than anyone, to just be himself. Reefer Rick has some jovial and hilarious moments as Stranger Things gives us the origin story of Eddie’s business ventures. Gareth and Jeff get more flesh on their bones. The cherry on top is Will Byers and Eddie Munson finally getting to meet. (And make one another smile. And talk Dungeons & Dragons, kind of.)

To all my Steddie comrades-in-arms, I am honor-bound to say that although Steve Harrington does not appear in Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus, he is confirmed to not approve of any beating up of freshmen… And the one mention Eddie makes of him does feature an, ehm, interesting body part, so we’ll take it.

Eddie Munson’s Backstory Is Beautiful, but It Hurts Us

Ultimately, getting lost in Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus is an excellent adventure for Eddie Munson fans. But the journey Eddie goes on to embrace himself, the figure he becomes to all the other “freaks” around him, and all the pains, hopes, and dreams we learn he has do converge to make his ultimate death an even tougher pill to swallow. Flight of the Icarus would become that much more of a satisfying origin and backstory for Eddie Munson if we could one day see him triumph in the face of all his naysayers by the simple act of getting to live on. It’s your move, Stranger Things 5.

But, in the meanwhile, Eddie Munson got to live a little longer in our world, and that, we will celebrate.

⭐ (3.75 of 5)

The post STRANGER THINGS: FLIGHT OF ICARUS Offers Excellent But Painful Eddie Munson Quality Time appeared first on Nerdist.

We’ve always known that the Stranger Things universe would expand in some way. In the next couple of years, we will get the show’s fifth and final season. But Netflix will certainly want to continue the universe of its biggest hit. And while we have our own Stranger Things spinoff ideas, including a ‘90s series, this isn’t quite what we had in mind. Stranger Things is heading to the stage for Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a live stage play at the Phoenix Theater in London’s West End. 

The Stranger Things Play Synopsis and First-Look Images

The Stranger Things play is based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne, and Kate Trefry (who wrote this play) and will hit the stage sometime in late 2023. Of course, Netflix will produce it alongside Sonia Friedman Productions, and fans will certainly show up to see what happens. Here’s the plot synopsis for Stranger Things: The First Shadow stage play: 

Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy… and the shadows of the past have a very long reach. Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and may hold the key to the end.

We also have our first look at rehearsals for Stranger Things: The First Shadow. In them, we prominently see Henry Creel glaring into space and also get our first tease of a young Joyce Byers (at the time Joyce Maldonado)

Additionally, a teaser for the Stranger Things play hints that it could also be crucial for understanding what’s to come in Stranger Things 5.

We have to admit that it is quite the interesting take on the series. Fans met Henry Creel and his family last season, and there’s certainly a lot to mine from his story. Sure, there were flashes of his childhood and backstory. But now we will get to see more about his life in the Stranger Things play. And, who isn’t curious about what a young Hopper, Joyce, and Bob were like, as well as the town itself? At this time, Jim and Joyce would have been between 17-19 years old, with the former getting ready to be drafted into the Vietnam War. So, they probably would have little to no interaction with Henry, who was middle school-aged in 1959. But hey, they could always play with timelines and bend the rules a bit.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow Cast and Ticket Information

The Stranger Things play cast is also set! Shane Attwooll and Christopher Buckley will portray Chief Hopper and Bob Newby, respectively. Oscar Lloyd will be James Hopper, Jr. and we can’t wait to learn more about him. Michael Jibson will take on the role of Victor Creel, Louis McCartney plays his son Henry Creel, and Lauren Ward will be Virginia Creel. Isabella Pappas will portray Joyce Maldonaldo, Ella Kaurna Williams is Patty Newby, and Patrick Vaill rounds out the cast as Dr. Brenner.

Tickets for the Stranger Things play went on sale March 30th. And tickets are now available for as low as £45 (USD $57.20). Additionally, fans can lottery to get “Shadow Seats” for the performances via the TodayTix app. These 11 pairs of seats will be available via lottery each week and cost £19.59 per seat, according to Variety.

The play itself will begin its run in November.

Originally published on March 1, 2023.

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Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 left us with quite a cliffhanger, so it makes sense that people are ready beyond ready for more. This long-running saga of a superpowered girl, her nerdy friends, and a small town with a dark dimension beneath is wrapping up its story for good, making people extra excited. Stranger Things 5 will be the last season, a plan that the Duffer Brothers have had since the beginning. So naturally, they have been dropping information here and there for a while. Here’s what we know so far about Stranger Things 5. 

Stranger Things 5 Releases Pre-Vis First-Looks at Episode One

Who would have thought we’d have our first-look at Stranger Things 5 so early. At least, a technical first-look. In support of the SAG-AFTRA strike, the Stranger Things 5 writers, who were recently allowed to return to work, posted a very interesting-looking Steve Harrington.

FYI this is pre-vis for a scene in ep 1. So technically your first look at season 5. We told Joe he has to perform it EXACTLY like this.

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) September 28, 2023

They followed up the slightly freaky image by noting, “FYI, this is pre-vis for a scene in ep 1. So technically your first look at season 5. We told Joe he has to perform it EXACTLY like this.” This Stranger Things 5 “first look” doesn’t actually reveal anything… But we are glad to see Steve, regardless.

They did Charlie dirty pic.twitter.com/NOWxnTou4l

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) September 29, 2023

The writers also shared a continuation of the moment and revealed that Jonathan is also present in it. It looks like they might be working on a car or something of the sort together. We honestly wouldn’t mind seeing a little bit more of their tenuous friendship.

Lastly, Stranger Things‘ writers have revealed pre-viz for a scene in Stranger Things 5 that features Nancy, Jonathan, and Dustin. They’re screaming a lot in a car… and also appear to possibly be heading into the Upside Down by way of Stranger Things 2 location McCorkle’s farm. Very interesting.

Stranger Things 5 Will Be a Return to Season One and More

The Duffer Brothers teased the tone we can expect from Stranger Things 5. They shared:

Five, the way we see it, is kind of a culmination of all the seasons, so it’s sort of got a little bit from each… Whereas before, each season was so [distinct]… [Season] 3 is our big summer blockbuster season with big monsters, and [Season] 4 was the psychological horror. Five, the way we see it, is kind of a culmination of all the seasons, so it’s sort of got a little bit from each. I think that what we’re trying to do is go back to the beginning a little bit, in sort of the tone of 1.

While having an Eleven-centric final season is a no-brainer, The Duffer Brothers affirm via a Variety interview that Will Byers is going to once again become a big focus in Stranger Things‘ final season. There’s no outright onscreen confirmation that Will is indeed gay (we do get lots of heavy hinting); however, actor Noah Schnapp did reveal his truth via TikTok as well as previously stating that his character is gay. In an interview with Variety, Schnapp affirms his own journey would inform how he portrays Will in the final season.

“I think the way I act in season five, honestly, might be a little different,” Schnapp says. “I will be fully aware of who I am. Knowing all of that about myself and being able to invest that in my character, I’m honestly just excited.”

Ross Duffer further adds, “Will really takes center stage again in [season five]. This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality—it’s Will coming into his own as a young man.”

In terms of scale, the episodes are still as epic as Stranger Things 4‘s were. In fact, Stranger Things’ writers had quite a visceral way of describing the upcoming season. Take a look.

Additionally, the script for Stranger Things 5 made Netflix executives cry, according to the creators… And David Harbour refers to it as “very, very moving.” So strap in folks.

Will There Be a Time Jump Between Stranger Things 4 and Stranger Things 5?

If you’re wondering whether we’ll see a major time jump between Stranger Things 4 and Stranger Things 5, it sounds like the answer is no, but the door does remain open.

In an interview recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, David Harbour chatted to the Happy Sad Confused podcast about when Stranger Things 5 will pick up the story. He offered, “…when you watch us on that hill looking at the ash and the smoke and fires—we’re going to start somewhere after that. So you’ve got to imagine the world is a different place.” Of course, somewhere after that could mean more than a little time, but it does feel like the ash is still hanging in the air when the cameras begin to roll.

The Title of Stranger Things 5‘s First Episode

To celebrate Stranger Things Day, Netflix gave us a tease of what we might expect in the final season of the show. Well, a tiny tease, anyway. Netflix released the title of Stranger Thing 5‘s first episode. The episode’s title? “Chapter One: The Crawl.”

Hrm… The doesn’t really clear much up. But for our money, that better mean Eddie Munson’s crawl back to life from his death in the Upside Down. Listen, it could happen. We guess we’ll just have to hang on for now. But we feel sure thousands of theories about this Stranger Things 5 title are already brewing.

Stranger Things 5 Will Be Shorter Than Stranger Things 4

Stranger Things 5 will be shorter than this very, very long season. According to an interview on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, the reason for this is pretty simple. “The only reason we don’t expect [Season 5] to be as long is because, this season, if you look at it, it’s almost a two-hour ramp-up before our kids really get drawn into the supernatural mystery,” Matt Duffer said. “You get to know them, you get to see them in their lives, all while they’re struggling with adapting to high school and so forth … Steve’s trying to find a date. All of that.” 

For now, it looks like the Duffer brothers and other Stranger Things writers are teasing us with an eight-episode Stranger Things 5.

Based on the end of Stranger Things 4, this all makes sense. There’s plenty going on with them immediately in Stranger Things 5, to be honest. And this doesn’t mean we’ll get a shorter finale. The runtime for the very last episode will be movie length and have a Return of the King type of deal with eight endings. Goodness. 

Stranger Things 5 Will Only Be Set in Hawkins 

Stranger Things 4 felt like that song about the dude who’s been everywhere, man. There were so many locations in several states (and even Russia). But the final season will stick to the place where we began this adventure: Hawkins, Indiana. According to Matt Duffer, returning to home base is what it’s all about. “We wanna go back to a lot of the things we did in season one,” Duffer told Entertainment Weekly. “A lot of the original groupings and pairings that we had in season one–there’s something nice about coming full circle.”

This is interesting considering the new faces we’ve added on like Robin and Erica. Where will they fit into these groups in Stranger Things 5? We know the first season was heavy on Mike, Dustin, and Lucas being together while Will was missing. Uh, oh. Does this mean Will will separate from his buddies again? 

One thing we got confirmed: the Duffer Brothers know how Stranger Things will end. And we can only speculate what they have up their sleeves. 

The Work Is Currently on Hold for Stranger Things 5 

In a Collider interview, Ross Duffer confirmed that the writers’ room will be back to work in August 2022. However, things came to a grinding halt in May 2023 with the writers’ strike. The Stranger Things writers room made a post on Twitter affirming that production would stop until a fair deal was reached.

This likely means we won’t get Stranger Things 5 until 2025. And that’s okay. The most important issue is to make sure that actors and writers are being treated fairly.

The Stranger Things Spinoff Will Connect to the Series

That elusive Stranger Things spinoff that only the Duffer Brothers and apparently Finn Wolfhard know about will have “connective tissue” with the series. They will be involved in putting it together but they also want to put the reins in someone else’s hands so they can take a step back. In the aforementioned podcast interview, they admit to wanting to stay involved. But they also say they are looking for “that right person to pass the baton to” so they can do new things. Makes sense considering they have been in Stranger Things land for several years. 

Max Is in a Really, Really Bad Situation 

The Duffers also confirm some really sad news about Max and her fate on Stranger Things. Apparently, she is alive but “brain dead, blind, and all her bones are broken.” So, at least for now, Max is certainly not the same person she was before. It’s not clear how this will play into Stranger Things season five but hopefully, she won’t end up being some vessel for Vecna or anything. We can’t bear to see anything else happen to Max. Save her, please! 

Originally published on July 5, 2022.

The post Every STRANGER THINGS 5 Tease Released So Far appeared first on Nerdist.

Are you ready for more Eddie Munson? That’s a trick question; of course you are. But even if Stranger Things doesn’t delight fans by bringing Eddie back to life in Stranger Things 5, more Eddie is happily heading our way. Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus is a Stranger Things prequel novel all about Eddie Munson, and it lets us meet the character two years before Stranger Things 4. Because this prequel book is all Eddie all the time, it leaves space for insights into Eddie Munson’s backstory and formative experiences that we couldn’t get during the show. The novel explores Eddie’s complicated familial ties, especially his relationship with his dad, Al Munson, his complex feelings about himself and his legacy, and his struggle to survive in a town that loathes him. But crucially, this Stranger Things prequel book also spotlights the immense bravery and goodness that are the true hallmarks of Eddie Munson.

In the below excerpt from Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus, we see Eddie imparting some crucial wisdom onto future Corroded Coffin member and current freshman Gareth. Gareth is still trying to find his place in Hellfire Club, but knows implicitly that as a “Freak,” it’s the only place he can go. As Eddie helps him build his new Dungeons & Dragons character, he really guides him toward the idea of being himself, gently pushing him to figure out who Gareth is and what he wants to be. “You don’t have to be anything.” Eddie says, “Don’t let yourself get boxed in… it’s never worth it.” And isn’t that the Eddie Munson thesis statement?

Of course, while shepherding his flock gives Eddie true joy, it’s never that simple for our favorite metalhead. Al Munson has just come back into town, and it’s clear the return of his dad spells trouble for Eddie, emotionally and otherwise. This excerpt from the Eddie Munson prequel book is just a taste of what’s to come for readers and for Eddie, and you can enjoy it in full below in both text and audio forms.

Exclusive Excerpt From Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus

Jump to: Audiobook Excerpt from Eddie Prequel Book

“The question is pretty simple, at the end of the day. Who do you wanna be?”

Gareth frowns at me across the expanse of the lab table. I’m starting to think that’s just his default expression, and I can’t really fault him for that. If I was stuck with that adorable halo of fluffy brown curls and a mouthful of chrome, I’d probably frown a lot too. “I want to be Illian.”

“Illian is fish food. Work with me here.”

“I don’t know,” Gareth snaps, stabbing his pencil into his pad of graph paper like it slapped his mother.

He’s been in a pissy mood since he walked in the door twenty minutes ago, and he hasn’t exactly sweetened since. We’re squatting in the chemistry lab with the lights off be-cause I didn’t have time to sweet- talk Mr. Vick into letting us do this on the books. It’s easy enough to jimmy the locks on these old doors, but I always hate doing it. For one thing, the odds of some nosy teacher walking by and spotting me are better than good. For another—

I need another set of hands.

For another, I’m not sure I like knowing how to do it in the first place.

I’d left Dad snoring loud enough to bring the house down, sprawled out on the sofa. He didn’t even twitch when I opened the front door, and I’d taken a moment to watch him in the early morning light, swallowing back the complicated feelings rising in my chest.

Al Munson has come crashing back into my life in more flavors than I can count. Sometimes he’s just gotten out of prison and needs a place to lie low. Sometimes he needs to borrow money from Wayne. Sometimes he’s got an honest- to- God job (“For keeps, this time.”) Those are always the shortest stays.

But he’s never come back for me. And even if it’s not like he’s trying to pay off a quality- time deficit, he came back because he wants me to work with him. He could have gone to any of his buddies, and he came to me.

I shouldn’t be happy about that, right? I definitely shouldn’t. But—

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” I ask Gareth. “You knew when you made Illian.”

Gareth is perched on one of the science department’s death- trap stools, and he keeps rocking back onto two of the legs. He’s also favoring his left arm. I haven’t called him out on either of these things yet, because I don’t want Gareth to start using me as a sparring dummy instead of his graph paper.

“Jeff made Illian,” he says. “He said, you can’t walk into Hellfire without a character, and he didn’t want to wait a billion years for me to figure out how to fill out a character sheet, so he gave me one.”

“Well, that’s . . . unhelpful.”

“Whatever.” The floating legs of Gareth’s stool slam back onto the linoleum, and he shoves to his feet. “We don’t have to—”

“Okay, first things first, freshman.” I risk life and limb and smack my hand down on his graph paper so he can’t pack it away. “I’m the DM, right?”

Gareth’s eyes are wary. “. . . Right.”

“So I’m the one running our sessions. I say when they’re over. Understand?” Gareth nods. “Good. Now sit your butt back down and let’s work this out.”

He sits his butt back down. “Thank you,” I say. “Now we’re gonna start with the basics. Dwarf, Elf, Human, Gnome— what’s calling to you?”

“Illian was a half- elf—”

“I didn’t ask what Illian was, I know what Illian was. Illian was Jeff’s. I asked what’s calling to you.”

“I . . . like dwarves,” Gareth says.

“Dwarf. Awesome. May I?” I pull the pad of paper toward me and gingerly, like disarming a gunman, pluck the pencil from Gareth’s hand. “Dwarf,” I write, and underline it twice. “The next question is what’s gonna inform your class, okay?”

“Okay,” he says, easier now.

“Alignment. What are you feeling?” He stares blankly at me, and I move yell at Jeff a few notches up my mental to-do list. “This is, like. Who you are, at the core of you. Lawful, chaotic. Good, evil. So, for example, if you’re playing a dwarf, then the rule book says you’d probably be more on the lawful end of the spectrum, though the good- versus- evil conundrum is some-thing you’d make a call on for yourself. And once you figure out what combo you prefer—l awful good, lawful evil, even lawful neutral, you’ll figure out the sort of . . . I don’t know. Moral code? You’ll be making decisions with during the game.”

There’s a line between Gareth’s brows as he takes this in. “So if I’m a dwarf, I have to be lawful—”

“You don’t have to be anything,” I say. “That’s just what’s suggested. What most people think a dwarf is. Lawful good.” Gareth’s nose wrinkles, and I laugh. “I know. Buzzkill. Now, me? I like to mix things up. Chaotic evil dwarf? Hell yeah. Don’t let yourself get boxed in by what the book says you should be, it’s never worth it. Do what you think is gonna be the most fun.”

“Chaotic,” Gareth says the second I shut my mouth, jumping in so fast that the word clips the end of my last sentence. His eyes are glowing. The kid’s got the spirit. “I wanna be chaotic. Chaotic . . . good.”

“Classic choice, dude,” I say, nodding approvingly. “Now let’s talk classes. Have you thought about playing a thief?”

Over the next hour, Hodash the Breaker is born. I can’t hold on to last night’s dark cloud as I watch Gareth roll his way through his stats and scribble down ideas for backstory. His enthusiasm is infectious, and it’s obvious to me now that Illian was never his to begin with— Gareth’s never been so invested in a Hellfire session as he is right now, bent over his graph paper and breathing life into his chaotic little dwarf rogue.

“Question, freshman,” I say, once the foundations for Ho-dash have been established and we’re shoving papers and books back into our bags, getting ready to leave.

Gareth peers at me, wary, over the top of his humongous backpack. “Yeah?”

“It’s not a pop quiz, calm down.” I sling my jacket over my shoulders, shoving my arms through the sleeves. “I’m just curious. If you never played D and D before you got to high school— never filled out a character sheet or anything— why join Hellfire?”

Gareth shifts from foot to foot. “Where else was I supposed to go?”

Reprinted from Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan. Copyright © 2023 by Stranger Things™ / Netflix. Published by Random House Worlds, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Audiobook Version of This Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus Excerpt

If audiobooks are more for you, you can also enjoy our exclusive excerpt directly from Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus‘ official audiobook. Lee Osorio does a great job of taking the mantle from Joseph Quinn and bringing Eddie, Gareth, and the rest to life.

Audio excerpted courtesy Penguin Random House Audio from Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan; Read by Lee Osorio © 2023, Caitlin Schneiderhan, ℗ Penguin Random House, LLC.

More About the Eddie Munson Stranger Things Prequel Book

Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus is written by Caitlin Schneiderhan, a TV writer and novelist who has worked on Netflix’s Stranger Things series. The 272-page novel’s summary notes, “Two years before the events of Stranger Things: Season 4, Eddie Munson—Hellfire Club leader, metalhead, and Hawkins outcast—has one shot to make it big.” This Eddie Munson book’s glorious cover art is by Tracie Ching.

Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus will release on October 31. It’s fitting this book will offer us more of Eddie Munson’s backstory on Halloween. You can pre-order this Stranger Things tale in book, e-book, and audiobook forms today.

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R.I.P. Scoops Ahoy. You definitely gave us our favorite Steve Harrington looks ever. And you created the Scoops Troop, a stellar combination of characters we loved to see interacting. In fact, the Scoops Troop could only have been enhanced by the presence of Eddie Munson, but what can you do? In any case, we were sad to see you go at the end of Stranger Things 3. But now, we, and many other Stranger Things fans, can bring Scoops Ahoy back to life and into our own lives. Walmart is officially selling Stranger Things Scoops Ahoy ice cream for us to enjoy in the comfort of our own homes, far away from the Upside Down. (We hope.)

Currently, Walmart has seven Scoops Ahoy flavors for you to choose from, and they are all vaguely Stranger Things themed.

Upside Down Releated Scoops Ahoy Stranger Things Ice Cream

Our favorite is definitely one called simply, The Void. That’s a Stranger Things ice cream name if we ever heard it. This particular flavor is “black vanilla ice cream, filled with strawberry ribbons and decadent vanilla cream cookie pieces.” That actually sounds delicious… And kind of gory, which we don’t mind. A little strawberry ribbon blood never hurt anyone.

The Scoops Ahoy ice cream flavors Mint Flare and Pineapple Upside Down are also inspired by Stranger Things‘ darkest realm. The former even sounds a little bit like Mind Flayer. Yum. Mint Flare is a “mint ice cream concoction, melded together with rainbow confetti particles and chocolate chunks.” Meanwhile, Pineapple Upside Down is a pineapple ice cream “with chunks of pound cake and salted caramel swirls.” Okay, that one is a need.

Ice Cream Odes to Dustin

Good ole Dusty Buns, a.k.a Dustin, has two Stranger Things Scoops Ahoy ice cream flavors devoted to him. And that’s how it should be. Chocolate Pudding and Cinnamon Bun Bytes celebrate Dustin’s favorite treat and his epic nickname. The former is a “chocolate pudding ice cream you’ve been searching for, featuring chocolate ice cream, chocolate fudge swirls, and vanilla wafers.” While Cinnamon Bun Bytes is a “cinnamon ice cream, swirled with cinnamon cream cheese and cinnamon roll dough.” Honestly, these all sound amazing.

