Stranger Things is ending with its fifth season, and there are some things that need to happen before the show ends to bring it to a satisfying conclusion. Netflix is home to some of the biggest TV shows in recent years, and among them is the Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things. Its mix of fantasy and horror, combined with a 1980s setting fully charged with nostalgia and an intriguing story made Strange Things an instant hit, allowing it to live on for five seasons. However, there are still many loose ends and mysteries that Stranger Things has to address before ending.
Stranger Things season 4 ended on a major cliffhanger with Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) plan being set into motion. Vecna’s plan included opening gates to the Upside Down across Hawkins, and so the other dimension started bleeding into the human world. In addition to that, Max’s (Sadie Sink) encounter with Vecna left her in a coma, and it’s unclear if she will recover. Stranger Things season 5 has a lot to cover, but there are a couple of things that need to happen for it to not leave loose ends.
10 Kali’s Fate Has To Be Addressed
Kali Was Last Seen In Stranger Things Season 2
Stranger Things season 2 introduced another Hawkins Lab test subject and Eleven’s “sister”: Kali (Linnea Berthelsen). Kali was given the number 008 and was part of Dr. Brenner’s many experiments. As a child, Kali and Eleven played together in the Rainbow Room, and Kali was there when Eleven’s mother, Terry Ives, broke in to try to rescue her daughter. Kali escaped the lab before Henry Creel killed all the subjects except Eleven, who unintentionally banished him to the Upside Down.
Kali has the power of inducing mental hallucinations in a desired target, allowing her to give them illusions through which she can make herself and others invisible, duplicate herself, and many other things.
In Stranger Things season 2, Eleven tracked Kali down and Kali helped her with her powers. However, Kali also used Eleven to find a man connected to the lab she wanted to exact revenge upon. This convinced Eleven to leave Kali and her friends and return to Hawkins, and Kali was last seen escaping the police but upset that Eleven left. Aside from flashbacks, Kali hasn’t appeared again, and it’s unknown what happened to her, making her a loose end that Stranger Things season 5 needs to address.
9 Resolving Will's Romantic Feelings For Mike
Will’s Feelings For Mike Were Revealed In Stranger Things Season 4
Stranger Things season 4 confirmed some theories and fan suspicions, among them Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) sexuality. Although Will didn’t explicitly come out, season 4 made sure the audience learned of his true feelings for his best friend, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), during one of the season’s most heartbreaking and relatable scenes. Despite Will’s subtle hints in that scene, Mike didn’t understand and has no idea Will has romantic feelings for him – however, Jonathan saw everything through the rearview mirror, and he later had a heartwarming talk with his brother.
At the end of Stranger Things season 4, Mike and Eleven reunited, and while Will knows the strong bond between them, that obviously won’t make his feelings for Mike go away. Stranger Things season 5 will have to address this part of Mike and Will’s story, and it would be great to at least see Will embracing his true self and living his life as he wants, with the love and acceptance of his family and friends. It’s highly unlikely Mike will reciprocate Will’s feelings, but he can show his friend that their friendship and bond are still strong.
8 Max’s Recovery (Or Death)
Max’s Story Could End In Tragedy
One of the most shocking and tragic moments in Stranger Things season 4 was the final encounter between Vecna and Max. Despite the best efforts of Eleven and the Hawkins crew, Vecna got to Max, broke her limbs, made her eyes bleed, and took her life. In the Void, Eleven used her powers to restart Max’s heart and brought her back, but Max wasn’t well. Max was taken to the hospital, where it was revealed she was in a coma and the chances for her recovery are slim. Eleven then tried to reach her mind through the Void, but Max wasn’t there.
Vecna might have subtly revealed to Eleven how Max can be saved in Stranger Things season 5, but that doesn't mean it will be an easy mission.
At this point, anything can happen in Stranger Things, so season 5 could find a believable way to bring Max back. Of course, there’s also the possibility of Max succumbing to her injuries again and dying, though she could still appear in flashbacks or if Eleven can somehow reach her in the Void. Whatever the case, Max’s fate has to be resolved in Stranger Things season 5.
7 The Reveal Of Eleven’s Biological Father
The Identity Of Eleven’s Father Is A Mystery
Stranger Things has already revealed who Eleven’s biological mother is, but everything about her father is unknown. Terry was already part of Project MKUltra under Dr. Brenner’s supervision when she learned she was pregnant, and her baby was later taken by Brenner and company. Terry was later told she had miscarried, but she was sure that her daughter was alive. Despite all the flashbacks to Eleven’s past, it’s still unknown who Eleven’s biological father is.
While Stranger Things' season 4 demystified Eleven's past a little bit more, this theory about her father could tie her with Vecna/001 even more.
The mystery around the identity of Eleven’s father has led to various theories, with some claiming Brenner was her biological father and others suggesting it was Henry Creel. It’s believed that Hawkins Lab’s experiments on Henry Creel went as far as to use his DNA to create more test subjects, among them Eleven. The identity of Eleven’s father is one mystery that Stranger Things can’t ignore in its final season.
6 The Origin Of Henry Creel’s Powers Must Be Explored
Henry Creel’s Powers Aren’t The Product Of Hawkins Lab’s Experiments
Stranger Things season 4 revealed Henry Creel was Hawkins Lab’s 001, and that Brenner’s fascination with his powers is what led him to do all those experiments on children, including Eleven. Young Henry used his powers to torture and kill his family, which led to him spending many years at Hawkins Lab under Brenner’s supervision. Henry’s powers are what inspired all of Brenner’s experiments on other children to replicate Henry’s skills, with Eleven being his most successful subject.
