Warning: Spoilers follow for the first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5, “Chapter One: The Crawl,” “Chapter Two: The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” “Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap,” and “Chapter Four: Sorcerer.”
The final battle is officially underway. By the end of Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1, the Hawkins gang’s campaign against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) is absolutely game on. Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) stunning Demogorgon throwdown at the end of Episode 4 positions him as the party’s potential Dungeon Master extraordinaire.
But for every victory, the Hawkins party faces a dozen new mysteries. Vecna’s endgame—the horrific vision of a merged Hawkins he shared with Nancy (Natalia Dyer)—is in motion, and there are many unknowns about his new arsenal.
As the next three episodes won’t arrive until December 25, 2025, we’re left to process the insanity of that cliffhanger and ponder the biggest questions raised by the first four chapters. Here are our top 12 burning questions until Volume 2 drops.
1. What Is Dr. Kay’s Overall Mission?
The Duffer Brothers continue their tradition of casting ’80s icons, this time bringing in Linda Hamilton as the enigmatic Dr. Kay. All we know is that she has her own well-funded, well-protected lab in the Upside Down and shares the chilling, vivisection-focused intensity of Bishop the android from Aliens. She seems to have control over some Demogorgon-like creatures, including the one that chokes out Hopper. Is she a purely nefarious player in the military’s research or a more sympathetic, albeit ruthless, scientist when it comes to the Upside Down?
2. How Did Kali/Eight Wind Up in the Upside Down, and Is Her Power Being Used Against Eleven?
Dr. Kay’s greatest catch is Eleven’s fellow lab sister, Eight, a.k.a. Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), who is now being forcibly harnessed in a machine. Given Kali’s power to manipulate and project illusions, we have to ask: Is the lab, or what Eleven and Hopper see in it, truly real? Did Kay use Kali as bait to draw in Eleven? Her power is key to the overall mission, but how Kay is harnessing it—and what her endgame is—remains the most troubling question.
3. Will Jonathan propose to Nancy? Will Steve and Nancy have a moment?
Murray’s not-so-subtle discovery of an engagement ring hidden in a cassette tape confirms Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) plans to propose to Nancy. However, the spark between Nancy and Steve (Joe Keery) is undeniable, noticed by both Robin and the late Eddie. Does Nancy still need closure with Steve after his heartfelt confession in Season 4? The stakes are high for this love triangle heading into the final episodes.
4. If Max Is Revived From Her Coma, Will She Be Changed Irrevocably?
Max (Sadie Sink) is alive, but stuck deep within Henry Creel’s memories for 584 days, sheltering in a rock cave—a place Henry won’t enter. Even if she escapes the coma, what is the cost of spending so much time trapped inside the monster’s mind? Will she be irrevocably damaged, or will her time in Henry’s head—as a potential “catalyst”—give her the crucial intel needed to finally take him down?
5. Is the Organic Wall Connected to Vecna’s Evolved Look?
The organic matter that energizes Vecna has been evolving since Season 1. Now, Hopper and Eleven discover a massive organic wall in the Upside Down. When Vecna emerges through the portal in Episode 4, he looks different—more thorny, with active movement slithering across his form, and undeniably “jacked.” Is his bulked-up, terrifying new appearance directly connected to the size and energy of that wall? And if so, is there a way to damage what the wall parallels in the Rightside Up in order to weaken the demon?
6. Is Henry or the Mind Flayer Truly in Charge?
Following its Season 3 dominance, the Mind Flayer has been largely absent. Season 4 showed Henry molding the creature from particle dust into a spider-like shape, suggesting Vecna asserted dominance. Yet, many still wonder whether the vast, chaotic evil that is the Mind Flayer is truly subjugated or if it is still, somehow, controlling Henry/Vecna.
7. Where Exactly Did Eleven Send Max That She Is In Henry’s Memories?
Eleven saved Max from death, but in doing so, seemingly sent her into the exact realm where Henry keeps his victims. Since Eleven originally sent Henry to Dimension X—where he gained his gruesome powers—did she accidentally send Max to the same place? And why is Henry so afraid to venture into those caves where Max shelters?What is Vecna/Henry really doing with these young kids, including Holly?
8. What is Vecna/Henry really doing with these young kids, including Holly?
In a chilling echo of Season 1, Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) is abducted by a Demogorgon and ends up in the reconstructed Creel mansion with Henry. Henry is reportedly obsessed with clocks and has abducted 12 children, leading to speculation that he’s attempting to recreate Dr. Brenner’s experiment in his own sinister way. Could Henry be keeping the kids inside that massive fleshy wall surrounding the Upside Down?
9. How will ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ and ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ continue to help viewers understand what The Upside Down is?
The love of Dungeons & Dragons offers theories about the possible return of Eddie Munson as Kas the Bloody-Handed and the potential appearance of the Thessalhydra. Meanwhile, Holly’s love of A Wrinkle in Time introduces a new lens. Episode 6 is titled “Escape from Camazotz,” a dark planet in the book where the evil force “IT” resides—an obvious parallel to Vecna’s desire to create “his world.” How will these literary and fantasy clues guide the party’s final strategy?
10. Would Will tell Mike about his feelings? How would Mike respond?
Given Will’s epic moment at the end of Episode 4, combined with Mike’s encouragement that led to it, the emotional connection between the two has never been stronger. Robin noticed Will’s affectionate shove of Mike before they went into the tunnels. Mike has commented before on Will not liking girls, but with the realization that he could be the object of Will’s affection, how would Mike take the confession and furthermore respond to it?
11. What is the big significance with the Upside Down being frozen on Nov. 6, 1983?
Day one viewers know that Will Byers went missing on November 6, 1983 (now Stranger Things Day). Eagle-eyed watchers may have noticed Henry Creel’s play opening was also on that date, in 1959. With Holly’s kidnapping occurring in 1987, the fact that the Upside Down itself remains fixed on 11/6/83 is clearly no coincidence. The Duffer Brothers have teased that they will finally address the time-freeze aspect of the dimension, and we are ready for the answer.
12. How Does Will Pull Off an Eleven Power Move — Bloody Nose and All — at the End of Episode 4?
The prologue confirms Will Byers’ deep, physical connection to Vecna has been a long-game strengthening process. But was Will’s Eleven-style power move—bloody nose and all—at the end of Episode 4 part of Vecna’s master plan, or was it a moment of self-actualized power siphoned from his psychic connection? The latter would be a massive twist, finally tilting the power tables against Vecna and confirming Will as the key.
Bonus Question: Will the Wheelers Survive?
Karen (Cara Buono) and Ted Wheeler (Joe Chrest) were brutally slashed defending Holly from the Demogorgon. While they survived to the hospital, we wouldn’t be surprised if one, or both, are sacrificed to raise the stakes. We are hoping, however, that Karen survives and finally escapes the purgatory of Hawkins suburbia.
Bonus Question: When Is Steve Going to Call Dustin on His Shit?
Steve Harrington has evolved into the group’s emotional center, but his bromance with Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) is troubled by snipes and bickering in Volume 1. Dustin hasn’t processed Eddie Munson’s death, turning him into an angry shadow of himself. When will Steve finally land that overdue “truth bomb” to force Dustin to confront his grief?