Other Stranger Things References in Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream

The final two Scoops Ahoy ice cream flavors reference Eleven and, well, Scoops Ahoy itself. Triple Decker Extravaganza is a treat shared by Hopper and Eleven, brought to life in ice cream form. And that means “vanilla and butter ice cream, swirled with maple ribbons, chocolate peanut butter candy.” Meanwhile, USS Butterscotch references a sundae actually served in Scoops Ahoy and beloved by Erica. And we know Erica has good taste. Netflix notes, “salty-sweet caramel ribbons and chocolate swirls await you aboard this frozen butterscotch dreamboat.”

Where and When Can You Buy the Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream?

AHOY, SCOOPS TROOP! We’re embarking on a flavor voyage! pic.twitter.com/iHEjjXnkgD

— Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) September 15, 2023

The Scoops Ahoy Stranger Things ice cream is now available to buy at Walmart. You can see if your local locations carry these nerdy treats, here. They retail for approximately $5.00.

Well, we’re off to enjoy The Void.

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The world of Stranger Things makes fans feel like time is in flux. The glorious ‘80s nostalgia and monsters like the Demogorgon and Vecna sweep us into otherworldly adventures, transporting us to a place that is far removed from our daily schedules of adulting. Unfortunately, time does still exist and we have to keep up with it. But we can make that experience infinitely more rad with Casio’s Stranger Things watch. 

The A120WEST-1A timepiece captures all the throwback glory of the 1980s with an Upside Down inspired flair. The faceplate boasts the simplicity of days gone by with only four buttons: reset, light, mode, and start. It comes with a stopwatch and is water resistant, just in case you get sucked into a lake portal like Steve Harrington. Check out these cool photos of this nostalgic timepiece.

Click To View Gallery

I love the details on this Casio watch, from the tentacle-like vines on its translucent gray band to the upside down Stranger Things logo that appears when you press the light. It’s not bright enough to help you navigate through dark tunnels or the Creel House, but at least you’ll know what time it is. The packaging also features our fearless friends zipping around on their bikes. The best part? This watch pairs perfectly with my favorite Stranger Things T-shirt. 

Grab your own Stranger Things watch here for $99.95 and get ready to face whatever D&D monsters come your way.

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Netflix’s 2023 TUDUM event gave us many tidbits of information, from hinting at a new Addams family member joining Wednesday to new teases of The Witcher. But, it is not a Netflix event without a word from Stranger Things. The show is heading into its fifth and final season, bringing this epic story about a superpowered girl and her growing band of friends to a close. We don’t know much about Stranger Things 5 at this point, but we do know that yet another ‘80s icon is coming to the scene. Linda Hamilton, otherwise known as Sarah Connor of Terminator fame, will join the cast of Stranger Things 5.

It was only right for Arnold Schwarzenegger to tease her casting right before we saw Hamilton herself on video. Of course, Linda Hamilton is a Stranger Things fan like the rest of us. Right now, we know nothing about her character. Will she be on Eleven’s side, or is she evil like Vecna? We will see. We do know that things are in a dire place with the Upside Down basically taking over Hawkins. And if anyone can save the day in Stranger Things 5 (outside of El), it is Linda Hamilton.

We don’t know when the final season of Stranger Things is arriving just yet, but this new casting annoucement makes us even more excited for its return.

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Strangers Things clearly realizes the people love Eddie Munson. We’ve seen Eddie Munson corn mazes, Eddie Munson tribute concerts, and Eddie Munson T-Shirts. Now, fans of Eddie Munson will get a little bit more of Eddie in canon by way of Stranger Things prequel novel. And even though that’s great, we are still waiting for what we truly need Stranger Things to deliver, Eddie Munson alive in season five. It even rhymes. Corroded Coffin can sing a song about it.

Eddie Munson’s Stranger Things Prequel Novel Origin Story

Here’s a little bit more about the Eddie Munson prequel novel via Entertainment Weekly. The origin story for our favorite metalhead will be called Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus. It will detail Eddie’s time before we met him on Stranger Things 4, two years before to be exact. Apparently, the story will focus on Eddie’s quest to achieve his musical dreams and record music with Corroded Coffin. The only trouble is Eddie has no money. And that’s where his dubious dad comes in with scheme. According to the official plot synopsis, “It’s a risk, but if it pays off, he will finally have a one-way ticket out of Hawkins.” Except we know it doesn’t… But we guess we’ll see. We don’t feel confident in the Icarus reference in the title, though. Can someone please give Eddie his due?

It must be said that if there is one character who has had origin story after origin story crafted for them in the wide world of fanfiction, it’s Stranger Things‘ Eddie Munson. But this Eddie Munson novel seems like it will give neither Steddie (that’s Steve/Eddie fans, for the uninitiated) nor HellCheer (Chrissy/Eddie) fans the content they hope for. Instead, it seems like someone named Paige is in the picture. Once again, we guess we’ll see.

The Eddie Munson novel is written by Caitlin Schneiderhan, who is currently a part of the Stranger Things 5 writer’s room. It’s not like we’re unhappy to get an Eddie Munson prequel novel, although we’ve already read dozens of stories; it’s that all of this seems to pale in the face of what we do want. Eddie deserved more than his death on Stranger Things 4. And he deserves more than just a prequel novel. So I’ll sign off as I do traditionally for my Eddie Munson beat.

Bring Eddie back, you cowards.

Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus‘s Full Synopsis

Hawkins, Indiana — for most, it’s simply another idyllic, manicured all-American town. But for Eddie Munson it’s like living in a perpetual Tomb of Horrors. Luckily, he only has a few more months to survive at Hawkins High. And what is senior year, really, but just killing time between Dungeons & Dragons sessions with the Hellfire Club and gigs with his band?

It’s at the worst dive bar in town that Eddie meets Paige, someone who has pulled off a freaking miracle. She escaped Hawkins and built a wickedly cool life for herself working for a record producer out in Los Angeles. Not only is she the definition of a badass — with a killer taste in music — she might be the only person that actually appreciates him as the bard he is instead of the devil incarnate. But the best thing? She’s offering a chance for him to make something of himself, and all he needs is to get her a demo tape of Corroded Coffin’s best songs.

Just one problem: Recording costs money. Money Eddie doesn’t have. But he’s willing to do whatever it takes: even if that means relying on his old man, Al Munson. His dad just stumbled back into his life, with another dubious scheme up his sleeve, and yet Eddie knows this is his only option to make enough dough in enough time. It’s a risk, but if it pays off he will finally have a one-way ticket out of Hawkins.

Eddie can feel it: 1984 is going to be his year.

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In news that is shocking to no one, the Stranger Things universe is expanding on Netflix. We knew that the streaming service wants to keep this horror universe going and that the Duffer Brothers had ideas in the works. In fact, we have a few Stranger Things spinoff ideas of our own that are wild yet plausible. But we weren’t quite expecting Stranger Things to branch off into animated spinoff territory. According to Variety, that’s what we will get sometime in the future.

Of course, there are virtually no details about this spinoff animated series. Who knows when/where it will take place in the Stranger Things universe? However, a statement by the Duffer Brothers gives a few hints. It seems the series will give us a delight similar to those Saturday morning cartoons we grew up watching. A little horror with a bowl of cereal? Sign us up. 

“We’ve always dreamed of an animated Stranger Things in the vein of the Saturday morning cartoons that we grew up loving, and to see this dream realized has been absolutely thrilling,” the creative brothers said in a statement. We couldn’t be more blown away by what Eric Robles and his team have come up with — the scripts and artwork are incredible, and we can’t wait to share more with you! The adventure continues…”

The Duffer brothers will executive produce the Stranger Things animated spinoff series via Upside Down Pictures along with Robles of Flying Bark. Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen of 21 Laps are also a part of the production team. In the meantime, there’s still a lot to look forward to in the Stranger Things universe. There’s that London stage show set in Hawkins in 1959 and a mysterious live-action spinoff series, too. Oh, and we still have the fifth and final season of the flagship series coming our way. The Upside Down will have a hold on us for years to come.

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Have you ever wanted to have tentacles? How about the urge to crush the bones of the traumatized in especially crunchy and horrifying ways? No? Yes? Either way, you probably do want to know more about the inner minds of your favorite Stranger Things heroes and villains. And that’s what a surprise new Stranger Things game will allow you to do. Because when you play this VR video game, for now titled Stranger Things VR, you get to become Vecna. Take a look at the Stranger Things VR trailer below.

The description for this new video shares:

Play as Vecna in this new Stranger Things adventure in VR. Become an explorer of unknown realities as you form the hive mind and tame the void. Invade minds and conjure nightmares in your quest to enact revenge on Eleven and Hawkins.

An additional synopsis from the Stranger Things VR game developer, Tender Claws, which we saw on Upload, adds:

Stranger Things VR will allow fans to experience the world of Stranger Things from the never-before-seen perspective of Vecna as he explores unknown realities, forms the hive mind, and enacts his plan for revenge against Eleven and Hawkins. Players will invade the dreams and memories of fan favorite characters and harness telekinetic powers to battle humans and creatures alike, as Henry Creel’s transformation into Vecna and his influence on the events of prior seasons is revealed.

Interestingly, it sounds like this VR video game will reveal many things about the world of Stranger Things. On Stranger Things 4, we only really saw into the mind of Max, with brief glimpses into other main characters’ internal workings. But fans wondered, across the board, what it might look like if Vecna infiltrated the brains of other fan-favorite characters like Steve or Dustin. It sounds like, thanks to this new video game, we may get to explore those what-ifs.

Additionally, Stranger Things VR sounds like it stands to shed a ton of light on Vecna. What exactly was this Stranger Things villain doing before we met him? We know loosely, but the game feels almost like a Stranger Things retelling through Vecna’s eyes. That is some fascinating stuff. And honestly, this VR video game may set us up majorly for Stranger Things 5.

The game will arrive on “major VR platforms in winter 2023.” Which could be just around the corner… Or a year away. Either way, get ready. Soon, it is you who is Vecna.

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Stranger Things 4 left fans reeling with the wild events surrounding our fave crew and the Creel family. The show is known for its classic locations like the Hawkins Laboratory and downtown Hawkins itself, which is actually in Jackson, GA, near Atlanta, where a ton of filming takes place. This season, that big location was the Creel House. We saw everything from its dilapidated remains in present-day Hawkins (and the Upside Down) to what it looked like when Henry Creel first went full evil. Until now, fans could only check out its exterior and maybe snap a quick photo in front of it. But if someone has enough cash, they can make Vecna’s house their own. That’s right, the Creel House from Stranger Things 4 is for sale.  (Thanks to Daily Mail for sharing this creepy news.)

The 140-year-old Creel House (real name: the Claremont House) is in the quiet town of Rome, Georgia. Many of the rooms look quite familiar even though the décor is much different on the show. It’s a spacious enough place for your entire Hellfire Club to take over with pizza and D&D. According to the listing, the Creel House is a whopping 6,000 square feet with seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms. And, as far as we can tell, there are no signs of pure evil lurking within its walls.

The unidentified previous owners are really hitting one heck of a come-up with sale. They purchased it back in 2019 for a mere $350,000 and did a full restoration on the property. Of course, Netflix came knocking not too long later to turn it into Vecna’s house of horrors. And now the Creel House is for sale for a cool $1.5 million or maybe even more, depending on which Stranger Things fan has the most cash.

Click To View Gallery

Of course, there are pros and cons to having a famous horror house like the Creel House. If you live there, you’ll have to deal with random people trying to invade your property for photos. But you can perhaps not live there and do fun things with it, like tours or Airbnb rentals. The owner of Stu Macher’s house did for Scream fans and, well, I ain’t mad at them for it. 

So, if you are in the market for a major piece of Stranger Things 4 history, then put your offer in for the Creel House while it is still for sale. Just be sure to keep your Walkman close.

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Remember when a good Halloween display was just comprised a few tombstones in your yard and maybe a scary plastic monster of some kind? Well, that is so last century. These days, homeowners do things like make elaborate light displays for spooky season, or have giant skeletons on the lawn, or a huge inflatable Michael Myers. And now, actual drone shows too, many of which are theme park worthy. Thanks to the folks at Laughing Squid, we’ve once again encountered the amazing work of Tom BetGeorge, whose Halloween drone show this year drew inspiration from season 4 of Stranger Things.

And yes, that means Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” is our show’s soundtrack. (This one’s for you Eddie!) After the Hawkins portion of the show, the second half is a classic Ghostbusters tribute. You can watch the full video down below:

Not only do we get a Demogorgon, just like the one poor Hopper and his Russian buddies had to battle, but we also see a giant Mindflayer hovering above the house. Next, there’s the giant grandfather clock from Vecna’s childhood home, which later exists inside the Upside Down. And then we get what looks like Max Mayfield, hovering in the sky as Vecna infects her mind. It’s all mind-blowingly well done.

For the Ghostbusters portion of the show, as Ray Parker Jr.’s iconic theme song plays we see the iconic Ghostbusters logo hover above the house. Next, Slimer himself arrives, sucked into one of Egon Spengler’s proton packs. But the coolest thing in this show is the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. You can’t do a Ghostbusters tribute without him in some form, right? Last year, this same creator did a Halloween show centered on The Matrix. But we think this Stranger Things and Ghostbusters Halloween double whammy easily outdoes that one. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next year .

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A couple obsessed with Halloween and Stranger Things are putting on quite the show in their yard in Plainfield, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. The garage is covered in Upside Down vines, Billy’s grave and Demogorgons line the driveway, and a possessed Max hangs from midair. They show off the decorations on the @horrorprops TikTok channel, including some behind the scenes and instructional videos. The illusions are amazing, as are the secrets behind them.  

The levitation must be a sight to see in person. A life-sized, perfectly costumed Max hangs in the air just like in the show. She’s even got headphones on, hopefully playing “Running Up That Hill” on repeat.  
There’s also a version of Max sitting in front of Billy’s grave, which is a build they share a how-to post about. They sometimes have to take levitating Max down due to bad weather, but the chiming clock, vines, and other parts of the experience remain in place. 

We heard about these hard core fans on DesignTAXI. It must be disconcerting to look out the window and see a child suspended in the air. The neighbors are probably used to it by now though, based on the fact that the couple has posted about their elaborate Halloween decorations for years. Their Facebook page shows the couple has been busy for months. They made much of the Upside Down out of pool noodles and aluminum foil, but it looks extremely realistic thanks to their techniques.

For those who want to know how they got Max to levitate, the video below shows a little hint. They strung fishing line between a streetlight and the house. Surprise! Obviously it’s not real, but it’s still a really impressive feat.

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

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There’s a lot of serious and sad stuff in Stranger Things 4, but this blooper reel is a fun peek behind the scenes. And if you thought Joseph Quinn couldn’t get even more charismatic as fan-favorite Eddie, you’re both wrong and in for a treat. The video, which was released during Netflix’s TUDUM event, also includes a compilation of Steve and Robin saying “boobies” a bunch of times. Sadly there is no montage of that make-out scene between Joyce and Hopper, but Jopper fans at least get one more steamy kiss. And, of course, Jamie Campbell Bower breaking character and laughing as Vecna is hilarious to see.

There’s something special about blooper reels from serious and scary TV shows. For Stranger Things, that includes close-ups of Millie Bobby Brown getting to goof around as Eleven, something rarely called for in the script. And there’s also people on set who randomly jump out to scare the actors. Perhaps that adds a spark of authenticity to tense moments, though obviously those clips are only good for the blooper reel. 

Other dark shows that share bloopers include The Boys and The Witcher. And it is fun to see actors break character and blow off some steam between (and during) takes. It’s also interesting to hear people’s real voices and remember that some of them are doing accents on the show.

This Stranger Things blooper reel also serves as a reminder that there are so many characters on the show now. Everyone got at least one silly clip in the video and we’re sure there’s many that didn’t make the cut. Here’s hoping for an even longer gag reel at some point.  

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

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In geeky pop culture terms, Stranger Things put the state of Indiana on the map. Not since Close Encounters has the state seen such eerie activity on a regular basis. But for everyone who wishes they could visit Hawkins and have the full Stranger Things experience? We hate to break it to you, but there is no Hawkins in Indiana in real life. The series actually films in Atlanta, Georgia. But one town in Indiana is making up for that. Via Collider, we’ve learned that the town of Bloomington, Indiana now has a special suite dedicated to Stranger Things at Graduate Hotels.

In the Stranger Things rooms, you can relax in the ’80s mid-American splendor of Joyce Byers’ house. This is the room that contained the wall that she wrote the alphabet on, allowing her to talk to her son Will when he was trapped in the Upside Down. This is perhaps the moment that made the show so iconic. There’s also the Wheeler family’s basement, including Eleven’s little secret hideaway. You can read the official description, as well as view images, below:

Make yourself at home in Joyce Byers’ living room, complete with floral wallpaper, a pull-out sofa bed and, of course, Christmas lights. Sorry in advance—the lights seem to have a mind of their own. Next door, the Wheeler’s basement is just what you’d expect, wood-paneled walls and all. You’ll feel like part of the party with oversized walkie talkies and a collection of retro board games. If you’re up for it, start a game of Dungeons & Dragons—you can even wear Will’s purple wizard cloak to really get into character. Plus, these ‘80s inspired digs have a king bed for ultimate relaxation

There’s no modern TV in either room, as to not break theme. You’ll just have to bring a laptop to this hotel to stream Stranger Things or whichever ’80s movies that inspired it. Every Stranger Things Suite stay includes “The Upside Down Experience Package.” This includes a Polaroid camera to use during your trip, bikes to explore the city just like the Hawkins Junior High AV Club did, and two WonderLab Science Museum tickets. In fact, 11% of the profits from each stay go to the museum, in honor of Eleven. And speaking of Eleven, each guest gets a special Eggo snack. Just watch out for all those pesky Demogorgons.

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A creepy kid with killer telekinetic powers is pretty scary. As is a strange orderly at who knows way more about the government’s shadowy lab than he should. But Henry Creel/One became truly terrifying when the Upside Down contorted him into the horrifying monster known as Vecna. A lot more went into creating Stranger Things‘ greatest threat than just prosthetics and CGI, though. Jamie Campbell Bower’s performance made that nightmare come alive. From his piercing stare to his unsettling gait, everything about the character oozed dread. And he also sounded menacing. But would those deep dark tones have been as scary if he had different dialogue? The answer is a resounding “no,” because Stranger Things‘ newest star recited some famous lines using his Vecna voice and instead of frightening us he made us laugh.

Campbell Bower stopped by The Tonight Show where he told Jimmy Fallon how he developed Vecna’s voice. He said it took him a few months to get it right. Originally during the show’s March 2020 read-through, just two months after he got the part, the voice was nasally, “more like Freddy Krueger.” HE knew it wasn’t working though, so he kept working on it. That included watching Doug Bradley in Hellraiser. Obviously that worked, because he found the “deep booming voice” that “comes out of the darkness” the role called for.

What it didn’t call for was reading absurd, famous, decidedly non-Vecna lines from pop culture. That included quotes from movies like Notting Hill and Titanic, as well as cereal slogans and even a daily affirmation.

But the highlight was when he busted out a verse from Lizzo’s “About Damn Time.”

Had Lizzo’s music been around when One worked at Hawkins Lab maybe his life would have been very different. Maybe he wouldn’t have hated all of humanity. OF course, had that been the case, we never would have heard Vecna sing that song, so maybe it was for the best.

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It’s fair to say many people, myself included, are not very happy with Eddie Munson’s death on Stranger Things 4. Although Stranger Things had several deaths this season, none of them hit as hard as Eddie’s for a multitude of reasons. But what we are happy to see is the character getting the love and respect he deserves from all kinds of sources. Most recently, Joseph Quinn, who plays Eddie in Stranger Things, jammed with Metallica themselves at a rehearsal for their Lollapalooza music festival performance.

Joseph Quinn Meets Metallica

Joseph Quinn was adorably delighted to meet Metallica and Metallica seemed pretty thrilled to have Eddie Munson among their ranks, even commenting “Metallica is now a five-piece.” Quinn and Metallica came together for an epic jam session and played through the beginning of “Master of Puppets.” Quinn held his own very admirably, Eddie Munson would have been proud and probably jumping on the tables. If that weren’t enough, Metallica gifted Joseph Quinn with his very own Eddie Munson-style guitar. Of course, they signed it much to Quinn, and all of our, delights.

Later, when Metallica played “Master of Puppets” during their actual set at Lollapalooza, they also shouted out to Eddie and Stranger Things.

Eddie Munson and Metallica TikTok Duet

Honestly, we love how much Metallica has embraced Eddie Munson and Stranger Things‘ use of their music, and we’re sure Eddie would have loved it too. All of the above comes on the heels of Metallica epically dueting Eddie on TikTok. You can take a look at this epic concert below.

The pure joy Metallica seems to have in playing this duet really speaks volumes to the number of people Stranger Things’ Eddie touched. When even Metallica has joined your D&D club, you’ve probably done something right.

According to Deadline, this Eddie Munson and Metallica team-up has broken 7.3 million views and has nearly two million likes. Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” also recently reached the number one spot on the iTunes rock charts. That’s true impact. We’re sure the Hellfire Club would have gone absolutely bananas if Metallica ever turned up to help them fight evil. Maybe if Eddie somehow returns in season five, the show can make that happen. Imagine how many Demobats that team-up could take down? Vecna wouldn’t stand a chance.

Stranger Things became an unexpected vehicle for music in season four, creating an outpouring of love for Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” And now, of course, Stranger Things has now ignited this Metallica frenzy by way of Eddie. Music often plays an important role in shows, but it’s definitely cool to see a whole new audience embracing these ’80s hits.

Eddie, this is for you.

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I’ve said it once (okay, maybe like, hundred times), but Stranger Things 4‘s breakout character is definitely Eddie Munson. The fact of the matter is that people love Eddie. They love Eddie’s relationship with Dustin. They love Eddie’s relationship with Steve. Fans especially love Eddie’s incredible Upside Down concert where he slayed Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.” (They do not love Eddie’s Stranger Things 4 death.) The point is, the people love Eddie Munson. And alongside Eddie, Stranger Things have a tremendous amount of affection for his actor Joseph Quinn. After all, we wouldn’t have the character without the actor. Recently, Joseph Quinn made his late-night show debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Yes, this was Joseph Quinn’s first late-night appearance. And he did not disappoint.