However, there’s still the big question of why Henry Creel had powers and how he got these abilities. It’s understood that Henry Creel was born with these abilities, but exactly why he had them but none of his family did is unknown. Of course, there could be some twist in Henry’s past that explains the origin of his powers, and Stranger Things season 5 will have to provide all the answers about his backstory.
5 The Entire Hawkins Crew Needs To Work Together
No More Splitting Into Groups, Please
Since Stranger Things season 1, the main characters have split into groups to confront and contain the different threats in Hawkins. These divisions were more evident in seasons 3 and 4, with groups like the Scoops Troop and the Russia team, but at the end of season 3, the main characters reunited again in Hawkins. It wouldn’t be surprising if they formed groups again as part of their strategy to defeat Vecna, but Stranger Things season 5 should see the entire Hawkins crew work together at some point.
A Stranger Things season 5 behind-the-scenes image teases a team that hasn't been seen again since season 1 and could be of great help.
Each group has gone through different experiences throughout Stranger Things, so their combined knowledge, skills, and more can be exactly what they need to finally get rid of Vecna. This would also allow the audience to finally see some of the main characters who haven’t had on-screen time together finally interacting (such as Will and Robin), bringing this part of the series to a satisfying end.
4 Explaining The Origin Of The Upside Down & The Mind Flayer
The Upside Down Is Still A Mystery
Henry Creel’s powers aren’t the only thing whose origins need to be explained in Stranger Things season 5. By far, the biggest mystery in Stranger Things is the origins of the Upside Down and the Mind Flayer. Season 4 revealed that, when Henry Creel was accidentally banished to the Upside Down by Eleven, the demodogs and demogorgons already existed in it, and he found a mass of sentient particles that would later become the Mind Flayer. Thanks to his psychokinetic abilities, Henry reshaped those particles and gained control of them, and forged a collective hive mind.
However, it’s unknown how the Upside Down was created, why it exists, how its creatures were created, what exactly are the particles that form the Mind Flayer, and why it’s a copy of 1983 Hawkins. Stranger Things season 5 needs to explain all this and more about the Upside Down, the Mind Flayer, and Vecna, as it was the Upside Down that transformed him into a monster.
3 The Destruction Of The Upside Down
The Upside Down Needs To End
Once the audience knows everything there is to know about the Upside Down, Stranger Things season 5 needs to show its destruction. The Upside Down is the source of all the problems in the series, as opening the gates to it let in the Demogorgon and more into Hawkins, and it has been Vecna's home for years, so destroying it will be key to saving Hawkins.
Depending on how deeply connected it is to Vecna, it could also be the best way to kill him.
Stranger Things has already shown that closing the gates to the Upside Down doesn’t mean total safety from the dangers in it, and there are people in other parts of the world (Russia, mainly) looking to open more gates. Destroying the Upside Down would also get rid of the demogorgons, Mind Flayer, demobats, and more, and depending on how deeply connected it is to Vecna, it could also be the best way to kill him.
2 Vecna’s Defeat
Vecna Is Too Dangerous
The Upside Down isn’t the only threat that needs to be destroyed in Stranger Things season 5: its most infamous inhabitant also needs to be destroyed. Robin, Steve, and Nancy seemed to have killed Vecna in Stranger Things season 4, but to their surprise (and in the style of Halloween’s Michael Myers), when they rushed to confirm they had killed him after setting him on fire, shooting him, and making him fall through a boarded window, they were shocked to see he had disappeared.
Vecna is the most terrifying villain of Stranger Things, but as the show enters its final season, there are a lot of questions left unanswered.
It’s unknown where Vecna is after that chaotic encounter and what he’s planning now, but the Hawkins crew will surely come up with a plan to save their town. As mentioned above, Vecna’s defeat could be tied to the destruction of the Upside Down or vice versa: killing Vecna could weaken the Upside Down, making it easier for the group to destroy it.
1 Eleven Finally Having A Family & Stable Home
Eleven Deserves A Happy Ending In Stranger Things
Eleven spent her entire childhood at Hawkins Lab, and the closest she had to a father was Dr. Brenner, who she called “papa”. However, Brenner wasn’t exactly a father to Eleven, and with her mother in severe catatonia, Eleven never had a family until she escaped the lab and met Hopper. At the end of Stranger Things season 2, Hopper officially adopted Eleven and gave her back her name, Jane. Unfortunately, Hopper was believed to have died at the end of season 3, and Eleven moved to California with the Byers.
After everything she has gone through since she was born, it’s more than fair for Eleven to have a safe home, a loving family, and a peaceful life.
Now with everyone back in Hawkins and Joyce and Hopper together, Eleven can finally have the loving and stable home she deserves. After everything she has gone through since she was born, it’s more than fair for Eleven to have a safe home, a loving family, and a peaceful life, and that’s the best ending Stranger Things could give her.
Inspired by 80s pop-culture and elements of Stephen King's works, Stranger Things is a supernatural action-drama TV series set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. When a young boy goes missing, his group of friends stumbles upon a young girl with telekinetic powers who recently escaped from a mysterious facility. They soon realize that she may be their only chance at stopping an impending doom that threatens to engulf Hawkins whole.
Custom image by Ana Nieves.
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