On the show, Quinn discussed how Eddie helped him through immigration confusion, offered up his favorite parts of working on Stranger Things, and did Eddie Munson’s opening monologue in several funny accents.

It turns out, Joseph Quinn almost didn’t make it to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He got stopped at immigration and taken to a room that was “more of a dungeon.” When asked where he was heading, Quinn told the truth, he was heading to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Needless to say, his immigration officer wasn’t very impressed. It probably doesn’t help that Quinn doesn’t look very much like his Stranger Things counterpart without Eddie Munson’s hair. Luckily, a different guard seemed to have a keener eye. “Leave Eddie alone,” is what Joseph Quinn remembers hearing. And honestly. That is a relatable sentiment. I feel like I yell it at the screen every time I rewatch Stranger Things 4.

Luckily, Joseph Quinn made it to his first late-night show appearance. But not before the immigration officer insisted that Eddie had to come back to life in Stranger Things 5. Again, a relatable sentiment. And we’re glad he made it to The Tonight Show to see Fallon. In addition to this anecdote, Joseph Quinn brought us some lovely stories about working on Stranger Things. He had nothing but praise for Gaten Matarazzo and noted that he was worried about stepping into a mentor relationship with Dustin, given that fans love Dustin and Steve’s (Joe Keery) friendship so much. Quinn described himself to Fallon as Dustin’s “Side-Joe.”

But it all turned out for the best because he and Joe Keery would delightedly compare notes on Gaten. Judging by what Quinn told Fallon, it sounds like they had an absolute blast. And fans embraced the relationship between all of them. This again, is why Joseph Quinn and Eddie Munson had better come back to Stranger Things.

To conclude his time with Fallon, Joseph Quinn did Eddie’s opening monologue from the show in different accents. Which was absolutely hilarious… And totally accurate. Congratulations, Joseph Quinn, on your first late-night talk show success!

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Stranger Things 4 certainly left us with more questions than answers… and more ‘ships than ever before! So as we await the next season of the Duffer Bros’ homage to all things 80s, let’s talk about where the various relationships have settled. This is the state of Stranger Things 4‘s ‘ships!

Steve/Nancy

Steve and Nancy’s relationship has evolved from archetypal “girl-next-door falls for dumb popular jock” to “traumatized but surprisingly well adjusted young adults who care for one another.” And despite the pair failing to officially rekindle things, season four definitely saw some longing glances, some close touching, and some more-than-hot bandage wrapping and heavy breathing in the Upside Down. While Nancy and Jonathan seemed to pick things back up in the season four finale, Steve and Nancy will need to work out those unresolved feelings in the coming seasons. We can’t wait to see this ‘ship return to all its glory.

Steve/Robin

In Stranger Things’ third season, the show’s creators lead us to believe Robin and Steve had the typical “friends who end up having feelings for each other” dynamic. However, the subversion of this trope and the shift into Robin and Steve becoming platonic best friends/almost siblings who support each other’s romantic endeavors has been a treat to watch. Steve beaming while Robin and Vickie finally got their flirt on was one of the most heartwarming moments of the season four finale. We’re looking forward to more lighthearted ribbing, slightly off-the-mark advice, and lasting friendship. Plus, Robin schooling Steve on pop culture and movie trivia is extremely relatable and endlessly entertaining.

Robin/Nancy

Robin and Nancy, a.k.a. Ronance, got to play Velma and Daphne in this season. Especially when they questioned Victor Creel together as undercover grad students. Nancy’s annoyance at Robin and initial jealousy over Robin and Steve’s friendship added fuel to the fire of this newly formed ship. We’re not sure if Stranger Things would really give us this pairing as a legit romantic relationship. After all, the show has established Nancy as possibly the most straight character. But that’s never stopped the internet from shipping before. The balance of Nancy’s braininess and Robin’s cluelessness makes their a sort of opposites-attract vibe one that we can’t ignore.

Robin/Vickie

Robin and Vickie were finally starting to become an item in the season four finale. It came after weeks of unrequited love on Robin’s part. We’ll see if their love is able to overcome weird sandwich filling preferences and Hawkins’ general post-apocalyptic vibes. In all seriousness, we hope this ‘ship develops into something real. It’s awesome to see Robin get an arc that’s not wholly dependent on Steve. This ‘ship is just departing from the harbor, and we’ll see how far it sails.

Nancy/Jonathan

Everyone’s favorite journalism hounds are finally back together, after a season of separation! But things aren’t as picture perfect as they seem. Jonathan is edging dangerously close to Seth Cohen in season three of The OC “not getting into college because of smoking pot” territory. Plus, Nancy seems to have some residual and/or resurgent feelings for Steve. Hate to type it, but this ‘ship feels like it might crash.

Mike/Will

The topic of Will Byers’ sexuality ignited discussion among the show’s cast, writers, and fans alike. Will’s emotional arc through season four highlighted his struggle to understand and accept who he is. Part of that struggle was watching his best friend Mike fall in love with Eleven, as Will fell harder for Mike. The scene between Will and Jonathan where Jonathan expressed support for Will demonstrated an emotional peak for the series, and we’re hopeful the next few seasons give Will the time, space, and dignity his character deserves: but we’re not sure that Mike reciprocates the feelings. Or if he ever will. This ‘ship is also in choppy waters.

Mike/Eleven

Even though Mike and Will’s future remains unclear, El and Mike’s relationship saw new tests and stresses in season four. The long distance aspect challenged the pair, and El lying about her new school and “friends” didn’t help, either. But the two clearly still love each other and see the best in one another, and help underscore the themes of love, friendship, and compassion in the series. This ‘ship doesn’t look like it’s going to sink any time soon.

Steve/Eddie

Name two Stranger Things characters with better hair. You can’t! The volume alone is astounding. But in terms of this ‘ship, what’s not to love? Steve and Eddie, a.k.a. Steddie, are a pair of bad boys turned good, like different sides of the same coin. Seeing these two bounce ideas off each other and move past their preconceived notions of the other proved they had shared interest and respect. Unfortunately, Eddie died in the Upside Down so this ‘ship’s future might be nonexistent. But if Eddie were to return… we’d certainly like to explore more of their dynamic and tension.

Chrissy/Eddie

The perky cheerleader and the weirdo goth boy only shared a few interactions, but many fans felt Chrissy and Eddie also shared sparks. Their Bender and Claire from The Breakfast Club energy plus their tragic fates also enhance the star-crossed lovers sentiments. We’re curious to see how the Upside Down continues to change in the next season, and perhaps this ‘ship could live another day if their characters were revived in some way.

Lucas/Max

The greatest concern for this ‘ship is Max’s well-being. There’s not a whole lot to talk about when one part of this couple is in a coma. Lucas and Max’s relationship took a backseat to the whole “Max being possessed and almost killed by Vecna” thing. Still, the two found their way back to each other after some pressure, thanks in part to Kate Bush.

Dustin/Suzie

The most musically inclined duo in Stranger Things were integral to the season, but barely got any face time together. More musical duets next season, please—and more Suzie backstory! Let this nerdy ‘ship have its moment to shine!

Hopper/Joyce

Joyce and Hopper’s relationship has been a slow burn. Their longing added extra emotional oomph to this season of Stranger Things, as Joyce journeyed to Russia to bring Hopper back. After coming face-to-face with Russian bad guys, demogorgons, and demo-dogs, it seems like Hopper and Joyce are now on the path to their very own happy ending back in Hawkins. We hope to see some more smooching and the return of Hopper’s dad bod next season, as this ‘ship heads for smooth waters.

Murray/Russia

To be honest, Murray doesn’t need to be shipped with anyone. But he did thrive in Russia so well that we had to mention him. And his beloved flame thrower.

Kate Bush/TikTok

If “Running Up That Hill” hasn’t been stuck in your head all summer, you clearly haven’t been on the internet in three months. It’s the TikTok sound that will never die. And it’s the song that saved Max’s life. “Running Up That Hill” now been established as an integral part of the Stranger Things magic.

A friendly reminder: this is not an exhaustive list of every ‘ship in the Stranger Things canon. The internet does not put limits on shipping. And certain as a well timed ‘80s needle drop, Stranger Things will certainly be adding new characters, mixing up the romances, and hurting our hearts in the future. Until then, we’re sailing off into the sunset and thinking about Nancy wrapping a piece of her shirt around Steve again, and hoping for more smooching always.

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Vecna is just the latest in a series of perfect nightmare-inducing monsters from the Stranger Things team. So it’s very cool to see what might have been when it comes to the creepy design. Michael Maher Jr. is a concept and storyboard artist who worked on seasons two through four of the series. He recently shared multiple versions of Vecna that didn’t make the final cut on his TikTok channel.

In one particularly gross version, Vecna’s skin drapes over his face and falls off in chunks. They ultimately scrapped this design because it didn’t allow enough expressive behavior to come through. Other options didn’t hide the character’s identity well enough or were deemed too hard to shoot. It’s a range of truly terrifying options, but we think the Duffer Brothers made the right choice in the end. 

Maher shares more storyboards and concept art for the many creatures of Stranger Things on his website. He also served as a VFX supervisor, which means he must have been very busy in Stranger Things 4. Vecna’s squelchy vines didn’t animate themselves, after all. There’s even a video with behind the scenes footage showing how visual effects overlay to make the final product. It’s quite the peek behind the curtain for such a major property.

The background music for Maher’s TikToks is either “Running Up That Hill” (of course) or a musical version of Eddie begging Chrissy to wake up. This sets the appropriate scene as we learn more about how the team fleshed out the whole sordid tale of Henry/One/Vecna.

Another cool insight from Maher’s social media posts is that the mynocks that chew on the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back inspired this season’s Demobats.

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

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There seems to be a trend in the buzz that’s building after Stranger Things 4. It’s really all about Eddie Munson. First, there was outrage over Eddie’s death. Then Metallica decided to duet Eddie in a super viral TikTok. And now, we get… Stranger Things corn art of Eddie that stretches out over an acre. Well, Eddie Munson certainly deserves all of this, and we’re glad to see it. But what Eddie really deserves is to be alive in Stranger Things 5. If someone is going to go through the trouble to stretch his face out over one acre of corn, in a very impressive feat of fanart, to be sure, we feel like Eddie Munson deserves a Stranger Things resurrection.

But in the meanwhile, we guess we will continue to mourn Eddie’s Stranger Things 4 death. This time, with corn.

According to Netflix, this “1-Acre Eddie Munson Corn Art by Stan Herd” is located “somewhere in Indiana.” But hopefully not above any gates to the Upside Down. The corn art of Eddie is truly very impressive. It captures his Hellfire Club T-shirt and one of his best faces from the show. One of many. And it reminds us “Eddie 4-Ever.” Which we have to agree with. Eddie will always be alive in our hearts, no matter what Stranger Things has to say about it.

Eddie Munson’s Stranger Things 4 death hit many people hard. And not only because he was beloved, but because it really felt like he deserved more. There’s even been a very intensely supported petition going around the internet hoping to help Eddie return to the show. And ever since he died at the end of Stranger Things 4, there’s been theories floating around about how Eddie could return for Stranger Things 5 alive, up to and including becoming a Demo-Vampire or Kas, the Destroyer.

Personally, we’d like to see Eddie come back alive as just Eddie, but maybe he can come back in some kind of corn-form instead. Netflix seems to approve of that.

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It’s no secret that Stranger Things is indebted to the works of Stephen King. The horror author’s presence looms large over the Netflix series and has from day one. The show’s title and trademark font borrow stylistically from King’s 1991 novel Needful Things, while references to film adaptations pop up frequently. The fourth season was no exception; the bullying Eleven endures—and her subsequent meltdown at the roller rink—is straight out of Carrie, while Vecna’s blood-filled balloon popping in Max’s subconscious is an allusion to It. 

But it’s the fourth season finale where the Stephen King references get even more literal. In one of the final scenes, we see Lucas reading a book to a catatonic Max. It’s The Talisman, a 1984 fantasy novel co-written by King and Peter Straub. The excerpt we hear mentions the name Speedy, references a roller coaster, and speaks of a place called the Territories. It’s a perfect bit of texture for the season and might also foretell what we’ll see in the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. 

Here’s what you need to know about The Talisman, how its themes could fit into the show’s final chapter, and the story’s significance to the Duffer brothers.

The Duffers Are Adapting The Talisman for Netflix

There’s one primary reason for The Talisman Easter egg this season: the Duffer brothers—who created Stranger Things—are set to adapt the novel into a series for Netflix. This long-gestating project is back in the news this week thanks to the announcement of the Duffers’ new production company, Upside Down Pictures. The press release made clear that The Talisman—first announced in 2019—is still in the works, with the Duffers saying of the source material: “It’s much more fantasy [than Stranger Things]. It has sci-fi. It has horror elements. It has a lot of heart. It has everything that we love.” 

The project is exciting for several reasons. Not only does it pair the Duffers with King, but also with another big Steve in their life: Steven Spielberg, whose production company Amblin Entertainment will co-produce the show along with Paramount Television. Spielberg’s influence on Stranger Things is just as significant as King’s—with E.T. and Close Encounters being particularly noteworthy—so this is a big win for the Duffers. 

The Talisman Easter egg in the finale is a reference to this upcoming project, but its plot and the themes echo through Stranger Things, too—and could tease a few significant elements in season five.

Of Territories and Twinners

The fifth season of Stranger Things will be its last, so we can expect an epic, show-stopping, budget-blasting showdown with the series’ big bad, Vecna. The setup is already in place. In the finale, Vecna enacts his evil plan to destroy Hawkins and open the barrier between the Upside Down and our reality. A hellish earthquake splits the small Midwest town down the middle, with plumes of smoke, mountains of fire, and snow-like particles bleeding into our world. If the visions Vecna gave Nancy come true, we can expect great beasts to spill from this tear and wreak havoc on what’s left of Hawkins. 

But what is the Upside Down? This otherworldly place remains the show’s most potent mystery. We know nothing of its origins or why its version of Hawkins is currently trapped in time. Until season four, it was an eldritch horror—an unknowable, unfathomable wasteland. For those familiar with The Talisman, this sounds like the Territories.

The Territories is a fantastical location in the world of The Talisman. The story centers on a 12-year-old boy named Jack Sawyer who goes on a journey to save his ill mother. He hunts for a magical crystal known as “the Talisman,” hidden away in the Territories—a parallel realm that mirrors our world. People known as “Twinners” live in the Territories. They are duplicates of people in our reality who share core elements of their “twin’s” lives: birthdays, major life events, traumatic experiences, etc. To access the Territories, a person must “flip” into their Twinner’s body and take over.

Like the Upside Down, the Territories aren’t an exact 1:1 with our reality. There are medieval customs and hierarchies in the Territories—kings, queens, noblemen—and werewolves. The novel is firmly rooted in fantasy, with the Territories serving as an Oz-like land where his mother’s Twinner is queen—and also, it turns out, gravely ill.

The quest at the heart of The Talisman is frightening but also quite tender. It’s one of Stephen King’s more heartfelt and thrilling adventure stories and (spoiler alert) also one of the few with a happy ending. But what does it have to do with Stranger Things beyond the similarities of the Territories and the Upside Down?

What’s in the Upside Down?

There are elements of The Talisman that could foretell what happens in the final season of Stranger Things. The concept of Twinners is one of them. One thing missing from the Upside Down is any inhabitants. However, we see the corpses of many beloved dead characters in the Upside Down and Vecna’s mind lair. Barb and Eddie were both in the Upside Down when they died, and Vecna’s recent victims are all wrapped in vines in his spooky mind palace, which seems of a piece with this hellish other world.

We know Vecna feeds on trauma. Is it possible that season five will see him reanimating these deceased characters and letting them loose in our reality? This could mean the reappearance of fan favorites, but at a terrible cost. And while this isn’t an exact parallel to the concept of Twinners, there is some shared DNA in the idea of deadly “twins” coming into play. 

Another similarity that may come forward? The idea of the Talisman itself. Jack can only retrieve this magical crystal in the book by crossing into the Territories, where it’s hidden. It seems likely that something like this could happen in the final season of Stranger Things. What if there’s something hidden in the depths of the Upside Down that is the key to killing Vecna? Maybe a weapon or “talisman” that makes him vulnerable. Most of our favorite characters have been to the Upside Down already, so they know how to navigate it and what to expect. It’d be epic to see them on a Talisman-like quest to this underworld in season five.

Who Is Eleven’s Mom?

But the most significant piece of connective tissue between The Talisman and Stranger Things is motherly love. Jack’s sole reason for traversing the Territories is to save his mother. Likewise, Eleven’s mother, Terry Ives, is ill, though of a different sort. After participating in MKUltra and attempting to retrieve the kidnapped El, Dr. Brenner fries Terry’s brain using electroconvulsive therapy. Despite her vegetative state, she knows her daughter is alive and that she has powers—powers that Terry shares due to the experiments performed on her. 

The story of Eleven’s mother feels incomplete. In season four, El summons memories of her mom to protect her against Vecna. We even see flashbacks to her birth. We know that El can save lives and travel into other people’s minds; perhaps the final season will involve a quest to save her mother. Is there something in the Upside Down that could defeat this evil force and free Eleven’s mother from her mental prison? Maybe whatever it is can save Max, too.

Regardless of what happens in season five, it’s clear The Talisman already served as an inspiration for Stranger Things. Time will tell if that connection bears more fruit. Something major has to happen in the Upside Down at the end of it all. Why not a magical MacGuffin that leads to a happy ending?

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Hopper is back like he never left because, well, he never really left. We cannot speak for every viewer but the Stranger Things fans here at Nerdist knew Hopper didn’t die at Starcourt Mall. And our suspicions became fact with new images and trailers for Stranger Things 4. But there were still a ton of questions about our favorite lazy sheriff turned paranoid hero dad. Stranger Things 4 gave us answers to a few of our burning Hopper questions. Let’s take a look at his journey this season. 

Jump To: Hopper in Volume 2

Hopper’s Story in Stranger Things 4 Volume One

Surprisingly, the revelation that Hopper is alive comes in the first episode. Joyce gets a cryptic letter (inside a Russian doll, no less) that he’s still alive. She ropes in Murray so they can dial a number, which leads them to a guy named Enzo. If you can remember, Enzo is the restaurant where Joyce and Hopper were supposed to go on their date. This kicks off the Joyce/Murray storyline with them traveling to Alaska to exchange money with Yuri, who will help them get to the Russian prison where Hopper is held captive.

Meanwhile, episode two takes us back to that fateful Fourth of July where we discover what happens to Hopper. And, honestly, its rather anticlimactic. He didn’t somehow fall through a portal and end up in Russia. Instead, a few straggler Russians caught Hopper and presumably flew him to the prison. In the last six months, he’s been in a living hell, enduring physical and mental abuse and losing weight as a result of poor nutrition. His beard and hair are no more and he’s desperate to escape. Oh, and there’s also a Demogorgon there that gets to feast on prisoners for sport. 

Thankfully, he’s not alone. A Russian soldier whom we call Enzo (real name: Antonov) has become a friend of sorts, even if his motivations are selfish. (We love that he calls Hopper “American.”) He’s all about getting money and surely thinks Hopper will die. Stranger Things 4 Volume One shows Hopper and Enzo’s friendship take shape, especially after Hopper’s initial escape attempt goes awry with Yuri’s betrayal. At least he got some JIF peanut butter out of it.

They become equals, both prisoners with time to talk to each other. Hopper hits the point of no hope in episode five, believing that he’s somehow cursed. He talks to Enzo, revealing that he went into the military at 18 to prove he wasn’t worthless to his dad. Hopper ends up in the Chemical Corps and comes into frequent contact with Agent Orange, which affects him and later leads to his daughter’s cancer diagnosis and death. 

“After that… I just hid myself in drugs and alcohol. And then people started coming into my life. This girl El and Joyce just happened, and I told myself that they needed me. That wasn’t true. That’s a lie. They didn’t need me. I needed them… the minute I sent for Joyce, the minute I sent for her, I sentenced her to death. Just like I did with Sara. Everyone I love, I hurt. See I was wrong this whole time. I wasn’t cursed. I am the curse.”

Hopper a.k.a. “American”

It’s a truly heartbreaking sentiment for a man going through a dark night of the soul moment. And things appear to be getting darker for him with the prospect of having to fight in a losing “entertainment match” against a Demogorgon. But, Hopper finds purpose in this, fighting in hopes that he can do something to make Eleven proud of him. He reflects on his relationship with Eleven, knowing that she was rejecting him to grow up and hoping she’s coming into her own. They make a pact to get out of there and return to their children. 

At the end of Volume One, Hopper and Enzo defeat the Demogorgon with Joyce and Murray’s interference. Hopper and Joyce enjoy a sweet, sweet reunion; however, there’s still the issue of fully escaping the prison and getting back to Hawkins.

Hopper’s Story in Stranger Things 4 Volume 2

A few fights and heavy threats later, Jopper escapes with Murray, Enzo, and Yuri. They get to an outpost where shady Yuri claims he has a helicopter. And he does. But it is small, suspicious, and has never been flown. Hopper and Joyce also give fans what they have been craving since season one. A kiss (and presumably more hot action) goes down after so much pining. Love to see it. However, in the wildest decision yet, they decide to break back into the prison. Hopper knows that they cannot get to Hawkins in time to help the kids. But he figures if they can kill the creatures they saw in the prison, maybe that will benefit them somehow.

So that is what they do. It delivers some pretty epic fighting on their behalf, especially Hopper. And destroying those creatures does help weaken Vecna to a degree. So yay? They make it out once again and fly back to the states. Hopper gets a reunion with Eleven. And all is chaotic with massive gates open in Hawkins. Good times.

We don’t know where Hopper’s story will go next season. But he’s back in Hawkins, safe-ish, and ready to fight for his family.

Originally published May 31, 2022.

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Stranger Things 4 is officially done! So many wild things happened from Eleven gaining her powers again to learning the intricacies of the Upside Down. And of course, it all ends with Hawkins basically being taken over by the show’s version of Hell. Good times. There are so many questions that need answers by the end of Stranger Things 4. While we cannot pinpoint and answer them all, here are a few serious (and silly) inquiries we have. 

Why Did Vecna Choose Nancy to Relay His Vision? 

We understand why Vecna went after Nancy Wheeler. She’s still harboring a ton of guilt over Barb’s death from season one. But what is more of a mystery is that Vecna did the classic “villain tells what he’s going to do before he does it” bit with her and then lets her go so she can relay the message to Eleven. Vecna clearly knows that Eleven isn’t in Hawkins but perhaps he does know that she’s using her powers to watch over the group.

But what he doesn’t realize is that Nancy is 100% about that action and uses his revelations to devise a plan against him. And it could have worked if it weren’t for Jason and company getting in the way. Still, we don’t understand why Vecna chose Nancy for this specifically. She’s got a good relationship with Eleven but he could have brought anyone in to reveal those things. Hmmm.

What Was the Monster that Nancy Saw in the Visions?

When Nancy describes her visions, she talks about a creepy monster with a gaping mouth. It doesn’t sound like one we’ve seen this one in the Upside Down before. So what is it? Our theory is that it is the Thessalhydra. He’s got a big mouth, snaky tentacles, and such. And he was the monster in the boys campaign a long, long time ago when we first met them. The Duffers did say that everything would come full circle in Stranger Things 5, so we will probably see this scary guy again.  

Is Vecna Secretly Eleven’s Father? 

An intriguing theory indeed. Our own Dan Casey parses through this popular idea and it makes a ton of sense. If this is true, it’s a worse relationship than the one she had with Brenner. Check out what Dan has to say here: 

Will Argyle Remember Anything? Where Is His Family? 

Argyle is such an enigma. He ends up in the Cali crew’s mess when a trip to pick them up from the house turns into driving from military personnel shooting at them. Argyle straight up takes a company vehicle to Nevada and then Illinois, presumably abandoning his job and his family. He’s Jonathan’s pal, so he’s likely a senior in high school. Where are his parents, anyway? The bigger question we have after Stranger Things 4 is whether Argyle will remember most of what happened. They keep him high as a kite so he will chill out. So maybe this will mostly be a fever dream to him. That is, until he’s in big trouble for taking a Surfer Boy pizza van on a road trip.

What Will Happen to Stranger Things’ Hellfire Club? 

In episode seven, Jason gets Hawkins all riled up to the point that they are ready to hunt down the members of Hellfire Club, an innocent fantasy gaming club full of children. We don’t see that full “mob mentality” come to rise in Volume 2; however, the final episode features a TV news report that is concerning. The people of Hawkins still think that Eddie is responsible for the murders and that Hellfire Club is a Satanic cult.

This is interesting considering that there’s a clothes/food drive happening at Hawkins High and Dustin is there. No one seems to really notice Dustin nor treat him unkindly. It’s jarring considering the police were looking for all of them and news reports still paint every member as evil. Of course, there’s the larger issue of a four-way gate tearing Hawkins apart. But it remains to be seen how the Hellfire members—including Mike, Lucas, and Erica, sort of—will be treated as things get progressively worse. One thing humanity loves to do is be awful to each other in the midst of a crisis. Stranger Things leaves us to question what will happen next with the group.

What Will Hopper Do in Stranger Things 5? 

Hopper is back! And we are wondering if he’s really going to Enzo’s with Joyce. Not because the food isn’t great. But how the hell can he explain being alive after they thought he died? It’s presumed that Eleven and Hopper will go into hiding at that cabin again. Still, someone will eventually see him. And, with his ongoing connections to Owens (more on that later), among other things, we wonder what will happen to Hopper in Stranger Things 5. 

Will Eddie Munson’s Name Be Cleared of All Wrongdoing? 

Poor Eddie Munson. His death hurts our hearts for so many reasons. While we aren’t sure if the show will find a way to revive him, we at least want his name to be cleared. Eddie did nothing wrong. He’s not a murderer nor is he the leader of a dark cult. His uncle still lives in Hawkins and it would be great if his nephew’s name could be cleared completely. And, the truth is, there are a lot of Hawkins kids who will need a safe place like the Hellfire Club to come together. Proving that neither they nor Eddie are responsible for Hell opening up would be great. Just saying. We wish this wasn’t a question we had to ask of Stranger Things, but unfortunately, it is.

What’s with the Time Freeze in the Upside Down? 

We got a tidbit of information in the Upside Down when Nancy and company went to the Wheeler house during their first trip there. Nancy discovers that the Upside Down is seemingly frozen on November 6, 1983. We didn’t get an answer this season but the Duffer Brothers confirm that this time freeze is for a reason, indeed. We’re definitely still pondering this Stranger Things 4 question, so we look forward to getting an answer in the final season. 

Will Max Mayfield Die in Stranger Things 5? 

This is a biggie. Max is still alive but in a very vulnerable physical condition at the end of Stranger Things 4. She cannot see, her limbs are broken, and she is in a coma. It would not make sense to simply have her die at the beginning of next season. She’s still around for a reason and it may involve a connection with Vecna. Is she somehow mentally lost in his world? Will Eleven be able to find her? We will have to wait and see. If Max does die, it would be an incredible heartbreaker. 

Where Is Dr. Owens? 

The last time we saw Dr. Owens, he was on the floor of the lab with a handcuff on one wrist. We never see him exit the lab so we can only assume that he’s alive and in the custody of the military. It remains to be seen where he is and if we will see him again in season five. 

What Happened to Murray, Antonov, and Yuri, and Will They Return in Stranger Things 5? 

A lot of people were in that little helicopter. But we didn’t see Murray, Antonov, or Yuri at the end of the finale. Where did they go? We know Dimitri Antonov wanted to reconnect with his son. And Yuri is just a mess. Did they all come to America? If so, where the hell did they go? And what is Murray up to? Perhaps he’s back at home in his martial arts classes again. 

What Is the Extent of Eleven’s Powers?

We continue to learn more about more about Eleven’s powers, even four seasons into the show. After regaining her abilities, Eleven seems to be more powerful than ever. Yes, she is not able to best Vecna in battle (for now) but she did something remarkable. Eleven used her powers to bring Max back to life after she died in Lucas’ arms. It’s possible that Eleven’s powers, like Vecna’s, will grow stronger the more she spends time in an Upside Down-like environment. And with the Upside Down leaking into Hawkins, perhaps Eleven will show even more abilities. Maybe she can restore Max to the way she was before the attack. And perhaps she can resurrect others like Eddie. Who knows?

When Will Stranger Things 5 Premiere? 

Of course, it is way too early to pinpoint an exact release date for Stranger Things 5. But it seems they are eyeballing a 2024 release date at this point. The writers’ room is coming together in August 2022 to begin penning the final scripts, so that date makes sense. And with the majority of the show coming out during summer months, perhaps the final season will follow suit. The Duffer brothers have been sharing quite a bit about Stranger Things 5 so maybe we’ll learn its release date sooner rather than later.

The post Our Biggest STRANGER THINGS Questions Before the Final Season appeared first on Nerdist.

Stranger Things season four is officially over. The arrival of Volume 2 brought us tragedy, unforgivable deaths, and more secrets about the mysteries of Hawkins. But we’re here today to talk about something even more important: which Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) class would your favorite Stranger Things character be in? Since the very first episode, D&D has played a huge part in the lore and narrative of Stranger Things. From the Demogorgon to the roles each of our leads play, the tabletop role-playing game has had a massive impact. So after the events of this season we’re here to suggest some D&D classes, subclasses, and even a couple of homebrews for some of the Stranger Things kids. 

Mike Wheeler – Paladin

We’re going with the show canon for this one, though we have to say Mike hasn’t been leading the kids in the for a long time. When Stranger Things first began, however, it made a lot of sense for Mike’s D&D class to be the Paladin. Whether fighting to find Will or standing by Eleven as she struggled to find her place in Hawkins, he has for a long time been pushing for truth and justice. The question going forward is whether he’ll continue to do that as life gets more complicated. 

Lucas Sinclair – Ranger: Hunter Conclave 

Lucas is established as the group’s Ranger early on. But his skill with different weapons like his slingshot, ax, and even hand-to-hand combat made us go more specific when it comes to his Stranger Things D&D class. Like a Hunter Conclave, Lucas is unafraid to find the best tool possible in order to protect his friends and the whole of Hawkins from the dangers of the Upside Down. He’s a skilled planner and has always been one of the most thoughtful and cautious of the group, but when it comes down to it he always fights for what’s right. 

Will Byers – Wizard

From the very first episode of Stranger Things, Will has been established as the Party’s Wizard. It’s an interesting choice because it aligns him with Eleven, who’s the group’s Mage. It actually makes a lot of sense when we look at Will’s supernatural connection to the Upside Down. While Will has never truly been able to wield the magic that once controlled him, the end of season four hints that next season we could finally take on his true destiny as a real Wizard. We’re hoping this is the case, because his designation as a Wizard always seemed almost like a joke at Will’s expense—it’s portrayed as the nerdiest, silliest role in the show—so to see him become powerful in his own right and use his magic to save the world would be a wonderful twist.

Dustin Henderson – Artificer: Master Inventor

While Dustin was originally the group’s bard, over the seasons he’s become their inventor. After attending Camp Know Where prior to season three, he began crafting multiple items. It was Cerebro that would have the most impact, though. The Ham Radio became a major plot point, as Dustin was using it when he picked up a Russian transmission from Starcourt Mall. In season four, we see that again with his use of the Lite Bright. As an Artificer, his intelligence and innovation is his power, but after this season he may take on a Paladin-style leadership role too. 

Eleven – Mage

Eleven has always been designated as a generic Magic-User in the world of D&D in Stranger Things. But just as Mike suspected, we actually think she’s more of a Mage (which replaced the Magic-User term in later versions of D&D). Seeing as Eleven is a talented and powerful hero with supernatural powers that connect her to an underworld, and allow her to save or destroy the world, she’s the only pick to hold the mantle of magical Mage in the Stranger Things universe. No other D&D class would fit this Stranger Things hero.

Erica Sinclair – Rogue 

Lady Applejack, a level-14, chaotic good half-elf rogue, has got to be one of the coolest in-universe D&D characters ever. Erica’s passion for D&D surprises everyone and her canon choice as a rogue makes a lot of sense for her in the show too. Her resourcefulness, independence, and versatility are all tenets of a great rogue. She’s never afraid to do what needs to be done and is usually the smartest person in the room. The Party is lucky to have her and hopefully, season five will see her greatly expand her role.

Max Mayfield – Speedster

In Stranger Things 3, Max suggested that she be a “Zoomer” in the group’s D&D campaign. That was met with derision as it wasn’t a class. But there actually is a D&D homebrew Speedster class and Stranger Things’ Max fits it pretty well. Not only does she travel on her skateboard—as she rightfully points out—but the most memorable moment she has this season is her running from Vecna’s curse. Max is speedy, sometimes dangerously so, and she can use it to her advantage. Let’s hope she’s got quick-healing powers too.

Nancy Wheeler – Fighter

Nancy might not be at the center of the action in Hawkins but she’s always there when she’s needed. And more often than not when it comes down to the final battle, she’ll be there with a homemade weapon and a ton of righteous anger. As a journalist, her truth-telling skills almost push her into prophet territory, but ultimately Fighter feels right. She fights for herself, her friends, and for the town where she grew up no matter what the cost. We’re excited to see where that instinct takes her in season five.

Robin Buckley – Bard 

Robin is a musician at heart. She’s always been true to herself and used her words for good. These qualities make her a great Bard. Although she didn’t get to truly shine in Stranger Things 4, we’re hoping that we get to explore more of her musical prowess and hopefully her personal life in the next season, especially after where we leave her. And who knows, maybe she’ll take after our next Bard and use her skills as a musician to save the world when season five comes calling. 

Eddie Munson – Bard

Sure, we have two bards in a row but both of these musical heroes deserve it. At first, we all thought Eddie was unquestionably a Ranger when it came to his Stranger Things D&D class. But in the epic and devastating final episodes, the kind-hearted outsider proved himself to be a Bard of the highest order. Eddie uses his music to save his friends, playing an outrageously awesome Metallica guitar solo in order to draw the attention of the maniacal Demobats. While we’re very much in the #JusticeForEddie camp, the moment cements him as an impactful Bard, shaping the very universe with his song. 

Steve Harrington – Babysitter 

Steve is so special in Stranger Things that we had to create our own homebrew D&D class just for him: Babysitter. It’s essentially the leadership and righteousness of a Paladin with the inspirational powers of a Cleric sprinkled with that special Steve magic. His love for the kids of Hawkins makes him stand apart and has likely saved the world multiple times. The responsibilities he takes on, and respect for Nancy’s boundaries he shows this season make him a unique pseudo-parental figure in the realm of Hawkins. Now just let him have his co-parent Eddie back, please.

Featured Image: Netflix

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Just like the previous seasons before it, Stranger Things 4 is stuffed to the gills with pop culture references and callbacks to ’80s movies and pop culture. And we’ve compiled all the best bits you might have missed, episode by episode. Although we should note, that since the horror movie references are so strong this year, they’re getting their own separate list.

Now pause your Jane Fonda workout video and put down that Tab Cola, and let’s take a trip in that Wayback Machine. A trip to Hawkins, Indiana. And California. And Utah. Then Nevada. It’s going a lot of place this year, ok?

Jump To: Episode One // Episode Two // Episode Three // Episode Four // Episode Five // Episode Six // Episode Seven // Episode Eight // Episode Nine

Chapter One: “The Hellfire Club”

When we first see Mike Wheeler back home in Hawkins towards the start of Chapter One, he’s got a Conan the Barbarian movie poster hanging on his wall, showing Arnold in all his musclebound glory. We can just hear him reciting his “what is best in life” speech just looking at it.

While carpooling to work, Robin and Steve are listening to “Object of My Desire” by Starpoint. And they make the first of two references on this show to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Phoebe Cates’ infamously “paused on VHS” topless scene in the movie.

Suzie, Hacker genius and Dustin’s girlfriend, hacks into the Hawkins High School school computer and changes her “Dustybun’s” grades. This is a reference to Matthew Broderick changing his grades in War Games. And also his changing his absences in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (which came out in 1986, when Stranger Things 4 takes place). We guess this was the Broderick specialty in the ’80s.

Speaking of John Hughes movies, when Eddie Munson points out the school caste system in a rant in the cafeteria, he pretty much boils it down to the character breakdowns from The Breakfast Club – the jocks, the freaks, the nerds, the popular kids, and the criminals.

Joyce is selling Encylopedia Brittanica’s by phone, and she makes a snarky remark about another popular 80s “order by phone” series. She’s alluding to the Time/Life books. The most famous of these was Mysteries of the Unknown, which ran ads on daytime TV nonstop in the ‘80s.

Hawkins High’s Dungeons & Dragons club is called the Hellfire Club. A name that has roots in 18th century Europe. But these nerds? They would have likely heard the name first in the pages of Uncanny X-Men. In the ’80s, they introduced the Hellfire Club as mutant antagonists.

When Mike Wheeler tries to find an alternate for the Hellfire Club’s D&D game, we hear the guitar chords of the song “Play With Me” by Extreme. This is actually anachronistic, as the song wouldn’t get released until 1989, when it was famously featured in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. We forgive the Duffers though. It’s a cool song.

Eddie Munson cites a Newsweek article talking about the link between Dungeons & Dragons and Satanism. As wild as that sounds, there was a real “Satanic Panic.” When Eddie lords over The Hellfire Club’s D&D game, you can hear the Kiss classic “Detroit Rock City” play over the scene.

Another song we hear during the D&D game is “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” by punk rock legends The Cramps. It first appeared on their debut 1980 album Songs the Lord Taught Us.

Local celebrity, singer Tammy Thompson, is dressed head-to-toe in a Madonna “Virgin Tour” look. Pretty much every young girl in America was mimicking Madonna’s fashion in some way during this era. Ironically, a few months from when this show takes place, Madonna would change her look completely.

Dustin says “Never tell me the odds” in this episode, which every Star Wars fan can attribute to Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back.

Chapter Two: “Vecna’s Curse”

Max had a The Endless Summer poster in her bedroom. The movie came out in 1966, but was a cult touchstone film for lovers of surf culture by the ‘80s.

Speaking of surfer culture, when we see Elle and Will in school in California, they’re surrounded by kids in OP/Ocean Pacific clothes. This brand was hugely popular in the ‘80s, spreading surfer culture well beyond state lines.

Hawkins basketball star Jason Carver name drops ThunderCats, which was at its peak in popularity in 1986.

Family Video is full of movie posters and promotional items for movies of the era. We see posters for Weird Science, The Last Dragon, Teen Wolf, and Tom Hanks’ The Man With One Red Shoe. There are also cardboard standees for Gremlins, Raiders of the Lost Ark, European Vacation, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, and Beverly Hills Cop. Robin and Steve’s “morning video” is the 1965 epic Doctor Zhivago.

At Roller Mania, we get several pop hits from the mid-80s, like “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco, “Tarzan Boy” by Baltimora, and Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”

There’s a metric ton of popular arcade games in view at Roller Mania too, like Ms. Pac-Man, Asteroids, Galaga, and Zaxxon.

When the gang goes through their customer’s video rental history looking for drug dealer Reefer Rick, they figure out who he is by finding rentals for all the Cheech and Chong stoner comedies. (And Fast Times gets another mention).

When Max is watching TV, we see a young Courteney Cox on screen. Given that this is 1986, it’s likely the show she’s watching was the short-lived pseudo superhero show Misfits of Science.

We hear the Talking Heads’ song “Psycho Killer” as the gang set up shop at Family Video.

Chapter Three: “The Monster and the Superhero”

Jonathan tries to get the boys to go see Police Academy 3: Back in Training. But Will says that he heard “it sucks.” (It kinda does). Somehow, there were seven of these movies back in the day.

When Jonathan, Will, and Mike are watching TV, we hear the theme song from the Saturday morning Ewoks cartoon.

Eddie’s metal band made up of Hellfire Club members has Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden t-shirts. We also see a banner with the logo for speed metal legends Motörhead hanging in the garage.

Dustin makes a remark about putting on Cerebro, yet another X-Men reference. This time to Professor X’s machine which enhances his mutant mind.

Eleven giving up her “superhero” powers to live a normal life, but then realizing she needs to get them back for the sake of the world, seems like a nod to 1981’s Superman II (and also Spider-Man 2).

Chapter Four: “Dear Billy”

We see a My Little Pony poster in Erica’s room. Stranger Things 3 already established Erica as an OG Pony-fangirl.

There’s an “old” Tom Cruise poster in Nancy Wheeler’s room, probably from his All The Right Moves/Risky Business era. There’s also an REM poster in Jonathan’s room in Chapter Four.

Jonathan calls the agents protecting them“Ponch and John.” This refers to the motorcycle cops from the TV show CHiPs. This show had a killer disco-tinged theme song.

The sanitarium where Victor Creel is housed is very much like the one from the 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

We see posters for both Jaws and Little Shop of Horrors in Will’s room. The poster is for the original Broadway musical. The movie would not open until December of 1986.

Chapter Five: “The Nina Project”

Owens tells Eleven that to the scientists at Project Nina, she’s “more popular than Madonna. Yet another Material Girl shout-out.

Joyce and Murray having to land their single-engine plane they don’t know how to fly is a nod to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Chapter Six: “The Dive”

We hear Duran Duran’s 1981 hit “Girls on Film” while the kids are in the car heading to the cemetery. This is the alternate 12″ “Night Version,” beloved by Duran Duran fans.

In Utah, Suzie’s big sister Eden is styled to look just like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club.

Skull Rock, where Eddie Munson hides, is the name of a location in the Disney animated classic Peter Pan. The movie came out in 1953, but was re-released to theaters in 1982.

Eddie makes a Lord of the Rings reference when he talks about following Dustin to Mordor. Poor Steve has no idea what Mordor is. We guess he’ll find out when the movie comes out in 15 years.

Suzie has posters for The Muppet Show and The Wizard of Oz on her bedroom wall. The boys make up a story about a new “American Nintendo” console. The NES had just hit the U.S. in February of 1986.

Chapter Seven: “Massacre at Hawkins Lab”

Robin utters the classic video store employee catchphrase “be kind, rewind.” To you youngins’ out there, we used to have to rewind VHS tapes before returning them or get fined. It was kind of a drag.

Steve, Robin, Nancy, and Eddie communicate with Dustin, Erica, and Lucas via Nancy’s kid sister’s Lite Brite. This was a wildly popular toy in the ’70s and ’80s. Some of us still can’t get the jingle out of our heads.

Chapter Eight: “Papa”

As the kids try to pull Nancy away from Vecna’s clutches in the Upside Down, they rummage through Eddie’s music choices looking for the right song. Robin asks if he has “Madonna, Blondie, Bowie, Beatles?” But Eddie’s only got Iron Maiden’s 1983 album Piece of Mind. Interestingly, the band’s ghoulish mascot on the cover is named Eddie.

Not exactly an ’80s reference, but the Russian lab full of confined Demodogs and other creatures from the Upside Down is very reminiscent of a similar scene in 1997’s Alien: Resurrection. A movie that Winona Ryder also starred in.

When fugitive Eddie is running around the trailer park, he wears a Michael Myers mask from the original two Halloween movies. This is the second direct callback to the classic slasher franchise this season.

At the army supply store, Robin sees her crush Vicki shopping around, in an outfit that is highly reminiscent of the one worn by Molly Ringwald in the John Hughes 1984 classic Sixteen Candles.

Chapter Nine: “The Piggyback”

When Joyce and Hopper are looking for fresh clothes to wear in Yuri’s hideout, they find ill-fitting yellow Hulk Hogan T-shirts. This was in the midst of his WWF wrestling superstardom.

It wouldn’t be Stranger Things without a Star Wars callback. And this season, Murray gets to say the most Star Warsy of quotes, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Eddie wailing on his guitar to lure away the Demobats is the Metallica classic “Master of Puppets,” from the 1986 album of the same name. In the show’s timeline, the album would have come out mere weeks from the events of the show. Which makes Eddie’s learning the song so well even more impressive.

We knew from episode one of this season that the Duffer Brothers loved Conan the Barbarian. But the biggest Conan Easter egg came in Stranger Things 4‘s finale, when Hopper picks up a sword to fight the Demogorgon, it’s the exact same sword from Conan the Barbarian. How it got from ancient Cimmeria to Russia is anyone’s guess.

And just like every season of Stranger Things has a Star Wars reference, they also have a Stephen King reference too. In this episode, it was Lucas reading to a comatose Max from his 1984 novel with Peter Straub, The Talisman.

Stranger Things’ final season will feature a time-jump, so we’re at least getting to 1987. But maybe it’s 1988, or 1989? Could we close out the decade in the show’s final go-round? Maybe we should prepare for some Batman and New Kids on the Block references. We will find out when Stranger Things 5 hits in 2024.

Originally published on May 27, 2022.

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I’ll never forget the first time I watched the penultimate episode of Stranger Things’ season three. Because hidden deep within a nesting doll of conspiracy, carnage, and bloody goings-on at the Starcourt Mall is a perfect, tender moment I never knew I needed. It happens on a bathroom floor. A loopy Steve Harrington, drugged by Russian operatives, confesses his feelings for his new friend Robin Buckley. The two work together at the ice cream shop Scoops Ahoy and unravel a top-secret Russian scheme together. They’re bonded now. It makes sense that they’d fall in love.

But then Robin confesses something herself. She’s not in love with Steve: she wants to be Steve. Because the ladies love him, and she loves ladies. “He doesn’t even know this girl,” Robin explains in third person, “and if he did know her, like… really know her… I don’t think he’d even want to be her friend.” It’s the ’80s after all, a time of rampant homophobia, slurs, and fear of other. Steve is a meathead jock with a history of bullying and violence.

And yet, despite all expectations, he does want to be her friend. Instead of mocking her, he makes a joke about her teen crush, Tammy Thompson, and her bad singing voice. (She sounds like a Muppet.) The tension between the two softens—right as the drugs wear off—and they laugh. Like, really laugh. Suddenly, Steve and Robin are something we could have never expected. They’re best friends.

I remember this scene with fondness because it feels almost unprecedented. It’s a moment of pure, unspoken acceptance; exactly what any queer teen could hope for in a coming out. Steve isn’t dramatic about it, nor does he make insensitive jokes. It’s just… normal. And it’s perfect because of that normalcy. It’s an example of what remains Stranger Things’ ultimate superpower, four seasons in: its cultivation and celebration of platonic love. 

Steve and Robin’s friendship is one of the best parts of Stranger Things 4 too. Because once again, it luxuriates in normalcy; that safe space only two best friends can occupy. A lesser show would have Steve pining after Robin, as she continues to be unlucky in love, going on dates that lead nowhere. But never once does he make a cheap shot at Robin about how it’d all be easier if she wasn’t gay. He doesn’t lament what could have been if only she loved him back. Instead, he’s completely supportive of her crush on fellow band nerd Vickie, even giving Robin her own advice to be her most authentic self. He also cracks jokes about their mutual love of boobies, because really, who doesn’t love boobies?

Robin returns the favor as the season progresses, encouraging Steve’s renewed feelings for Nancy. Again, no quips about how it’d be nice if they could be together, no stupid jokes—nothing but comfortable, easy support and constant reassurance. It’s not sickly sweet, either, but genuine, lived in. Steve doesn’t bat an eye when Robin stumbles through vines in the Upside Down like she stumbles on words when she’s overexcited. It’s just who she is. It’s just who they are. 

Their friendship is a nice antidote to the more outright romantic stuff. No offense to couples like Eleven and Mike, or Joyce and Hopper, or Jonathan and Nancy, but Stranger Things can get a little syrupy and meandering when it goes hard for traditional courtships. These pairings often feel like convenient ways to keep our core characters in the same narrative rather than relationships borne of genuine longing. There’s a decided lack of energy to the amorous scenes, even when they hit the right notes.

But the show strikes gold when it pairs off random characters and tests their platonic chemistry. What would Stranger Things be without Steve and Dustin? Or Eleven and Max, Murray and Alexei, Eddie and Chrissy, Dustin and Dart, or Dustin and Eddie? (Okay, Dustin is great with everyone.) There’s magic in these unexpected team ups. And at the end of the day, these bonds will help Stranger Things stand the test of time. Because it doesn’t play it safe or formulaic, but reminds us that there’s beauty and joy in the most surprising places—and the most surprising people. 

For me, Steve and Robin are the little figures topping this cake of platonic love. There’s unspoken electricity between them in the fourth season. As they shelve blockbusters at Family Video and swap stories of their mutual lack of luck in love, they speak in shorthand, finishing each other’s sentences. They laugh again when Tammy Thompson sings at a pep rally. And eventually, Robin dives headfirst into this year’s mystery, just as Steve has done so many times before, because they’re in this together now. 

I worry for Steve. His confession to Nancy—that he dreams of a future together, with their six “nuggets” in a Winnebago—feels like a speech that precedes a death scene. The kind of “give it your all” declaration that ushers in a grand finale. But I hope that isn’t the case. I hope Steve gets that Winnebago dream. It’s what he deserves after four seasons of evolution and maturation and a whole lot of babysitting. But he doesn’t need Nancy in the passenger seat, because Robin can meet that quota, too. Nuggets needn’t be biological. Family is more than marriage and happily ever afters.

Robin showed Steve that there’s more than one way to manifest a dream; that different roads can lead to the same future. When they sat there on that bathroom floor, he thought he needed love. And he was right—he needed the love only an unexpected best friend can offer.

Because those are the bonds that transcend and transform. Those are the connections that rub your back when your crush’s boyfriend comes home, or look on proudly as you flirt with the girl of your dreams. They’re what we need when the world cracks open and the smoke plumes rise and the fire spills. And they’re who’ll take the piss out of us when we get too cocky about saving the world. (“What does he want us to do, applaud?”) Stranger Things is a better show because it let Steve and Robin be those people for each other.

The post Steve and Robin Are What’s Right About STRANGER THINGS appeared first on Nerdist.

Stranger Things loves to kill off people with B names. Benny. Barb. Billy. Bob. Bruce. But for some reason the show let the worst B-named person come back again: Dr. Brenner. He’s easily one of the worst humans we’ve seen thus far, a shady guy who treats kids like lab rats. Stranger Things 4 brings Brenner back into the fold and we learn a bit more about his relationship with Eleven. Here’s how Brenner returns to Stranger Things and what his fate is by the end of Volume 2. 

Jump to: Brenner and Eleven in Volume 2

Interestingly, Brenner is the first familiar face we see in the season opener. We go back a few years in time to 1979 when he’s working at Hawkins Lab. He lives in an ordinary house and apparently likes to do crossword puzzles. This day, however, isn’t an ordinary day for him. He’s in the middle of a “challenge” with Ten when things go awry. BOOM, a door slaps him in the face and when he regains consciousness, a bloody scene awaits him. It turns out Eleven has killed pretty much every other kid (and a few adults) in a rage… or at least that’s what the scene looks like. He angrily asks her what she’s done and she simply stares at him with bloody tears. 

The first time we see him in present day, it’s in a stomach churning reunion with Eleven. She goes from being somewhat excited to begin training to regain her powers and save the world to horrified and enraged. Both of those reactions are quite valid when seeing your abuser. Eleven is basically back where she was in season one: stuck in a lab and being subjected to strenuous tests in a sensory deprivation tank.

Only this time, scientists feed her memories from video footage in hopes that remembering her past will jolt her powers. She begins to recall questionable moments, like when Brenner is present during the beating of an orderly. And she sees a portion of the massacre we saw in the opening scene. Eleven gains an open door to escape but she decides to stay, taking Brenner’s hand and calling him “Papa” again. It could very well be a trauma response of her falling back into her previous mindset. Or, perhaps Eleven is playing along to get what she wants—her powers. They are a major part of her identity and sorely needed in the fight against Vecna.

What Happens to Dr. Brenner in Stranger Things 4 Volume 2?

Many fans were wondering if Brenner would die in Stranger Things 4. And now we know that yes, Brenner is dead for real this time… at least based on what we saw. At first, it seemed a vengeful Eleven was ready to take him out. His claim that he just “wants to help her” is a predictable lie. He’s manipulative to the point of drugging Eleven when she elects to leave and help her friends with Owens’ full support. But that’s not before Eleven verbally dresses him down, saying that she knows what he did to Henry and why he wanted her to tap into her powers. And she was about to kill him before the drugs took over.

We knew that Brenner wouldn’t be getting any comeuppance from his actions in terms of being arrested, going to prison, etc. He’s far too underground and shady to let that happen. But he did get what was coming to him. As he carries Eleven out of the lab to avoid the military personnel coming to kill her—and him—he is shot several times by a sniper in a helicopter. Eleven takes the helicopter down before she can be killed, though. And Brenner does a final decent thing by freeing her of that awful shock collar. You know, the one he shouldn’t have put on her anyway. As he bleeds from his wounds, he tells Eleven once again that he was only acting for her good. He wants her to confirm that she understands but instead she simply says “goodbye Papa,” and leaves with the Cali crew.

Is Brenner Really Dead in Stranger Things 4? Will He Return for Stranger Things 5?

Ummm… maybe! Brenner gets a bullet to the chest and he’s not Wolverine so he can’t heal from that. But it would be our luck that somehow he gets saved before taking that last breath. And Matthew Modine is sparking conspiracy theories with an IG post insinuating that Papa may be simply waiting somewhere.

Hmmm. It did seem like a rather unceremonious way for him to die. Honestly, I would have rather seen Eleven or even Henry/One crumple him like paper. For now, we will assume that this is where his story ends.

Originally published May 27, 2022.

Featured Image: Netflix

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Eddie Munson is a hero. He did not, however, become a hero in the last minutes of his life. He did not, as Stranger Things 4 implies, suddenly turn away from cowardice to find bravery when he chose to lure away the Demobats. Eddie’s death on Stranger Things does not enshrine him with anything. His heroism is much deeper and more nuanced than fighting the monsters of the Upside Down. Eddie has, in fact, been fighting monsters much more terrifying his entire life. And although Stranger Things built this narrative for him, it simply does not comprehend the full meaning of what it created.

In the last episode of Stranger Things 4, the show reveals it completely fails to understand Eddie, the importance of his position as an Othered character, or how to appropriately conclude his story. Eddie’s death in Stranger Things 4 is neither noble nor necessary. Instead, it falls into the harmful tradition of ultimately punishing Othered characters for their Otherness and denying them the life and catharsis they deserve. 

In media, Othered characters are often disposable. Whether this is because certain creators don’t know how to write them, because prevailing sentiment doesn’t approve of them, or because society pervades so strongly into mass media that many think death is the deserved ending, it’s a tradition that impacts marginalized communities across the board.

It’s such a common practice that terms like “Bury Your Gays” are well-known colloquialisms. In Stranger Things 4, Eddie may not be, strictly speaking, gay, although to be not of the norm is to be queer, but his clear narrative position is that of “The Other.” His very existence threatens anyone who subscribes to the safety of societal norms even before they get to accuse him of murder. As such, Eddie becomes a proxy for anyone who feels queer, unconventional, or unwelcome, for anyone who has ever feared for being themselves. And given this important role in the story of Stranger Things, his death comes as a bleak blow. 

The framing of Eddie’s death makes it clear that the show believes it an appropriate bookend to his arc. As Stranger Things plays back all the times that Eddie labeled himself a coward or “ran away,” it is painfully obvious that the creators feel they are showing us an example of full-circle character growth. In the eyes of Stranger Things, this death is a fitting and heroic conclusion to Eddie’s season-long refrain about always being the one who runs. And not only is it clear the audience should believe this, but it’s evident Eddie believes it about himself. As he dies he says to Dustin, “I didn’t run away this time.” Like he’s finally proud of who he’s become. But, all of that, excuse my language, is bullshit.

The idea that to finally be “brave” or “heroic,” Eddie needs to sacrifice himself could not be more utterly ridiculous. Eddie Munson has been braver than almost anyone all along. He has been brave every step of the way. In being himself in a small, conservative town, he has been brave. In enduring bullying and being labeled as “the Freak” and undoubtedly more, he has been brave. And more than anything else, in withstanding everything his Otherness brings, but fighting to create a place where anyone who doesn’t belong can thrive, he has been not only brave but heroic. 

In the first episode of season four, Eddie tells Dustin and Mike, “You boys are the future of Hellfire. I knew it the moment I saw you. You sat on that table, right there, looking like two lost little sheep… And we showed you that school didn’t have to be the worst years of your life, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that there are other lost little sheepies out there who need help. Who need you.” 

In a town that does not take kindly to difference, Eddie builds a safe harbor for those who need him. He refuses to retreat and instead creates a community on poisonous ground. He uses the labels stuck on him to be a beacon for those even more lost and brings them all together so they can find hard-won joy in their lives. And what could be nobler or braver than that?  But somehow Stranger Things fails to credit these feats of courage. 

Instead, the show seems to think Eddie’s death enshrined him with something he didn’t already have. But there is nothing good about Eddie’s end, nothing noble or brave that wasn’t otherwise there before. Glorifying it like he finally found meaning when meaning was pouring out of him all along leaves a very bad taste behind. 

Did Eddie ever really “run away?” No, not once. He protected himself. He did what he had to do and he was right. When he left Chrissy’s body in the trailer, when he hid in the woods, that wasn’t running away. And implying that in any way, shape or form is downright insulting. Eddie knew the score. Any Othered person knows the score. If Eddie had stayed with Chrissy’s body, there wouldn’t have been any questions asked, he would have been arrested and sent to prison to rot. Is it really running away when survival is on the line? Is it really cowardice to feel scared and to hide when you know no one will believe you, and more so, that they would rather not?  

Stranger Things 4 seems to view the answer as yes. It seems to view Eddie’s fear when the group finds him, or when Jason attacked him, as some kind of weakness. One that Eddie needs to overcome and correct. But it makes sense to be scared when something is scary. It makes sense to feel vulnerable when you know almost everyone is against you. These are Eddie’s best qualities and they do not pale in comparison to feeling compelled to stand and fight. What Eddie chooses survival throughout his journey. 

As an Othered person there is no greater bravery than to survive. To continue to live in the face of those who wish you to cease to exist, to continue to be one’s self, that is the true heroism. And Eddie did survive. Eddie Munson survived being punished by the story, again and again. He suffered the mundane hatred of the crowd, he suffered their accusations, he suffered being hunted, but he survived. He withstood so much… only to die. And somehow all of that survival is put down as cowardice, but his sacrificial death, that’s brave.

But for those of us watching with whom Eddie’s story really resonates, those real Othered people living in a scary time where more and more mobs like the one in Hawkins are forming every day, where rights are being stripped from us and evil becomes more emboldened, we don’t want to see Eddie die a martyr. We want him to continue to survive, we want him to transcend. We want him, most of all, to get to live, and to know with certainty that he’s been brave all along.   

This brings us to the nauseating conversation that Dustin has with Eddie’s uncle in Stranger Things’ last mention of Eddie after his death. Dustin says, “I wish everyone had gotten to know him. Really know him. Because they would have loved him… Even in the end, he never stopped being Eddie. Despite everything. I never even saw him get mad. He could have run. He could have saved himself. But he fought. He fought and died to protect this town. This town that hated him. He isn’t just innocent… He’s a hero.” 

Again, the framing here is all wrong. Eddie is not good because he didn’t get mad at the town, not noble because he fought to protect the place that hated him. In fact, the idea that ultimately, Eddie died driven by the imagery of Hawkins burning is somewhat stomach-churning. Eddie is good and he is a hero, but it has nothing to do with turning the other cheek where Hawkins is concerned. Eddie deserves to be mad. He deserves to leave the town to burn. It’s no measure of worth to seek to understand the people that would annihilate you. 

This conversation is too real at this moment. In an age where people are constantly “both sides-ing” arguments and insisting that marginalized people listen, respect, and maintain empathy for those who simply wish them dead, this conversation affirms dangerous rhetoric. And ultimately, it gives Hawkins too much credit, all wrapped up in Eddie Munson’s final mentions on Stranger Things. 

Dustin wishes that everyone had gotten to know Eddie, as though the idea is something that could have actually happened. But the town could have gotten to know Eddie, but they didn’t. They saw only his Otherness and condemned him. And now that he’s dead, they don’t even have to examine that sentiment believing themselves to be comfortably correct. 

Ultimately, Hawkins surviving while Eddie ends undercuts Stranger Things 4’s strongest idea. For a minute in Volume One, it seemed like the narrative was shifting to reveal that humans are truly the most nefarious evil. That small-town conservatism and hatred is the real enemy, one scarier than anything from the Upside Down. A villain that Kate Bush’s music cannot be chase away nor will experience full defeat. But that story arc simply melted away, reframed into more of a “Bad Apples” plotline centered around Jason Carver and his jock friends.

The town itself morphs back into something precious, something that needs protecting, that the destruction of which should make us feel sad. But anyone who is Otherered has not forgotten how quickly everyone rose up to band against Eddie and Hellfire. That hate was there and it is still there. And, in a sense, it triumphs. The town gets what they wanted. Eddie is dead at the end of Stranger Things 4. And they go on.

But Eddie gets no resolution to the story arc specifically centered around him. He does not get to reckon with the hate levied his way. He does not get to triumph over it. An exploration of the aftermath of the town’s panic through Eddie’s eyes could have been a truly crucial arc. One that remains crucial today, as the rhetoric from the Satanic Panic continues to destroy the lives of marginalized people. Eddie deserves to exist as the hero in that story. And he deserves to win. And, we deserved to see the Othered character have agency in that narrative. But Eddie Munson, who survived so much, who was so, so good, does not get to finish his story.

Instead, Eddie simply ends. He never gets to understand his own long-standing bravery. He never gets the love, companionship, and shades of peace we see our other heroes achieve as Stranger Things 4 reaches its end. It feels like the story feels he was simply not entrenched enough to deserve it. Although that end for Eddie would have been the true triumph. But, save for a hint of sadness, everyone drifts onward. Eddie’s legacy is the Munson Murders. The only thing Stranger Things has for him is death.

In the end, soft, good, brave, proud-to-be-Other Eddie Munson dies in hell, exactly where those who hate him believe he belongs. And that sucks. 

(Bring Eddie back, you cowards.)

The post This STRANGER THINGS 4 Death Isn’t Noble Nor Necessary appeared first on Nerdist.

We explored the history of Dungeons & Dragons Vecna prior to Stranger Things 4‘s premiere on Netflix. But we were not prepared for the show’s version of the character to have such a sordid and personal history with Hawkins, Indiana. We also didn’t expect to learn he’s been responsible for all of the sinister events haunting that little town. The horror series’ newest villain was a monster before Eleven sent him to the Upside Down. But how did a young boy destroy his family, become Dr. Martin Brenner’s most dangerous test subject, and end up as the dark dimension’s ultimate leader? Here’s the entire sinister story of Stranger Things 4‘s Vecna.

A Troubled Henry Creel Moves to Hawkins

Vecna was not always a hideous beast of the Upside Down. He was once a troubled child in the real world named Henry Creel. Henry’s “problems” caused his family to move to Hawkins in 1959. However, the exact issues that led to the relocation are unclear. Victor Creel told Robin and Nancy his son was “sensitive.” Meanwhile, when speaking to Eleven in the lab, Henry said “something was wrong” with him. “All the teachers and the doctors said I was broken.” Unable to find help for their child, his parents thought “a change of scenery, a fresh start in Hawkins, might just cure” whatever it was that ailed their son. Instead the town became the site of their doom.

Not long after moving into their new house Henry found a nest of black widow spiders. With that discovery came a new “sense of purpose” that showed how dark the young boy’s soul was before he killed his family. Those spiders helped Henry understand what it was he hated about life and people. Here’s what he told Eleven of his epiphany:

Most people fear spiders. They detest them. And yet I found them endlessly fascinating. More than that I found a great comfort in them – a kinship. Like me they are solitary creatures and deeply misunderstood. They are gods of our world, the most important of all predators. They immobilize and feed on the weak, bringing balance and order to an unstable ecosystem. But the human world was disrupting this harmony. You see, humans are a unique type of pest, multiplying and poisoning our world all while enforcing a structure of their own. A deeply unnatural structure. Where others saw order I saw a straight jacket, a cruel oppressive world dictated by made up rules. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades – each life a faded lesser copy of the one before. Wake up, eat, work, sleep, reproduce, and die.

Henry, though only just a child, thought humans didn’t truly live because they were beholden to the endless march of time. He believed people simply waited to die “while performing in a silly terrible play, day after day.” He could not live like that and refused to. And one day, when his anger and rage unlocked his terrible powers, he realized he didn’t have to. Henry was able to make his own “rules” and “restore balance” to a world he saw as broken. That’s when he decided he would be a predator, “but for good.”

A Demon Destroys the Creel Family

The more Henry used his powers, the more of them he unlocked. His telekinetic ability let him kill living things from the inside out. And the desire to kill more than just small animals came when he realized he “could reach into” the minds of people and see their darkest secrets. The more he explored others the more he realized that people, like “everything else in this world,” were “all a lie, a terrible lie.”

While Henry haunted his family with nightmare visions and dead rabbits, Victor Creel thought a demon, an “evil neither animal nor human,” a “spawn of Satan,” had cursed him and his family for something terrible Victor had accidentally done during World War II. He also said the demon “took pleasure” in torturing them, even Victor’s innocent young daughter Alice. But Henry said his mother Virginia somehow knew the truth, that it was him terrorizing the family. She wanted the help of an expert doctor, who Henry said would lock him up and “fix” him.

Henry had no intentions of ending up that doctor’s patient. Instead he decided to “break free” by killing his mother and sister and framing his father for the murders. His horrible plan nearly worked, too. But while he grew stronger and more powerful with each kill, he was “still a child” and didn’t know the limits of his powers. Henry’s attack on his family nearly killed him.

Victor Creel believed his son died a week after that fateful night. But when Henry woke up from his coma he was already in the care of that very doctor he had hoped to avoid, Martin Brenner.

Henry Creel Becomes Martin Brenner’s #1 Patient

For 20 years Henry Creel remained the ward/employee/prisoner of Dr. Martin Brenner at Hawkins Lab. Like Eleven, Henry’s time under Papa’s “care” was anything but loving. But the two powerful kids’ experiences are not wholly similar. Here’s what Henry, who became test subject 001 under Brenner, told Eleven about the creation of Brenner’s super power children group:

The truth is he did not just want to study me, he wanted more. He wanted to control. When Papa finally realized he could not control me, he tried to recreate me. He began a program and soon others were born.

Henry’s powers directly led to the program that caused Jane/Eleven to be taken from her real mother. Dr. Martin Brenner saw the potential power of Henry Creel. But, since the nihilistic and sadistic Henry was too lost in his own evil to ever fully bring under his thumb, Brenner hoped to mold and shape his own human weapons from the beginning of their lives. As far as the other kids knew, though, One was long gone before any of them showed up at the Lab.

Meanwhile, Brenner did manage to keep Henry locked up even if he couldn’t control Henry’s powers. He placed a tracker in Henry’s neck, which even Henry, now known as Peter Ballard, could not remove on his own. That device not only kept Henry in the lab, it weakened him, making him unable to use his talents. Far too old for the program, but far too dangerous to let go, One became an orderly where his “siblings” never knew he was their older “brother.” His general obedience does reveal something important about him, though. Despite his hatred for human existence, Henry wanted to live. He simply bided his time, even when it meant torture for giving Eleven advice. And he saw the possibility for escape when he realized the extent of Eleven’s untapped potential.

One manipulated Eleven into plotting her own escape, which also involved getting her to remove the device in his neck. (Henry, however, did not tell Eleven the truth when he said Brenner wanted her dead. Brenner often lied, but his actions towards Eleven were about control and unlocking her powers, not killing her. Brenner was a bad man, but in his own way he did love his “kids.”) Once freed of his chains, One went on a killing spree, murdering nearly everyone in the lab, including the kids. He did not want to murder Eleven, though.

The Henry who once found power in solidarity had plans for them to work together. Henry made an offer to Eleven to join him in his ominous quest to free mankind of its status quo.

To your Papa you are nothing more than a monster, a lab rat to be tamed. But the truth, Eleven, the truth is just the opposite. You are better than they are – superior. That is why you frighten them. If you come with me for the first time in your life you will be free. Imagine what we can do together. We could reshape the world, remake it however we see fit. Join me.

Eleven not only refused to join him, she attacked Henry. And she would have suffered the same fate as all his other victims if not for the advice One had previously given her.

Eleven Sends One to the Upside Down

Victor Creel told Robin and Nancy “all evil must have a home.” He was right, but what he didn’t know was that the Upside Down had become the home of his evil son. While Henry had Eleven in the air, ready to twist her body apart as he had his other victims, she remembered what One had told her previously about unleashing her power.

Henry “had found his strength in a memory from his past, something that made him sad, but also angry.” For Eleven that was the memory of her mother being dragged away from her.

And as she pulled all her rage and her pain from deep within her soul, Eleven not only overpowered One, she sent him to another dimension. She opened a portal to the Upside Down, which sucked Henry Creel in. There the dark mirror world ripped apart his skin as it began to remake him into something sinister and twisted. But it was a transformation Henry Creel welcomed.

One Becomes an Explorer in the Upside Down

One initially believed Eleven had killed him and sent him to purgatory. But he soon realized she had banished him somewhere entirely new, a realm unspoiled by mankind. There he became an “explorer” who saw “so many things.” Then one day he found “the most extraordinary thing of all, something that would change everything.” He found the dark particles that would become the Mind Flayer.

That floating, swirling mass offered Henry “the means to reach his potential, to transcend” his human form and become “the predator he was always” meant to be. He became the leader of the Upside Down.

That realm’s hive mind is Henry’s mind. That means Vecna, Henry Creel, One, and the Mind Flayer are all the same creature, and they have been responsible for every attack on Hawkins. Vecna sent the Demogorgons and Demodogs to the real world, just as he sent the Mind Flayer.

Vecna Looks For a Way Back

One, whose human form completely transformed into Vecna over the years, hasn’t been attacking Eleven and Hawkins simply out of revenge. In some ways he is grateful to her, because she gave him what he wanted. He exists in a world without time or order as he wished. But that didn’t fulfill his purpose to reshape life as he wanted. To achieve that he needed a way back into the real world.

He thought he found it when Eleven, who had no memory of their past together, made contact with a Demogorgon. Brenner had her searching in the darkness in the name of fighting the Russians, but in reality he had her searching for Henry, whom he still loved. That portal, and the subsequent others that opened in Hawkins Lab, did not offer a pathway back for Vecna. Eleven kept closing those doors between dimensions before he could use them. So he decided he needed to open them himself.

Vecna attacked Hawkins with the Mind Flayer. While it seemed as though the kids had defeated the creature’s physical form at Starcourt Mall, they had lost without knowing it. Vecna used the attack to steal Eleven’s powers. With them he found a way back into Hawkins.

One Steals Eleven’s Powers

Just as Henry could see into the minds of others, from the Upside Down Vecna can still see into people. The vines of the dark dimension, which have made their way to the real world, connect directly into his body. They let him see into people for who they really are and the pain they carry with them.

By attacking those who have experienced terrible trauma, especially individuals who feel responsible for the death of another, he can put them in a trance where they are all but defenseless. (Max only escaped the first time when her friends played her favorite song. It pulled her out of Vecna’s hypnotic state and let her run free of the Upside Down back into her own dimension.) When Vecna kills someone they don’t just die, though. It’s more horrifying than that. They remain a part of him, same as when he was still human.

His murder spree opened small gate between worlds at the spot of each person’s death. But he only needed four victims to truly split the border between dimensions apart. Max’s death, though brief, was enough for Vecna to cut four giant lines through Hawkins, which is now fully exposed to the Upside Down. That falling “snow” was the start of the dark realm’s attack on Hawkins.

The vision Vecna showed Nancy told us what might come next. An army of monsters will follow, as the real Hawkins is totally destroyed. It will leave a trail of dead soldiers and loved ones. Those creatures will then move on to the rest of the world. That is unless Eleven can find enough power to not only close the door between dimensions for good, but to defeat Henry Creel forever.

This post originally published on May 27, 2022.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post The Dark History of STRANGER THINGS 4’s Vecna appeared first on Nerdist.

Stranger Things 4 is scarier, darker, and operating at its largest scale. The show is taking us all over America and beyond and expanding the Upside Down in incredible ways. With that expansion comes a host of new characters and separate storylines that will all converge in some way. One of the most important—and most anticipated—new characters is Victor Creel, played by the horror icon himself Robert Englund. In Volume One, we meet him and his family members: Virginia, Alice, and Henry Creel. So, who is Victor Creel in Stranger Things 4? Why is the Creel family important? We finally have some definitive answers about the Creel family, why Victor is in Pennhurst Asylum, and how the Creel House fits into all of this Vecna terror in both volumes.  

Jump to: The Creel House // Henry/Vecna/One

The History of Victor Creel on Stranger Things 4

We first hear about Victor Creel from Eddie Munson’s uncle Wayne in episode two. “I guess you’re too young, but back when I was a kid, everybody knew the name Victor Creel,” Wayne says to Nancy Wheeler during an impromptu interview. “He lost his mind. Killed his whole family. Kids and wife. Took their eyes. Cut ‘em right out.” Well, that’s quite the small town horror story. He notes that Chrissy was killed in a similar way by someone who must be “pure evil.” Wayne believes that Victor Creel broke out of Pennhurst Asylum much like Michael Myers did in Halloween. 

Of course, this information (and Fred’s subsequent death) leads Nancy on an investigation in episode three. She brings Robin along for the fun to the local library where they pull old newspaper articles from The Weekly Watcher. The conspiracy laden publication doesn’t fail them, revealing an article where Victor Creel claims a vengeful ancient demon killed his family. According to the post, Victor hired an exorcist to rid his house of the spirit but it did not work. The demon got angry, killed his family, and left him alive as a punishment. 

Nancy and Robin lie their way into Pennhurst Asylum and interview Victor Creel to find out what happened to him. He gives them his chilling background story as only Robert Englund could deliver it. In 1959, his wife’s great-uncle left them a small fortune. (This is 14 years after the end of World War II, which Victor fought in.) So they bought a beautiful home, which we now know as the Creel House, in Hawkins for themselves and their two children Alice and Henry.

Sidebar: For those who are wondering, the Creel House is a real place. It is actually the Claremont House, a historic residence in Rome, Georgia. Built in the 1880s, the 6BR/7BA house is now privately owned so maybe don’t try to break in like Robin did.

Back to the story: Their dream home became torturous after just one month with dead animals showing up, flickering lights, nightmares, and visions of things that were not there. Victor said he could feel the demon hiding in his home and cursing the town. His flashback ends with Ella Fitzgerald’s “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” playing while he sees his wife die in the same grotesque way as Chrissy, Fred, and Patrick.

A memory takes over him and Alice dies as a result. Meanwhile, Henry is still alive but dies from his injuries a week later. Victor ends up in Pennhurst and tries to die by suicide, causing permanent damage to his eyes with a razor. He’s been in the asylum since the murders with regret and pain looming over him. Victor Creel does help save Max from dying, even though he doesn’t know it. Nancy realizes hearing music brought Victor out of his trance, so they blast Kate Bush’s fantastic “Running Up That Hill” in Max’s ears. And yes her favorite song saves her life. 

Stranger Things Volume One doesn’t circle back to Victor Creel anymore. And, we don’t see nor hear anything about him in Volume Two, but that’s because of what we know about his son Henry, who is also One AND Vecna. (More on that later.)

Hawkins’ Very Creepy Creel House in Stranger Things 4 

After speaking with Victor, Nancy and Robin reunite with Steve, Max, Lucas, and Dustin. They eventually piece together that there must be a connection with Vecna and the Creel House. Of course, we know this house is in Hawkins so they can easily investigate. The crew heads into the abandoned and dilapidated Creel House to gather some clues. They realize something is going on in the Upside Down as lights begin to flicker in various rooms. And Max spots that ominous grandfather clock that everyone sees before they die. They truly don’t get much information from their peek inside.

Of course, the Creel House returns in Volume 2. Dustin realizes that, like Eleven, Vecna goes into a trance-like state when he’s in someone’s mind and is completely vulnerable. So the crew—Dustin, Lucas, Eddie, Steve, Nancy, Robin, Max, and Erica—decide to concoct a plan to kill him. Max and the Sinclair siblings head to the Creel House to allow him to access Max’s mind again so that Steve, Nancy, and Robin can kill him from the Upside Down Creel House. When Max “dies” it is the fourth gate he needs to rip through to Hawkins. We see the real Creel House form a split and begin to consume things. And, at the end of Stranger Things Volume 2, it’s clear that the Upside Down is leaking over into Hawkins to eventually kill every living being. So, we will certainly see the Creel House and Vecna once again in Stranger Things 5.

The Orderly in White Is Henry Creel, a.k.a. Vecna, a.k.a. Number One

Episode seven throws a major curveball at all of us with some huge revelations. Most of us were wondering exactly who that weird yet helpful man in white is in Stranger Things 4. He’s someone we’ve never seen before but played a big role in Eleven’s life while at Hawkins Lab. In fact, he’s one of the few friends she has outside of Eight. We revisit the Hawkins Lab massacre while simultaneously seeing Vecna reveal his origin story to Nancy, who is trapped in a trance.

It turns out the Creel family came to Hawkins because Henry was “different.” Well, that’s an understatement. Henry hates everything about humanity and, after connecting with black widow spiders, he decides that he will use his powers to manipulate time. He can make his own rules and “restore balance” to the world by killing people because their socioeconomic and other life systems suck. His mother Virginia contacted Dr. Brenner to “fix” Henry and he wasn’t having it. He used his family’s memories and fears to complete his plan to be free.

But Henry Creel did not die in the hospital like Victor believes. Brenner took him and made him a confined human lab rat. Brenner wanted to use/control Henry but he couldn’t. So, he decided to recreate kids like Henry, thus kicking off the program. Yep, Henry Creel is the infamous and mysterious One. Henry got a chip in his neck to inhibit his powers and eventually became an orderly. He befriends Eleven under the false pretense of trying to help set her free, but really he wants her to join him in wiping out humanity. She “kills” him, flinging him into the Upside Down realm where he burns and turns into Vecna. We find out in Volume 2 that he is the first person to ever enter this uncharted realm and he uses it to his advantage.

This also perfectly explains why Vecna’s Upside Down spot is the Creel House. It is the place where he discovered his “purpose” and he can hang out there with his deadly spiders and gain strength from taking lives. Perhaps there will be a way to uncover the truth about what happened so Victor can be free. Or maybe it’s better that he doesn’t know that his son is the pure evil that killed his wife and daughter. And that he’s a literal monster in a hellish place. What a family story.

What Happens to Vecna in Stranger Things 4 Volume 2?

Through his encounter with Nancy, we discover that Vecna plans to kill four people and open four gates to rip through to Hawkins and consume the world. Eleven is able to piggyback into Max’s mind and locate her as well as Vecna. She tells him that Papa is dead and pleads for him to stop but it is to no avail. There’s not a good bone in his body. Eleven struggles to defeat him the way she wishes to, though. She throws him off of a dying Max long enough for Nancy, Robin, and Steve to deliver a detrimental blow to him. But Max does die temporarily, allowing Vecna’s plan to start progressing. However, Vecna is not dead and will return, hungry for more blood and destruction. We can’t wait to see Eleven defeat him for good in the final chapter of Stranger Things 5.

Originally published on May 27.

The post The Creel Family and Creel House in STRANGER THINGS 4, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Stranger Things 4 Volume One is finally here and it delivers all the drama we could dream of. The ever-popular Netflix show warned fans that season four would lean heavily into horror with its new villain Vecna. And that is certainly true with the gruesome deaths we have seen so far. The wild thing is, this feels like only the beginning of the bloodbath we will witness this season. Death truly abounds in Hawkins… and beyond. So, who dies in Stranger Things 4? Let’s talk about it. 

Jump to: Volume 2 Deaths

Stranger Things 4 Volume One Deaths

Chrissy Cunningham

Poor Chrissy Cunningham, the queen of Hawkins High, gets the redshirt treatment in episode one. She seems to have it all as a bubbly cheerleader who is dating Jason, the captain of the basketball team. But we quickly discover that there’s something sinister going on with Chrissy. Her mother is verbally abusive, a trauma that Vecna capitalizes on to haunt her.

Those scary visions make her seek out Eddie Munson, the leader of the Hellfire Club, to score drugs that will presumably help quell her issues. Their linkup ends when Chrissy is at Eddie’s house. Vecna comes for her, putting her into a trance, lifting her off the ground, and gruesomely snapping her bones and sucking her eyes into her skull in front of Eddie. Yikes. Chrissy’s death in Stranger Things 4 sparks a chain of events, forcing Eddie to go on the run and taking the Hawkins crew on a wild investigation. 

Despite her limited screen time, Chrissy made a huge impact on fans. Many shipped her with Eddie after their fun and frankly adorable scene together in the woods. And, in a recent TV Line interview, the Duffer Brothers themselves now admit that maybe—just maybe—they were a little too hasty with killing her off. Hindsight is usually 20/20, right?

“We always have those moments [of ‘What have we done?’],” said Matt Duffer. “We shot the quote-unquote drug-deal scene in the woods pretty late, actually, into shooting.” Ross Duffer adds, “we had already killed Chrissy when we shot that.”

It’s completely not unusual to shoot a show out of order, so we get it. But we will always wonder what could have been with Chrissy and Eddie.

Fred Benson

The next person who dies in Stranger Things 4 is Nancy’s high school paper colleague Fred. The nerdy guy who clearly harbors an unrequited crush on Nance goes with her to investigate Chrissy’s death. And, well, he walks right into his own demise. Like Chrissy, Fred has a darkness in his life that Vecna uses against him. He was responsible for a fatal car accident and begins to see and hear visions that drive him into guilt. When Nancy goes traversing off to do her thing, Fred is lured to a nearby road. He dies the same horrible way, bones cracking and flesh squelching under the dark wizard’s powerful spell. Another teen bites the dust. 

Agent Harmon

Harmon is one of two officers assigned to protect Will, Mike, and Jonathan while El goes off to trauma superhero camp. And he holds up his end of the bargain well, laying down cover fire to give them enough time to escape in Argyle’s pizza delivery van. The crew get Harmon in the van but he unfortunately bleeds out and dies. However, he does clue them in with information that sets up their own investigative story and quest to get El back. Someone must take one for the team and Harmon showed up to die. 

Patrick McKinney

Lucas’ new basketball buddy is yet another teenager who dies in Stranger Things 4. But, we don’t get to dig into his final imaginings as he levitates prior to death. Patrick’s death in front of Jason sends the latter over the edge. And now the whole town of Hawkins thinks the Hellfire Club is a satanic cult harboring a serial killer Eddie. The ‘80s may have a ton of glory but Satanic Panic was not a part of that.

A Bunch of Russian Prisoners

Ahhh episode seven truly gave us so much in its movie length run time. We finally got the Joyce and Hopper reunion that we’ve been waiting for. But it didn’t come without hella people dying first. Joyce and Murray’s infiltration plan works like a charm but they soon realize that Hopper is in real danger. Like the type of danger where a Demogorgon is about to eat him and a group of other men. Most of those poor guys become Upside Down monster food but Hopper and Enzo make it out alive. Sorry to those men.

The Shocking Murders at Hawkins Lab

We knew that there would be some murdery things going down at Hawkins Lab because, well, episode seven is titled “The Hawkins Lab Massacre.” Stranger Things 4 Volume One goes back to 1979 in the season opener, showing us who dies in what we think is Eleven’s killing rampage. Dr. Ellis, lab workers, and pretty much all the numbered children die. Dr. Brenner makes it out alive (sigh) and confronts Eleven, who is sporting bloody eyes. But, episode seven reveals the truth about what really went down. Turns out that weird orderly wearing all white was the fabled One. And he’s Victor Creel’s very evil son. And yeah… El “kills” One only to open up a gate to the Upside Down, where he becomes who we know as Vecna. But we won’t count that here because he’s obviously not truly dead. It looks like Volume Two will include a powerful battle between Eleven and One/Vecna.

Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 Deaths

Doctor Brenner

Sure, we thought Brenner was gone before. But he is gone, gone now. After trying to hold Eleven hostage and prevent her from reaching her friends after she regains her powers, the military shoots him down. He frees Eleven of her shock collar and makes a final plea with her that he only wanted to take care of and help her. Eleven cries and simply says “goodbye Papa” as he takes his final breaths. Honestly, good riddance.

Eddie Munson

This is undoubtedly the saddest death this season. Eddie and Dustin are tasked with keeping the Demobats away from the Creel House so Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin can kill Vecna. The bats quickly overwhelm them but, instead of running away, Eddie faces them to buy more time. It’s a moment that’s been largely hinted at all season with Eddie declaring that he “always runs” and “is not a hero.” He fights the bats with all his might as Dustin tries to get back to him.

But it is too late. Eddie dies from his wounds after a touching moment with Dustin. And sadly, the town of Hawkins will never know how brave he is, instead simply presuming he is a cult leader who died. But, at least Eddie’s uncle got to keep a part of him—the chain he wore on his neck—and knew that his nephew died a hero. And not a hero because of his final actions, but because he always had a pure and brave heart, even when he didn’t think he did. Hopefully, there will be a way to clear Eddie’s name in season five. He deserves that much after his heartbreaking death.

Jason Carver

We hate to wish death on anyone but Jason fully earned this one. He’s been raging around town trying to kill/beat up everyone in the Hellfire Club and causing more problems. Jason finds Lucas and Max in the Creel House and interferes with their plan. He nearly shoots Lucas before beating him terribly and distracting Lucas from keeping an eye on Max. When Max dies and the Upside Down breaks through, ripping him in half.

Hawkins Residents

At least 22 Hawkins residents (including Jason) died when all four of Vecna’s gates come together and partially destroy the city. They are nameless and faceless, yet more victims of a tragedy that is so much bigger than they knew.

Max Mayfield (Technically)

The terror on Lucas’ face when he saw Max’s bones begin to crack grotesquely. She tells Lucas than she cannot see nor hear and doesn’t want to die. But she does. Her heart stops, making her the fourth death in Vecna’s plan. But Eleven is able to reach her with their great memories, restarting her heart. However, we don’t know if Max Mayfield will survive on Stranger Things or succumb to her serious injuries. The season ends with her in the hospital and in a coma. Her broken bones are reset and she may no longer be able to see. Eleven still feels an overwhelming guilt that she didn’t get to her in time.

Does Vecna Die in Stranger Things 4?

We do know one person who isn’t dead (besides our main crew). Vecna does not die in Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 and Will can feel him. So it looks like the battle against Vecna to save Hawkins will rage on in Stranger Things 5 to end this story. Until then, let’s form a protection circle around Max and the rest of our crew because they will need it with the Upside Down literally taking over Hawkins.

Originally published on May 27, 2022.

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Could this song save my life? You may have asked yourself this question even before season four of Stranger Things came out. We’ve all certainly thought about it since that “Running Up That Hill” sequence in episode four. But if you’re having trouble deciding which song you’d play to save you from Stranger Things 4‘s Vecna, Netflix’s Upside Down playlist on Spotify can help you figure out the answer. It’s described as “your personal playlist to help you escape from Vecna and the Upside Down” and combines a curated list of songs with your account preferences. And according to the show’s Twitter account, song #1 is your “savior song,” the one your friends should play if you suddenly become unresponsive due to demonic possession.

Once you find out which song might save your life if you encounter Vecna, perhaps sharing the information with your nearest and dearest is a good idea. Add your anti-Vecna song to your emergency planning kit. It’s like knowing where flashlights are in case of a power outage or having all your important paperwork in one place if you have to evacuate. You never know when a demon is going to set its sights on you and the only thing that can save you is your friends knowing what music to play to your unresponsive body. 

Will you and Max share a theme song? “Running Up That Hill” makes an appearance on many people’s playlists. Kate Bush’s song is once again charting nearly 30 years after its release, thanks to the show. It has also inspired covers, some more interesting versions of the song than others. 

The Nerdist crew received mixed results when putting the playlist to the test. But then again, we’re a wacky bunch. When I looked at it without signing in, the first song was “Cause of Death” by Motionless in White. This seems an inauspicious option, considering it’s supposed to help me avoid death. Once I logged in, the algorithm took over and everything made sense. Canadian folk music and Christmas songs would indeed save my life from Vecna and the Upside Down. Spotify knows me. If I heard anything from Steven Page or Barenaked Ladies, I would go towards the light it created.  

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

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Stranger Things returns this Friday with the final two episode of its super-sized season four, and fans can’t help but shake the feeling that not all their favorite characters are going to make it out alive. With an epic showdown against Vecna imminent, Dan takes a trip to the Upside Down to try and figure out who will live and who will die when Volume 2 of Stranger Things 4 drops on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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Stranger Things will come to an end with the show’s fifth season. Netflix isn’t done with the horror series, though. The Duffer Brothers already have an idea for a spinoff, and the streaming site wants to keep the franchise going. What we don’t know is what the show will be about, who will star on it, or when it will be set. The Duffers recent comments their spinoff will be “very, very different” isn’t much of a guide, either. In fact, that makes it even harder to guess what they might do for a followup.

We previously explored why a sequel set in the ’90s makes sense, and that’s still true. A direct sequel could have returning performers and connected plot lines with the original show. Or they could make the show an anthology series with all new characters in a new place fighting new monsters from a new dimension. But what if the next show is as unexpected as the Duffers teased? Then the possibilities are endless. Or at least they are so long as the two main components of their first series are still in place. Any spinoff must a) feature monsters and b) find inspiration from other stories. The current show would be fundamentally altered without Upside Down creatures and ’80s callbacks. So with that in mind we came up with five wild, “very, very different” ideas we’d love to see from the next Stranger Things.

A Victorian Era Gothic Horror

Hawkins, Indians in the 1980s is a far cry from Victorian England. But the two have far more in common than you’d think. That prim and proper period is also a bastion for classic horror stories. While Americans in the ’80s could watch A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Thing, Londoners at the end of the 19th century had decades worth of iconic nightmares like Dracula and Frankenstein to read.

From Wuthering Heights and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, to The Picture of Dorian Gray and Jane Eyre, that time period would have a rich tapestry of great stories to draw from. (Not to mention Jack the Ripper!) And the show wouldn’t be limited to using just horror tales. In the way that Stranger Things draws from Amblin films of the ’80s, a late Victorian Era show could turn to the works of Charles Dickens. Just imagine Oliver Twist and Pip from Great Expectations trying to overcome their cultural lot in life while also fighting for their lives against vampires and monsters. Yeah, we would definitely watch that show. Especially if it meant getting a Miss Havisham-inspired character, which would be so perfect we’re now mad it might never happen.

(Note: Mike Flanagan is essentially already doing the American equivalent of this idea for Netflix. His upcoming Fall of the House of Usher is based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe. But that doesn’t mean a creepy American with a distinct mustache and love of all things macabre can’t arrive in Victorian England in a later season of our English spinoff idea. “The Tell Tale Visitor” would be a perfect season three premiere episode.)

A 1950s Alien Invasion

Demogorgons and the Mind Flayer are monsters from another world, but what if instead of a parallel dimension they came from a distant planet? Alien invasion stories have been a staple of horror since the release of H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel The War of the Worlds. And the 1950s were a golden age of the genre, as Cold War paranoia (a staple of the Netflix show) led to a spate of stories about evil “others” trying to take over. The decade saw the release of memorable movies like The Day the Earth Stood Still, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Blob. Those three alone, just a fraction of the decade’s best, would lend themselves perfectly to entire seasons of television.

Stranger Things 4 has already provided a connection to those stories, too. The Nina Project’s underground bunker is located in Area 51, the center of America’s long obsession with aliens and UFOs. Shady government officials, scientists without questionable moral boundaries, monsters from another world, and regular people trying to escape all of those hidden threats? Sounds like a Stranger Things spinoff to us.

A ’60s and ’70s-Style Supernatural Horror

The Upside Down is a place Hawkins denizens can go to, but it’s still supernatural in nature. That element is what makes the sinister realm truly terrifying. Demogorgons are mindless monsters whose flesh makes them vulnerable. But the Mind Flayer can take over someone’s body while Vecna can entrap people in a deadly nightmare. In that way the Upside Down’s most dangerous baddies are a lot like demons or ghosts, the same kind of villains who made films like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby classics.

Forget the hellish aspects of the Upside Down, a series set in the ’60s and ’70s and inspired by those decades’ supernatural films could mine Hell itself for horror. Not only would that allow the Duffers to reference films like The Omen or The Wicker Man, it would allow them to draw on famous Stephen King stories like Carrie and The Shining. Stranger Things 4 is already using Satanic Panic to tell a compelling story. Just think what a spinoff could do with Satan himself.

A Meta ’90s Nightmare

The most influential horror movies of the ’90s were “very, very different” from their predecessors. They acknowledged both the films that came before and their own existence. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare in 1994 totally upended the franchise and the genre by going meta. Scream then took that idea and made something iconic by essential doing what the Duffers do but in a far more direct manner. The movie’s characters openly talked about horror movie tropes as they’re experiencing them. Then in 1999 The Blair Witch turned that concept around by making audience think the fictional work they were watching was real found footage.

If the Duffers want to do a fitting followup to their ’80s tribute they could make a ’90s horror-inspired show about a Stranger Things spinoff that ends up being haunted by the “real” Upside Down. Millie Bobby Brown could end up playing herself playing an older Eleven. How much fun would that be? We think Wes Craven would approve.

A Twisted Time Travel Tale

We’re not picking a specific era or even a speciifc place for our final idea. It’s not limited by either. In fact, this concept can incorporate the original series, everyone of our other spinoff ideas, and even those possibilities we rejected for various reasons. (A “Sea Monsters During the Golden Age of Piracy” spinoff was our #6.) For our fifth and final entry we’re using the entire history of time travel stories.

Time travel will let us maintain Stranger Things sci-fi and fantasy elements. Also, messing with the past can create alternate timelines. Ray Bradbury’s legendary “A Sound of Thunder” is a short story with enough juice to energize a long-running TV show. Those other realities would serve as parallel dimension equivalents of the Upside Down. And when you can also go to the future you can bring new threats backwards. Imagine advanced aliens from the year 42,000 laying claim to Earth millennia before? That’s just as much fun as the chaos a gigantic prehistoric monster let loose in the year 2000 or during the Revolutionary War would cause.

When you can travel through time anything is possible. And why limit yourself to one spinoff idea when you can do all of them? Especially when you can also reference any story you like?

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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It’s almost time to run up that hill, Stranger Things fans! The new trailer for the final two episodes of season 4 teases what looks like an epic conclusion as the showdown with Vecna begins. Dan heads into the Upside Down to break down all the clues, easter eggs, and everything else you might have missed in the Strange Things trailer on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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Stranger Things 4 is the show’s first season not released all at once. That’s given us a chance to both reflect on what happened and predict what will follow. The first seven episodes introduced Hawkins most terrifying villain yet, Vecna. The former Henry Creel is coming for everyone in Hawkins, and the only question in the season’s last two supersized episodes is whether or not the town’s bravest kids can reunite in time to stop him. Normally we’d never bet against them, but the newest trailer for Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 has us fearful this time will be different. Because the Upside Down’s most dangerous monster has us feeling like running up that hill will only lead to death.

Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 debuts at Netflix on July 1. Objectively, that really isn’t that far away. But this trailer is so good it feels like we have another thousand years to wait. Even without music this teaser would have us ready to take on the Upside Down ourself. But setting it to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” turns an epic promo into something special.

If we watch it enough times, though (and we will), we’ll probably give up on our plan to invade that sinister realm. Vecna sounds way too confident here. He taunts his former foe Eleven, saying her friends have already lost. Unfortunately there’s plenty of reasons to think he’s telling the truth. This Stranger Things 4 trailer shows the Hawkins crew primed for war, but no one seems confident. And Robin fears this encounter will be different from past battles.

They’ll have to deal with more than just Vecna, too. This trailer show Lucas fighting Jason. Eleven watches Brenner’s underground lab first attacked by the military and then blown to smithereens. The Russia crew has to get free of a prison full of literal monsters. And Nancy, who will escape Vecna’s clutches initially at least, looks haunted by what she experienced there.

For a show inspired by the best of the ’80s, it’s not a good sign this whole season feels like an homage to The Empire Strikes Back. We know how that movie ended, which is why we have a bad feeling about Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 after this trailer.

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Stranger Things 4 has a whole lot of questions left to answer when the season’s second half premieres on Netflix on July 1. Good thing Stranger Things 4 Volume 2’s two installments will have plenty of time to answer them. Episode eight will clock in at an hour and 25 minutes. That seems short compared to the finale, though. It will run for a whopping two hours and 20 minutes. That’s nearly four hours of story to look forward to. But for now, we can also look at the first official images from Stranger Things 4‘s epic ending. They indicate that no matter where in the world Hawkins’ bravest find themselves, they’ll need to do what they do best to save the world again – work together.

The best news from these pictures is that Nancy will escape Vecna’s clutches and make her way back to the real world with her friends. The kids still in Hawkins are seen making a plan, and Eddie is a big part of them. At some point, they’ll even need him to drive them somewhere. Hopefully, when he actually gets going, he’ll remember to keep his eyes on the road.

Max’s struggles are far from over, though. She’s still rocking her Kate Bush-playing headphones, as she and Lucas sit in a dark room that certainly looks and feels like the Creel family house. That sinister place isn’t done with the kids yet. Nor they with it.

At least they’re in Hawkins. Hopper, Joyce, Murray, and their new friend “Enzo” Antonov still need to get away from the prison and the Demogorgon it holds. We have no idea what they’re looking at here, but based on their shocked expressions, we’re betting getting home will require another absurd event.

Another group far from Indiana isn’t trying to get back there just yet. The California crew is cruising in Argyle’s pizza truck on the hunt for Eleven. The excited pointing in this picture suggests they’re very close to finding her.

As for Eleven, she’s still with Brenner in the underground Nina Project bunker. Now that she’s been forced to remember the truth about One, his massacre, and the Upside Down, she could be more powerful than ever. At least, we hope she is. Good thing this photo suggests she’s about to leave “Papa” once again.

While these Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 first look photos give us a peek at what’s to come, there’s also a lot they don’t show. There’s no sign of Vecna and the Upside Down. We also don’t see the dangerous mob running around Hawkins, the Hellfire Club’s parents, or the US military that is searching for Eleven.

As we said, there’s a whole lot of story left for Stranger Things 4 to finish. Good thing it’ll have plenty of time to do that.

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Stranger Things 4 Volume One gave us a whole lot of story in seven supersized episodes. But the show still has much to resolve in the second half of the season. (No wonder the final two episodes will run nearly four hours total.) From demon curses and a frenzied mob, to international intrigue and a mystery painting, these are the eleven biggest questions we have for Stranger Things 4 Volume Two.

Did Demobats Infect Steve with an Upside Down Virus?

Robin’s fear about rabies is well founded. If a wild animal bites you in the real world you go see a doctor immediately. So if a bunch of monstrous Demobats bite you in the Upside Down, you should at least be concerned. And we are after Steve turned into a tasting platter for those flapping terrors. Especially because we’ve already seen how physical connections with the dark dimension can cause major problems across both planes of existence. As we’ve seen from Will, Eleven, and Billy, it has always been a dark omen when the Upside Down gets inside of you. Hopefully for Steve Demobats don’t carry any sort of interdimensional disease.

Can Max and Nancy Escape Vecna’s Curse?

Max barely escaped death at Vecna’s twisted hands thanks to Robin and Nancy’s chat with Victor Creel. The pair learned music can help break someone out of the Dark Wizard’s trance, letting them return to the real world. Episode seven ended with Nancy still locked in the Upside Down, but even if/when her friends pull Nancy back, she won’t be totally free of her deadly connection with Vecna. Neither is Max, who has been listening to Kate Bush on repeat ever since her encounter with the monster.

Is it even possible to totally break free of Vecna’s curse? If so what will that take? Or will Max and Nancy always have to worry that he will pull them back into his realm?

Can the Gang Clear Eddie and Victor Creel for Crimes They Didn’t Commit?

Vecna’s victims aren’t limited to those he kills. He leaves behind untold grief for their loved ones. But in the case of Eddie and Victor, Vecna also left behind scapegoats. Poor Victor Creel has sat locked away in darkness falsely accused of murdering his family. Now all of Hawkins is hunting down Eddie, who they believe is responsible for the recent space of Vecna’s murders. It will be hard, if not impossible, to explain tha a supernatural monster actually murdered all those people. But will Stranger Things 4 Volume Two end with clearing Eddie and Victor Creel of murder? It might sound impossible, but they did previously concoct a way to hold the government responsible for Barb’s death.

What Will Happen if the Townsfolk Catch the Hellfire Club Members?

There might not be time for anyone to officially clear Eddie of wrongdoing, though. Not with the high school basketball team’s captain leading the entire town on a frenzied hunt to find members of the Hellfire Club. Satanic Panic has come to Hawkins, Indiana, and that young group of D&D players are now being blamed for every tragedy that has occurred in their town. There’s little reason to think they will survive an encounter with the mob. The Upside Down is not the only dimension full of deadly monsters.

Will the California Kids Rescue Eleven From Brenner?

Papa is back, as are Eleven’s powers. Dr. Martin Brenner helped his “daughter” unlock her lost abilities by showing her the memory of the first time she unleashed them. But he obviously can’t be trusted. Will Brenner really let Eleven go a second time now that he has her back under his control? Even if she escapes that underground bunker, though, she’s in the middle of nowhere with no way to get home. Her only hope of reaching Hawkins might lie with a pizza delivery truck from California full of her friends. Mike, Will, Jonathan, and Argyle are on the hunt for The Nina Project. But with the government searching all of them down, too, it won’t be easy for them to reach Indiana even if they do rescue her.

Will Eleven Fight Vecna in Stranger Things 4 Volume Two?

We’re willing to wager that Eleven will ultimately get back to Hawkins eventually. However, her real fight remains in the Upside Down with her old foe, One, whom the Hawkins kids call Vecna. Eleven bested him before, sending him to the dark dimension where he became Vecna, but can she kill him and end his threat forever? He’s likely to be even more powerful now. While still human, he told Eleven that with each murder his power and strength grew. Now that he’s killed three people in Hawkins, will he be too much for her? Or will her own experiences fighting Demogorgons and the Mind Flayer have her better prepared for round 2 as well?

Will Nancy End Up with Steve, Jonathan, or No One?

The kids of Hawkins contain multitudes. Sure, they’ve spent their formative years fighting monsters from another dimension. But they still have to deal with all the other issues of growing up. For Nancy and Steve that has meant navigating their complicated love lives. (Or, in Steve’s case, non-existent love life at times.) But could they each find love with one another? Stranger Things 4 Volume One is making us question if there will be a Nancy and Steve reunion while highlighting Jonathan and Nancy’s problems during their long-distance relationship. Will Nancy leave Jonathan for Steve, or stay with her Byers boyfriend? Or will she end up without either of them? If Nancy survives Vecna, she will be heading off to school after all.

How Will Hopper, Joyce, and Murray Escape Russia? 

Hopper’s experiences in Hawkins helped him survive his Russian cage fight with the Demogorgon long enough for Murray and Joyce to let him and “Enzo” escape. But none of them have actually broken out of the prison yet. And even if they do, there’s no obvious way for them to get out of Kamchatka and back to the US. Yuri’s plane crashed, and a bunch of high-level fugitives can’t exactly book a commercial flight out of the USSR. They’ll need to figure out some kind of travel to secretly escape the country.

Do they have any Russian friends who can help them? They probably don’t, but Enzo (real name Dmitri) might. Branded a traitor, he will likely need to get him and his family out of the USSR just as much as Hopper, Joyce, and Murray need to. Hopefully they can find someone a lot more trustworthy than Yuri to help them escape.

How Old Is the Upside Down?

Stranger Things has never delved into the nature of the Upside Down, only revealing that it’s a dark parallel mirror dimension of the real world. But those impacted by its existence are starting to ask questions about it. And while we learned how Vecna ended up being its five-star general, we still have no answers to Dustin’s question about how old that sinister realm really is. Has the Upside Down always existed? Did it only come into being when people did? Is the Upside Down thousands of years old like Dustin mused? Or is the Upside Down’s origins far more recent? The answer to this question could tell us everything about this evil world.

Why Is the Upside Down’s Timeline Stuck in 1983?

The Upside Down’s age isn’t the only time related question raised by Stranger Things 4. Nancy discovered that—at least to her and her friends—it mirrors the real world exactly how it was on the day Will Byers went into the Upside Down. Does that mean Will was the first person to enter the Upside Down since Henry Creel in 1959? Why does the presence of a single person matter so much to the state of that realm? What, if anything, could alter the Upside Down’s own timeline? Or is that frozen time in 1983 nothing more than a trick? Could the Upside Down be messing with time to mess with Nancy’s plans? There’s so many questions that we hope Stranger Things 4 Volume Two answers.

What Did Will Paint for Mike?

Look, we get it. Forget only worrying about the lives of our favorite Hawkins denizens, Vecna and the Upside Down are a threat to the entire planet. Existence as we know it hangs in the balance. There are literally no bigger questions than what Eleven and her friends can do to save the world. And yet, we care just as much about learning exactly what Will painted for Mike.

Can you really blame us? It was important enough Will brought it with him to the airport to meet Mike. Then, while soldiers attacked his home, Will made sure to take it with him as he fled. What did Will paint?! Why does he care about it so much?! We need to know the truth about Will’s painting! Vecna can kill everyone and bring eternal darkness to the world and we’d be fine so long as he opens up Will’s painting.

Stranger Things 4 Volume Two will arrive on July 1, so hopefully we will get answers to our burning questions.

The post Our 11 Biggest Questions for STRANGER THINGS 4 Volume Two appeared first on Nerdist.

Vecna wasn’t just terrifying, he proved to be the Upside Down’s most fascinating monster. Yet somehow the citizens of Hawkins, Indiana were even scarier. Sadie Sink also stole the show with arguably the best scene in series history. And yet, despite its many great moments and performances, Stranger Things 4‘s lasting legacy might end up being that it introduced a whole new generation of fans to the music of Kate Bush. Her 1985 song “Running Up That Hill” is running up the music charts again. No surprise after it helped make Max’s moving escape from Vecna’s clutches pop culture perfection. But while you can’t improve on perfect, you can find other ways to make a deal with god. And that’s exactly what this absurd rendition of the popular Kate Bush song does with a Hank Hill twist.

Drunk Uncle band member and co-host the Pendejo Time podcast Jake sang Bush’s classic as King of the Hill‘s most dedicated propane and propane accessories salesman. While this premise could have easily fallen flat, it’s a master class in comedy. It begins with a gorgeous acoustic guitar cover of the song, which is just as important as his spot-on impression. The buildup to hearing Hank’s voice only adds to the humor when he finally sings, “And if I could…”

Even Jake’s break at the end is perfect, because this is too ridiculous to fully handle. That doesn’t mean it was easy to do, though. He said, “It is without a doubt one of the dumbest things I’ve ever spent like several hours trying to make work.” Obviously the effort was more than worth it.

This is the second unlikely King of the Hill tribute to hit the internet just this week. Middle-earth met Texas in a terrific The Lord of the Rings mashup. All of which is great news for people who love paying tribute to our favorite artists. Every generation should know about both Kate Bush and Hank Hill.

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Stranger Things season four has rocked our world, and it still has two episodes left to go. But we will always have a special place in our hearts for that miraculous first season. Back when Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will were still young kids playing D&D, unprepared for the wild realities of life in Hawkins. Now, British music producer and composer Harvey Summers has created a stop-motion robot tribute to Stranger Things season one, complete with his reimagining of the now-iconic theme song. And its actually vintage ’80s wind-up robots that play our favorite kids from Hawkins. You can watch the full video right here:

Here’s what Harvey Summers had to say about his Stranger Things project:

“When it came to making a video, I realised the toy robots which keep guard of the synths in my studio could play the parts of Mike, Will, Lucas and Dustin, while my little alien friend, ‘Eno’ could play Eleven. This is my first attempt at any kind of animation. Big learning curve! But I had so much fun doing it. Hope you enjoy my little tribute to one of the most awesome things to grace our screens in recent years! “

If you’re an ’80s kid, you probably recognize some of these toys. One of them is a Robby the Robot toy from the movie Forbidden Planet. We are guessing he is a representation of Lucas, since he’s wearing a bandana on his head. The other is V.I.N. CENT, from the 1979 Disney sci-fi movie The Black Hole. The red one wasn’t based on any IP, but was a popular toy nevertheless.

As for the robot playing Will, that’s MAMI, the Taiwanese toy robot that sold millions. And as for Eleven, she’s represented by the little grey alien toy which also sold like hotcakes after Close Encounters of the Third Kind came out. Hey, maybe for the sequel video, the infamous Omnibot 2000 can play Hopper? He kinda gives off Hopper vibes.

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Stranger Things 4 Volume One delivered a whole lot of story. Those seven super-sized episodes needed their extended run times, too. The show juggled separate stories in Indiana, California, Russia, and the Upside Down. It also told multiple tales from different time periods. And it featured one giant, monstrous revelation. But if you thought you got a heavy dose of Hawkins goodness from the season’s first half, it sounds like the best is yet to come. The Duffer Brothers said Volume Two’s finale features more FX shots than all of Stranger Things 3 combined. And that will include an hour-long stretch that could be the most exciting sequence in show history.

Ross and Matt Duffer spoke to Empire Magazine about what fans can expect from the latter half of Stranger Things 4. They didn’t get into specifics of how Hawkins’ young Upside Down veterans will take on Vecna. But they did tease the amount of work that went into the showdown. Ross Duffer said “There’s an hour-long chunk in the final episode that just doesn’t stop. It’s the most complicated thing we’ve ever attempted to do.” He also said the sequence is all “tension and dread.” And that’s before “everything goes to hell.”

While we can only imagine what that will entail, Duffer did say the action would be long even for a movie. Of course, with a runtime exceeding two hours, the season finale will have more in common with a movie than a TV show. And it’s not like television isn’t capable of putting together record-setting sequences. Game of Thrones‘ “Battle of Winterfell” ran longer than the “Battle of Helm’s Deep” in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. That cinematic war lasted 40 minutes.

And it all took place in one dimension. Defeating Vecna will likely require a long and dangerous trip to the Upside Down. That’s why the question won’t be whether or not every character survives. The question will be whether or not we do.

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Poor Will Byers. He spent the first season of Stranger Things trapped in the Upside Down while his friends had an amazing adventure and became friends with a superhero. Then in season two he ended up under the control of the Mind Flayer. And in season three all he wanted to do was play D&D with his friends who refused to have a session. But Stranger Things 4 might be his most painful season yet. Not because he became a third wheel during Mike’s trip to visit Eleven, though. Nor is it because he almost died when soldiers raided his home. And it has nothing to do with his frantic and dangerous trip to reunite with his friends or because it’s the show’s scariest season yet. It’s because everyone at Stranger Things forgot about poor Will Byers’ birthday.

Variety spoke to Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer about Volume One of the new season and what we can expect from the last two episodes. That included addressing Will’s sexuality, which though implied has not yet been explicitly stated. The Duffers say the last two episodes will make clear who Will “likes.” But what Volume Two can’t do is make up for everyone forgetting Will’s birthday.

Fans of the show remembered something no writer on the series did. Stranger Things 2 established Will’s birthday is March 22. But that date came and went in season four without any character acknowledging it, let alone celebrating. His own mother didn’t wish “WILL!” a happy birthday. That sleight wasn’t intentional, which might make it even worse. Matt Duffer said they simply didn’t remember what they had written six years earlier.

The brothers say going forward they might need someone to help them keep track of everything they do, the way George R.R. Martin and Stephen King do. That way they won’t make a mistake like forgetting a major character’s birthday. But that’s too little, too late for Will. They’re also not sure whether they should go back and “George Lucas” the oversight by adjusting his birthday to a different date. Or if they should “just let it be really sad” that it happened.

It doesn’t matter which option they pick, forgetting Will’s birthday in the first place is sad. But that’s just how things seem to always go for poor Will Byers.

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Stranger Things fans finally returned to The Upside Down with the first batch of episodes for the series’ fourth season. Between the struggles of high school, Russian prison camps, and a new nightmarish entity threatening Hawkins, the latest season of the Netflix original series saw its characters facing their toughest challenges yet. With a month to wait before the season’s final episodes drop, Dan takes a look inside the Creel House to break down the biggest questions looming over Volume 2 on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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The scariest moment from Stranger Things 4 Volume One had nothing to do with Vecna nor a Demogorgon. It did not take place in the Upside Down or involve even a drop of blood. It was during a small town meeting, when a frightened, angry high school student convinced his fellow citizens to hunt down a group of teenagers. In that horrifying moment Satanic panic truly came to Hawkins, Indiana. Just as it really did to the United States in the 1980s. But that scene, when a hateful mob blamed all its problems on a small band of powerless outcasts, resonated with such force because it felt so timely. Unfortunately the truth is that moment always will. Because our base instinct of “othering” strangers during times of trouble is timeless.

Stranger Things 3‘s final moments teased its coming Satanic panic with a news report. At the time we covered exactly what that event was. As well as (quite accurately) how it might play out on the Netflix series. But we couldn’t have predicted the real terror we’d feel watching it take place. Jason’s inflammatory speech to his equally petrified townsfolk was genuinely hard to watch. One person, with neither authority nor proof, convinced hundreds to track down a group of kids in a flash. All because those kids like to play a “strange” game.

That really did happen in the ’80s and ’90s. Fear about D&D—born of ignorance and exploited by pastors, politicians, and the media—contributed to the growing frenzy over a belief Satanic cults. And it threatened the very fabric of America itself. That irrational worry was not academic, either. The Hellfire Club’s Eddie is a fictional character running from the authorities. But this Stranger Things character is essentially based on very real kids who suffered that exact persecution during the height of Satanic panic. The West Memphis Three were three teenage boys convicted for heinous murders they did not commit. Those kids were easy for many to blame. They loved the “wrong” music. They wore the “wrong” clothes. And they read the “wrong” books. To many Americans they were pawns of the Devil.

Satanic panic, a phenomenon akin to mass hysteria, is a type of moral panic. That term was first coined in 1972, and arose from the cultural causes that originally led to the frenzy. And yet its broad strokes apply to the world of 2022 same as it did the world of 1986. Here’s how Oxford Reference defines moral panic:

A mass movement based on the false or exaggerated perception that some cultural behaviour or group of people is dangerously deviant and poses a threat to society’s values and interests. Moral panics are generally fuelled by media coverage of social issues. The phenomenon was first described in 1972 in relation to the ‘Mods & Rockers’ groups of the 1960s. Since then moral panics have occurred in relation to ‘ritual satanic abuse’, that was perceived to be widespread in the 1980s, and paedophilia, which led to vigilante action against innocent people.

It’s impossible to read that and not think about how powerful institutions and people do those exact same things right now. And they almost always do so to the most vulnerable individuals and groups. Some politicians label the LGBTQ+ community as “groomers” to advance heinous agendas. Qanon, which has moved from the fringes of society to take root in the mainstream, whips its followers into an incoherent mania by claiming a secret cabal of powerful people engage in a worldwide child trafficking ring. That’s how a pizza restaurant ended up with an armed assailant showing up at its door looking for “victims” who don’t exist. And those who create these panics—whether on secular, religious, or both grounds—do so under the guise that they, and they alone, are moral leaders fighting the literal Devil.

For the Devil and his worshippers hope to destroy everything “we” hold sacred. These “others” want to harm the “good” people.

But moral panic isn’t limited just to fears over pedophilia. Turn on certain news channels and you’ll received a deluge of “reasons” why immigrants are foreign invaders out to get us. Every problem in your life? They aren’t the result of your own choices. Nor are they the fault of systems put in place and propped up by those who actually wield power. The people who have the most to gain by making you afraid promise that everything bad is the fault of outsiders. Worse, those outsiders want to kill you. And once you believe that, whether because you’ve been deceived or want to believe it, what else will you do but decide you must hurt “those” people first? Especially when your neighbors, friends, and family all feel the same way too?

The ubiquity of 24-hour news channels, combined with the influence of social media, has surely led to the proliferation of moral panic. It’s easier and faster than ever to create an angry mob with lies and scary images. It’s also easier than ever to keep those people in a frenzy for longer than logic would otherwise allow. But to only blame the media for this phenomenon is to ignore human history. The Salem Witch Trials were not the result of cable news. The Third Reich did not turn ordinary people into harmful followers via social media. And we wouldn’t remember Joe McCarthy’s name if the government did not first promote the Red Scare for its own benefit.

Mankind has a long, sad history of letting itself believe those with the least amount of power are the root of all our problems. When we’re afraid, it’s easy to see monsters in the shadows. It’s certainly easier than looking in the mirror or enacting meaningful changes to the institutions responsible. But since you can’t fight shadows it’s even easier to decide a religious group, teenagers whose culture we don’t understand, people with a different sexual identity, or immigrants that don’t look like us are the actual “monsters” lurking out there.

In Stranger Things 4, Jason’s ability to rouse a crowd of otherwise normal people into hunting down children because of rising Satanic panic wasn’t scary because it doesn’t seem possible. It’s terrifying because we know that has happened. We know it will happen. And we know we are letting it happen right now as we watch Stranger Things 4. And if you don’t believe that’s true ask any trans person how they felt seeing the Hellfire Club othered by their neighbors. Ask an Asian American what it’s been like to live in their own country during COVID. Turn on certain news channels and see how the most vulnerable, helpless people are cited as our greatest threat.

Stranger Things has given us monsters we couldn’t imagine. But to truly scare us all they had to do was show us how awful we can all become when we let fear turn us against one another. And all of us can see ourselves in that moment. Some of us know we could easily join that mob. Others know what it’s like to be Eddie and his friends. And the rest of us fear ending up in the middle, unsure or too scared to protect the innocent. There’s a reason mobs form. It’s a lot easier to go with the crowd than standalone against it.

But that’s exactly why Stranger Things 4‘s most brutal scene was maybe its most important. It’s better to realize who we can become by watching that ugly transformation happen on a TV show rather than one day finding ourselves a part of the mob. Moral panic in all its ugly forms feeds on fear and anger. It makes us forget not only reason and logic but compassion and empathy. It makes us lose our humanity and leads us down a dark path. And that path is filled with things much scarier than what you’ll find in the Upside Down.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Stranger Things 4 has a ton of things going on. Max and Nancy are at the mercy of Vecna, who is also Henry Creel and One, by the way. Wow. Eleven is back on her superhero tip, Robin is a pure delight, and there’s far too many questions that need answers in Volume Two. But in the midst of ever-present danger, Satanic Panic, and great escapes, there’s one thing that we cannot stop thinking about. What the hell is happening at the chaotic home of Suzie in Stranger Things 4? Her return reveals her surprisingly weird living situation. 

It’s not a surprise to us that Suzie is back. An official image sort of gave it away with Mike, Argyle, Jonathan, and Will sitting in a room with very detailed and distinct wallpaper and BYU flag. Anyway, we finally get confirmation in Stranger Things 4, specifically episode five, that Suzie indeed returns. The California crew find the number that the dearly departed Agent Harmon left for them to find Owens and Eleven. Except, it’s not a phone number but a code attached to a computer. They need a hacker and there’s no one like Suzie, who happens to live in Salt Lake City. It takes them all night to drive there from Cali but they make it. 

Now, at this point we know that Suzie is an intelligent high achiever and quite religious. In fact, Dustin wonders if he will ever meet her family’s approval. So, of course, we’re thinking that Suzie lives in an ideal suburban house with a white picket fence and two picture perfect parents. The California crew also thinks this… until the door opens.

A little boy with a toy bow and arrow opens and shoots Mike right in the head. He’s dirty and screaming, a bit of a Donnie Thornberry-esque wonder who runs around the house all day. As they go in, several other kids are doing wild stuff: filming horror scenes, fighting on tables while wearing armor, and being generally loud. Chaos and clutter abound, leaving the Cali crew perplexed. Well, except Argyle. He’s down for the shenanigans and falls in love at first sight with Eden, a teen who seems to be in charge. They all make reference to “Father” but we don’t see him anywhere. Typical ’80s behavior.

They find Suzie upstairs and she’s indeed helpful after they break into Father’s home office to use his computer. It turns out Suzie lost hers after admitting to helping Dustin change his grade. They get the coordinates to a location in Nevada, which is actually Area 51 near where Eleven is, and presumably head that way. It’s pretty unlikely that Suzie went with the California kids to find Eleven. And we may not see her any more this season, especially with other issues at hand. But boy does her home life make us wonder. 

Why does Suzie’s dad work to the point that his house is pure anarchy? Perhaps he is just a regular, balding ‘80s dad trying to feed a house full of rambunctious kids. Or, maybe he is somehow suspicious in his own way. Is there another adult living in the house? Is Suzie adopted or a foster child or is Father her biological dad? He seems to have higher expectations and discipline standards for her than the other kids. Maybe he’s fostering the other kids for money. And how is everyone on spring break at the exact same time?! Kids in three states—California, Utah, and Indiana—being out the exact same week is quite convenient.

And it’s kinda weird that a very religious guy would be cool with kids filming horror scenes in his house. We probably won’t get answers to these questions but maybe Suzie and Dustin will reunite in some way. The California crew gets sidelined in the Volume One finale so we will have to wait and see what happens there. If Suzie is with them, it’s likely that they will all return to Hawkins for a final showdown in Stranger Things 4 Volume Two. One thing is for sure: there probably won’t be time for a song break when Eleven and Vecna go head to head. 

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For three seasons, Netflix’s Stranger Things has been pretty focused on the small midwestern town of Hawkins, IN, in the 1980s. In fairness, a lot of weird crap happens in Hawkins. (That was the original title for the series, by the way; Weirder Crap. Fun not-fact.) With this fourth season, however, the action goes all over the map. Literally. Multiple locations in the United States, and indeed the rest of the world, play major parts in Stranger Things 4‘s first part. Here now are all the places we see for sure.

Hawkins, IN

Obviously, it wouldn’t be a season of Stranger Things if we didn’t spend the bulk of the time in creepy ol’ Hawkins. Many of the specific locations we see are old favorites: the Wheeler house; Hawkins High (across the parking lot from Hawkins Middle School); Hopper’s shack; Family Video; Dustin’s house; the Sinclair house; the library. And of course, though only in flashbacks, we spend a LOT of time at Hawkins Lab. Too much some might say.

We also see a lot of brand new places this season. We’d love for Netflix to put out an official map of the entire town because it’s sort of hard to figure out where everything is in relation to each other. But, new locales include: the trailer park, specifically Eddie Munson and Max’s trailers; the weird abandoned house where the basketball team hangs out; Reefer Rick’s lakeside retreat where Eddie spends a lot of the season; Skull Rock, a convenient meeting spot for the Hawkins Crew.

Perhaps the most important new addition for the purposes of this new season is the Creel house. We learn from Victor Creel the horrible story of demonic possession which led to the death of his family and his own incarceration in a mental hospital. However, we learn in episode seven that Vecna is himself 001 who is actually Henry Creel, Victor’s young son. It’s a real dun-dun-duuuuuun moment as three seemingly disparate parts of the narrative all converge.

Upside Down, IN

We’ve seen the Upside Down before, obviously. It wouldn’t be Stranger Things without at least some visit to the mirrored hellscape full its demobats and vines and whatnot. Thanks to Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Eddie traveling through the Watergate, we see a lot of the Upside Down version of Hawkins, with even less clear geography. For example, they go to the Wheeler house, but it’s all by itself; we know the real Wheeler house has neighboring houses. Very strange.

Like in real Hawkins, the most interesting and important spot in Upside Down Hawkins we see this season is the vestiges of the Creel house. Vecna has a smashed-up, distorted version of it as his base of operations. We leave Nancy at the end of episode seven learning the truth about Vecna and the Creel house’s distinctive sideways clock.

Lenora Hills, CA

At the end of Stranger Things 3, Joyce Byers leaves Hawkins along with her sons Will and Jonathan and new adoptive daughter El for the sunnier, not-remotely-evil fictional town of Lenora Hill, CA. Except, despite the sun, and Joyce’s pretty rad house, it’s not a particularly happy place for El. “Jane” as they call her is the victim of consistent, pointed bullying which causes her to lash out and break her bully’s nose. Luckily I guess the police drop the charges thanks to Owens’ intervention. Score one for clandestine government agencies, I guess.

The California Crew, as Netflix calls them, have maybe the weirdest arc in the season. Mike goes to visit Eleven (and not really Will, poor Will), but she soon leaves with Owens and so Mike, Will, Jonathan, and new favorite character Argyle go on the lam following an intense gunfight in the new Byers house. Where do they go?

Salt Lake City, UT

In one of the absolute weirdest scenes in the entire series, the California Crew drives through the desert, trying to escape the bad government guys (not to be confused with the good ones), and heads to Salt Lake City to get some aid from Suzie. You remember Suzie; Dustin’s really-for-real girlfriend. Suzie’s house is what I would call a wide-awake nightmare.

Even though her very strict father is home the whole time, Suzie’s older sister is put in charge of her younger siblings. The youngest is a literal wild beastboy; the middle ones are sword fighting non-stop; the slightly older ones are making a horror movie where the only scene appears to be a girl choking on blood from a neck wound.

All of this is to find out, via coordinates, where Owens took El. Suzie uses a newfangled thing called “the internet” to find the answer. And do you know where it is?

Area 51, NV

Yep, the underground lab where Owens takes El, only to discover a still-alive Dr. Brenner, is in the actual Area 51. Almost too on the nose there, Duffers. But here, in a nondescript doorway in the middle of nowhere, El undergoes memory therapy to both help regain her powers and to learn the truth about the evil wreaking fresh havoc on Hawkins.

Nome, AK

Meanwhile, Joyce and Murray head to the great white north to bring $20,000 to a weird Russian guy named Yuri to take to another Russian guy named Enzo to hopefully free Hopper. They don’t spend a lot of time in Nome, but it’s important because it’s right across the Bering Sea from our last most important location in Stranger Things 4.

USSR (Presumably near Kamchatka)

The prison in which the Soviets are holding Hopper is right across the Bering Sea from Nome, which is perfect for the smuggling of things and people from the West to the East, or vice versa. Though Enzo thinks he’s the smartiest of pants, Yuri the weirdo double crosses him and ends up in a cell next to “American.” If not for Murray’s use of karate and flawless Russian, Hopper and Enzo would have joined their fellow prisoners as demogorgon food for sure.

And there you have it! All the places Stranger Things 4 goes. Will there be more places in the final two episodes? We’ll have to wait until July 1, 2022, to find out.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Stranger Things follows a proud tradition of contemporary horror and fantasy storytelling, which is a small American town with weird happenings. But one where only the young people, or almost only the young people, know what is really going on. All while the adults in town are completely ignorant of what is actually transpiring right beneath their noses.

In the first season of Stranger Things, the kids of Hawkins, Indiana had support from Chief Hopper and Joyce Byers at least. But in season 4, the kids in town are on their own. Meanwhile, the Hawkins adults start believing in wild conspiracies instead of accepting the otherworldly possibilities of their town. Hawkins draws inspiration from many similar small towns of ignorant adults and savvy children in pop culture. And these are some of our favorites.

Springwood, Ohio (A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise)

The small, suburban town at the heart of the Nightmare on Elm Street saga is the first example of “clueless adults, wise children.” Despite being the catalyst for Freddy Krueger’s dream stalking of their children by killing him in the first place, every adult in the town of Springwood, Ohio is in deep denial that Freddy is invading their kid’s dreams. Despite the astronomical body count.

This is somewhat believable in the first film. But by the time we get to A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, every teenager in town knows the story of Freddy.  And no matter how many times the kids tell their parents, they keep staying in denial. They tell them it’s just nerves and give them sleeping pills. And they keep dying. In these films, it’s always the kids who beat Freddy, with almost no help from the adults.

Derry, Maine (Stephen King’s It)

In Stephen King’s novel It, and its two live-action adaptations, Pennywise the Clown has been stalking and killing in the town of Derry, Maine for generations. And it’s always the kids who are aware of what’s been going on, while the adults seem totally oblivious. We later find out that’s partially by design; there’s something about Pennywise that causes partial amnesia of his existence as the kids grow into adults. It’s King’s metaphor for how adults quickly forget what it’s like to be young. But in this case, it makes the children the only ones able to confront and defeat this killer clown. The adults in town are basically useless. And that’s a feature, not a bug.

Santa Carla, California (The Lost Boys)

This beachside California town might seem like the perfect vacation spot, with its boardwalk amusement park and beautiful cliffside views. But this town from The Lost Boys is also the “Murder Capital of the World,” and ground zero for vampires. But despite the rash of missing persons in town, every adult (including the police) seems totally clueless as to why. It’s only local teenage nerds the Frog Brothers, and fellow teenager Sam, who know that that town is overrun by the undead. And it’s they who aim to take care of it. The only adult who seems to know is good old Grandpa, but he’s basically a big kid himself.

Sunnydale, California (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Obviously inspired by Santa Carla, the California town of Sunnydale is also a nest of vampires. Not to mention a metric ton of other supernatural creatures. This is by virtue of the town residing on a Hellmouth, which is exactly what it sounds like it is. But despite a body count a mile high on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the adults in town don’t seem to register that it’s all just a bit odd.

The one time the local parents finally acknowledge all the supernatural goings-on, they form M.O.O. (“Mothers Opposed to the Occult”), which Buffy’s mother, Joyce Summers organizes. But even that organization is a part of a larger supernatural plot. And when it’s over, all the Sunnydale adults once again forget these things exist, leaving it to Buffy and her teenage friends to handle things. Again.

Eerie, Indiana (Eerie, Indiana)

Only a handful of you out there might remember this show, which arrived on the airwaves in 1991. Eerie, Indiana was first pitched as “Twin Peaks for kids.” The show only lasted one season, but it ran on Disney Channel in reruns for years, leading to cult status. The protagonist, Marshall Teller, is a big city kid who moves with his folks to the small town of Eerie, Indiana where strange goings-on are always occurring. Together with his best friend, they solve many mysteries in town, mysteries the adults seem totally unaware of, or outright dismiss.

Herrington, Ohio (The Faculty)

Sometimes it’s not supernatural terrors the adults can’t see or believe in. Sometimes it’s those pesky aliens. This happens in 1998 sci-fi horror movie The Faculty, which took place in the small town of Herrington, Ohio. In the film, the titular faculty of Herrington High school is actually controlled by alien parasites.

The rest of the town’s adults turn a blind eye to the complaints of their kids, and a group of teenagers from different social classes have to band together to stop the parasitic invasion. And with no help from any grown-ups. One has to wonder if Steve Harrington in Stranger Things was given that name as an homage to the town from this cult classic, despite the different spelling.

Matheson, Massachusetts (Locke & Key)

This is the most recent example on this list. Locke & Key was a successful comic book series first, and it is now currently a streaming show on Netflix. The story revolves around a supernatural manor home where different magic keys unlock all manner of mystical portals. But it’s something only kids can do, as somehow, when they turn 18, they begin to forget all about the magical things they witnessed. That leaves the adults in the town of Matheson as basically side characters, because they simply are incapable of knowing what is really going on once adulthood takes hold.

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One of the best elements of a TV show or film is the music. A swelling score or a perfectly placed popular song can elevate a moment to something iconic. In fact, there are some songs that we intrinsically tie to certain scenes or stories as though they are one thing. That’s what happened recently with Stranger Things 4 and “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” by Kate Bush. This frankly brilliant gem from 1985 is running up that iTunes chart after becoming one character’s defining song and saving grace. 

For those who don’t know, Kate Bush is an English performing artist who rose to fame in the UK during the New Wave era. Her songs were quite unique with experimental sounds, genre blending, and sometimes cryptic lyrics, making her stand out from the crowd. However, Kate Bush never truly got her fair due here in the US… until now. In Stranger Things 4, Kate Bush got on the radar of a new general of fans when “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” became Max’s theme song.

It makes sense why Max loves this song so much, though. Yes it is rad in general. But the idea of masking pain and wanting to swap places with someone else fits her story. The song eventually saves her life from the clutches of Vecna… at least, for now. Who knows if Max will die in Stranger Things 4 Volume Two or not. 

Either way, Stranger Things massive streaming popularity is a good thing for Kate Bush. According to Deadline, her song is now #1 on iTunes and surely getting repetitive plays on other platforms too. I personally am happy about people discovering this gem because it means a lot to me, too. Kate Bush deserves all the love and Max’s love for her reaffirms how awesome she is as a character.

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